• 1,365 sq. ft., 2 bath, 2 bdrm + den - 
MLS® $574,800 CAD - Huge value
False Creek, Vancouver -
Imagine False Creek living
You have dreamed of living in a walkable waterfront community. Here is your opportunity with this spacious 2 bedroom condo just steps from the False Creek seawall. The kitchen has been renovated with great taste (granite, stainless steel, and new cabinets) and overlooks a serene landscaped coutryard, plus a peek-a-boo view of False Creek. The living room and dining room are large and have open onto one of the 3 balconies.
Upstairs is a huge master bedroom with custom built-in wardrobes, and an ensuite with a separate tub and shower. There is a wonderful roof-top deck with great views of the Creek and Downtown skyline. The second bedroom is very private and has it's own large deck. Imagine walking out your door to the neighbourhood shops, the park and all the wonders of Granville Island. Call today to make your dreams come to true.
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Lovely Gastown Condo
• 495 sq. ft., 1 bath, 1 bdrm apartment - MLS® $289,900 CAD - with parking and storage
Gastown, Vancouver - Everything you are looking for in a Gastown one bedroom is here. Imagine living in Vancouver's historic Gastown, walking to all the great eateries and pubs, shopping in the city's coolest shops, the sun shining into your windows, the car is in it's parking spot and the extra stuff is put away in your storage locker.
This is what urban living was meant to be. Your new home is at 55 ALEXANDER, a modern (completed in 2000) concrete mid-rise building on quiet Alexander St. The kitchen has granite counters and a gas stove. There is room for a home office nook with great light, and once the sun sets a gas fireplace warms your toes, and the rest of your home too.
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Quiet, central, concrete
• 542 sq. ft., 1 bath, 1 bdrm apartment - MLS® $264,900 CAD - Top Floor
Downtown, Vancouver - Imagine owning your own home, or investment property, in a solid, well cared for building just 2 blocks from the seawall in Downtown Vancouver. This top floor one bedroom could be just what you are looking floor with it's great layout, a peak-a-boo view of English Bay, and an outlook over the quiet central courtyard.
The building has a caretaker, excellent shared laundry facilities, a roof top deck with amazing views (watch the fireworks), and pro active strata. The building is well maintained, the roof, plumbing, elevators & hallways have all been updated. Low maintenance fees make this a great rental suite. Parking is available at $50/mo.
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• 581 sq. ft., 1 bath, 1 bdrm apartment - MLS® $320,000 CAD - Amazing view
Downtown, Vancouver - Don't miss out on the amazing views of the mountains and the harbour from this well planned 1-bedroom condo. Views like this are rarely available for this price. Enjoy preparing meals in the kitchen with its granite counters. Sit back in the front of the gas fireplace in the living room and enjoy the views, or on those warmer days crank up the air conditioning. There is a parking spot for you too, but you can walk to everything. The shops, movie theatre, and the best of Vancouver are a short walk away. Call today!
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Large 3 bedroom up bungalow
• 2,138 sq. ft., 2 bath, 4 bdrm bungalow "3 bedrooms on the main" - $569,000 CAD - Central location
Renfrew, Vancouver - Imagine living in this lovely East Vancouver bungalow. The rooms are very spacious. Picture your family in front of the living room fireplace and meals in the attached dining room. There are gorgeous inlaid hardwood floors under the carpet in the main rooms and hallways. The kitchen is large and bright (south facing) with it's own eating area. What makes this home a special opportunity is that there are 3 bedrooms with nice wood floors on the main floor.
Downstairs is a large rec room, one more bedroom and the laundry room. Easy to make an income generating suite down here. In the backyard you will find a large sundeck (with carport underneath) and a nicely landscaped, sunny, south-facing backyard. The location is great too, close to shopping, and central to many destinations. Call today!
Property information
Are you looking for a new home for sale on the Westside of Vancouver. You have lots to choose from and wide range of prices and neighbourhoods as well.
There are 98 active lisitngs at the moment that are advertised as a 1 year old or less. Of those a few are actually lots and few might not be completed yet. Prices range from new bungalows in Marpole for $874,900 to high end end luxury homes in Kerrisdale, Shaughnessy and Point Grey in the $4,000,000 to $6,000,000 price range.
You can see all the new homes for sale on the Westside of Vancouver here.
And if any strike your fancy give me a call on 604 916 4663.
Matthew Collinge: Vancouver REALTOR®
Just a short one here to help you find more fun things to do in Metro Vacouver. The Spring 2009 edition of Check it Out, Metro Vancouver's Event Guide is now available and can be viewed online here.
Matthew Collinge: Vancouver REALTOR®
CMHC reports this morning that this January's housing starts were about half of what they were in January '08. Housing starts were down across detached and attached categories, but not in all areas, as Delta, Langley and Maple Ridge saw increases. As I have said before though one months housing starts are not the best reflection of anything. Nonetheless I am sure the theme for this year is fewer and fewer housing starts.
You can read the CMHC Vancouver housing starts press release here.
Matthew Collinge: Vancouver REALTOR®
The provincial government has announced that starting March 31, 2009 all home inspectors in the province of British Columbia will have to be licensed. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) released the following statement in support of the this decision:
Home Inspectors Licensing Good for Consumers
Vancouver, BC – February 3, 2009. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) is pleased with the BC Government’s recent announcement to license home inspectors, effective March 31, 2009.
“As a REALTOR®, I know it’s important for my clients to have the best property information possible,” said BCREA President Scott Veitch. “An independent inspection is a great starting point for consumers to learn about property conditions.”
Since 1998, the Association has recommended the government license home inspectors. Now, BCREA looks forward to the development of meaningful standards to ensure consumers receive adequate protection.
"Solid information helps consumers have confidence in their home buying decisions,” added Veitch. “And confidence and protection are necessary for the excellent quality of life we enjoy in British Columbia.”
Sounds like a good move to me. The inspectors I deal with I trust, but the industry is a bit of a Wild West so this should add some credibility.
Matthew Collinge: Vancouver REALTOR®
The Bank of Canada (BOC)cut it's overnight rate this morning and the banks are responding by lowering the rates on variable rate mortgages. Fixed rate mortgages on the other hand are tied to bond rates and Vancouver mortgage broker tells me that they have been adjusting lower in anticipation of this rate change by the BOC.
Bottom line, if you are planning to buy in the next little while you payments, just went down, or you could spend more money (I think I would vote for lower payments)
Matthew Collinge: Vancouver REALTOR®
A collage? Really?! A collage! It is blurry, the photos have dates on them and it looks like it was glued together. Horrible! Terrible!
Matthew Collinge: Vancouver REALTOR®
This has already been in the news and all, but I thought I'd mention it here. I broke this on Twitter 2 days ago actually, so if you are not following me there please do. Basically Onni Group, who usually does their own condo marketing, have partnered with MAC Marketing Solutions to sell off their existing inventory of condos in Port Moody (Suter Brook Village), Richmond (FLO), Port Coquitlam (South Verde), New Westminster (Victoria Hill) and Surrey (Escada).
Some examples of the deals available (given in a number of the papers) were:
Richmond: A 900-square-foot two-bedroom unit originally priced at $472,900, or $525 per square foot, is now approximately $360,000, or $400 a square foot.
Port Moody: A 1,106-square-foot two-bedroom-and-den originally priced at $453,900 is now approximately $340,000.A 655-square-foot studio originally priced at $319,900 is now $240,000, and a 990-square-foot wood frame two-bedroom originally priced at $419,900 is now approximately $315,000.
Surrey: An 1,100-square-foot two-bedroom and den originally priced at $360,900 is now $260,000.
New Westminster: A one-bedroom originally priced at $270,000 is now approximately $215,000.
Port Coquitlam: A 1,000-square-foot two-bedroom originally priced at $389,900, or $390 a square foot, is now approximately $280,000, or $280 a square foot.
These are obviously significant savings and whether or not they make these purchases the right ones for you is something you'll have to decide for yourself, or in consultation with a REALTOR.
Feel free to email or call (604-916-4663) me and I would be happy to help you decide.
Matthew Collinge: Vancouver REALTOR®
The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver has released the December 2008 stats with the headline: 2008 brought improved housing affordability to Greater Vancouver. Not that catchy, but true enough.
Sales of residential properties were down 35.3% in 2008, compared to 2007 while listings increased by 13.9%. Real estate Board President Dave Watt was qouted in the press release:
“Trends in the latter half of 2008 showed a consistent month-over-month decrease in residential housing prices, a departure from the rising home prices and record-breaking sales that were experienced in Greater Vancouver for much of this decade,” said REBGV president, Dave Watt. “It’s also important to note that our December statistics show a third consecutive month of a decrease in active property listings in Greater Vancouver. That means supply is coming down,” Watt said. “Last month was also the first time in 27 years that Greater Vancouver homes sales for December were higher than November.”
All the numbers were down substantially compared to December 2007. The Pres also had this to say:
“For buyers, lower prices haven’t been a concern as much as the perception that prices are falling. It’s difficult to identify the ‘bottom’ of the market. The reality is that people tend to buy when prices are going up, not when they’re going down,” Watt said.
I am sure this last comment will be source of much discussion. When exactly are "lower prices a concern" for buyers? Pretty much never. The second half is right though. By the time you know we've reached the bottom, it will be too late and prices will be on the way back up.
The stats press release is attached. Enjoy!
Matthew Collinge: Vancouver REALTOR®
With the decline in the affordability of real estate in Vancouver itself more and more people have been been moving further and further away from their jobs. Now I live in work within no more than a 30 minute drive of anywhere I need to be, but many, if not most, do not.
When considering a move further from work be sure to consider the true costs of your commute in terms of gas, wear and tear on your vehicle, and the great intangible, your quality of life and time with your family. I have come up with a little list of commuting times from Downtown Vancouver to the suburbs.
I don't make these commutes so if you have some more insight please leave it below in the comments.
West Vancouver or North Vancouver: Downtown: 30-45 mins
Burnaby - Downtown: 30 mins
Port Moody - Coquitlam: 45 mins - 1 hour
Port Coquitlam - Downtown: 1 hour
Pitt Meadows / Maple Ridge: 1.5 hours
Richmond - Downtown: 30 - 45 mins
Delta / Tsawassen: Downtown - 45 mins - 1 hour
Surrey - Downtown: 1 -1.25 hours
Langley - Downtown: 1.5 hours
Well, as you may have heard, the numbers were not good last month with sales activity (units sold) down about 70% over last November. Prices were also down, with almost all areas (except detached homes in Squamish, the Sunshine Coast and a 0.6% increase in Pitt Meadows) of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver showing year over year declines.
Inventory did decrease 4.7% over October 2008, while 10.8% less homes were listed this November than were listed last November.
You can read the whole report from the Real Estate Board here.
For information on the effect of the change in the real estate market in you area contact me anytime.