Real Estate News & Articles

Fix in for mortgages?

2010-04-21

Garry Marr Sun The fix is in, when it comes to the Canadian mortgage market. New government rules, which kicked in this week, have taken away choice from many Canadians and will force them to lock into a long-term mortgage. You'll hear a ch…

Essential-workforce housing plan is used in other cities

2010-04-21

Doug Ward Sun The proposal by the City of Vancouver to set aside 125 rental units in the Olympic Village for health and safety public workers may be novel but it isn't new. Government agencies across North America and elsewhere are pursuing…

Vancouver opts to 'scale back' Olympic Village social housing

2010-04-21

City's target cut to 50 per cent of 252 units Damian Inwood Province "The financial realities are forcing us to scale back." He said he believes a staff recommendation to go with a 50-50 split of social housing and market rentals is "a good…

Working to beat the HST deadline

2010-04-19

New tax would add $40,000 to the price of an $800,000 home after July 1 Derrick Penner Sun Developers are doing what they can to beat the harmonized sales tax July 1 deadline, building units ahead of schedule and hoping to make sales earlie…

Test drive home ownership before deciding to buy

2010-04-19

Scott Hannah Province Q: We're ready to buy a home and can't decide between buying an older home or a brand new one. Any advice? A: You may have a picture of your ideal house in mind, but before backyards and barbecues, consider your budget…

Housing starts jump in March

2010-04-18

Martin Crutsinger, AP Economics Writer USA Today WASHINGTON — Housing construction posted a better-than-expected performance in March, rising to the highest level in 16 months on the strength of multi-family homes. The Commerce Depart…

Rolston, 1300 Granville, has a towering presence

2010-04-18

Granville and Drake residential building sure to be a Vancouver original Province The Facts WHAT: 187 units in a 23-storey tower WHERE: Granville at Drake   DEVELOPER: Rize Alliance Properties Ltd. SIZE: 461 sq. ft. -890 sq. ft. PRICE:…

Pre-sales contract precursor to purchase agreement

2010-04-18

It's important to carefully review all the paperwork to understand your contractual rights Tony Gioventu Sun Dear Mr. Gioventu : My husband Barry and I were planning to move to Vancouver this winter for our retirement, but our condo that we…

Study, home office growing in popularity, survey discovers

2010-04-17

Respondents also say big kitchen better than separate dining room Bob Ransford Sun Homebuyers are willing to trade yesterday's once-popular home theatres or media rooms for a more practical space to accommodate a home office or study. That'…

HIGH STREET 2950 King George Boulevard

2010-04-17

High Point sales staff direct their pitch at buyers who want a bucolic experience Caralyn Campbell Sun HIGH STREET Project location: 2950 King George Boulevard Project size: eight townhouses and 80 apartments Residence size: 714-- 1,394 sq.…

Track the kids with tiny and functional GPS unit

2010-04-17

Sun [caption id="attachment_6642" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Silver Alert GPS monitoring system, Amber Alert GPS Canada"] [/caption] [caption id="attachment_6643" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Babylonian Twins"] [/cap…

B.C. allocates $35 million to LiveSmart energy program

2010-04-17

Scott Simpson Sun LiveSmart BC 's household energy conservation program is getting a $35 million extension. British Columbia Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Blair Lekstrom said on Friday that the program, which offers fina…

Housing starts jump in March

2010-04-16

Martin Crutsinger, AP Economics Writer USA Today WASHINGTON — Housing construction posted a better-than-expected performance in March, rising to the highest level in 16 months on the strength of multi-family homes. The Commerce Department r…

The spring home-buying season has reached a fever pitch

2010-04-16

Spring last gasp before housing sales begin to drop Garry M Province The spring home-buying season has reached a fever pitch with a record number of "for sale" signs on Canadian lawns for the month of March. But there are indications the ma…

Judas Goat reimagines the Spanish experience and offers a luxurious menu of nibblers

2010-04-15

[caption id="attachment_6628" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Chef Lee Humphries proffers a meatball appetizer at Judas Goat, in Blood Alley in Vancouver. The restaurant offers a tapas-type food experience with several gently cooked…

Trolley buses back on Granville Street by Labour Day

2010-04-15

Graeme Wood Sun The city is contemplating pedestrian-only zones on Granville Street in downtown Vancouver this summer. But trolley buses will be back in service on the street by Labour Day, according to the City of Vancouver. Routes that ha…

Will tax credit help first-time buyers ignite home sales?

2010-04-14

Stephanie Armour USA Today This month, Jamie Watt and her fiancé, Ben Arnold, expect to own their first home, a three-story townhouse with a spacious deck for entertaining and a spanking-new kitchen with a stone countertop. As first-…

RBC, Scotiabank raise rates for second time in two weeks

2010-04-14

Sun Royal Bank of Canada and Bank of Nova Scotia have hiked residential mortgage rates for the second time in as many weeks, likely sparking another round of increases from other banks at the onset of what is expected to be one of the busie…

House hunters in rush to beat rate, tax hikes

2010-04-14

Banks begin second round of interest raising John Greenwood And Eric Lam Province Royal Bank of Canada and Bank of Nova Scotia have hiked residential-mortgage rates for the second time in as many weeks, likely sparking another round of incr…

Home prices up by 19%

2010-04-14

Province The average house price in B.C. climbed 19 per cent to $504,312 in the first quarter of this year from the same period in 2009, the B.C. Real Estate Association said. Residential sales across the province on the Multiple Listing Se…

March B.C. real estate sales up over a year ago, but down from December

2010-04-13

Derrick Penner Sun VANCOUVER - March Real estate sales in British Columbia were 43 per cent higher than the same month last year, when the market was just emerging from the housing downturn, the British Columbia Real Estate Association repo…

New home starts in B.C. rise sharply compared to last year

2010-04-13

Brian Morton Sun New home construction in B.C. has picked up significantly from a year ago, according to a report released Monday by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. The report by Canada's national housing agency said that in the first qua…

Diversity can be good for big cities

2010-04-13

Canadian study finds bigger visible minority population means more social interaction Shannon Proudfoot Sun New Canadian research suggests that, contrary to previous thinking, rising diversity doesn't erode trust and social ties -- and in s…

Housing boom in Vancouver to beat HST

2010-04-13

Buyers racing to market Province New home construction in the Vancouver region soared 76 per cent in the first quarter of this year from the same period in 2010, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says. Housing starts in the area climbed to …