Real Estate News & Articles

Intracorp's Spruce at 1096 W. Broadway will rise 11 floors above Broadway

2010-01-09

Developer takes over stalled project from owner of Vancouver property Mary Frances Hill Sun For the Spruce kitchens, developer and designer have specified Blomberg for the refrigerators and dishwashers and AEG for the cooktops and ovens. Re…

Why I hope the False Creek streetcars stick around

2010-01-09

Bob Ransford Sun The 'Olympic Line' streetcars came to town last month and will operate for two months. Photograph by: Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun One important project this year can trigger the kind of redevelopment that will shape sustaina…

Island designer's big idea is a small house with a small impact

2010-01-09

Kim Davis Sun Home is where the heart – and the head – is. James Stuart of Twelve Cubed Homes is residing in his Cappuccino model. His goal is to spend six months in the 12-footby-12 foot design. ‘I rented my house, put mo…

Home inspection remains a buyer-beware environment

2010-01-09

Many homeowners confused by standards, unaware of potential conflicts of interest Derrick Penner Sun Darcy Zallen holds an inspection report for her newly purchased home as she stands in her master bedroom, while contractor Jeff Bain remove…

House prices set to surge

2010-01-08

Surge of activity expected after Olympics slowdown Province Standard two-storey homes in Vancouver, like this one up for sale in January, 2009 on Prior Street, climbed to an average of $917,000 late last year and are expected to edge up a f…

Wind eyes Google ally

2010-01-08

Province Wind Mobile, the startup carrier vying for market share against Canada's major wireless providers, is pursuing a powerful ally in Google Inc. Chris Robbins, the chief branding officer for Wind, said Thursday the firm has contacted …

New devices emerge as Apple launch looms

2010-01-08

Technology companies vying for attention with tablets/slates ahead of Apple announcement Gabriel Madway Sun Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer unveils a new Hewlett-Packard tablet computer, beating Apple's anticipated move into the mar…

Metro home prices headed up in 2010, firm predicts

2010-01-08

Royal LePage expects a 7.2-per-cent increase Derrick Penner Sun Realty firm Royal LePage has come out of the gate in 2010 with the prediction Metro Vancouver's home prices will inflate another 7.2 per cent this year, as long as the expected…

What once was a schoolhouse will now become home

2010-01-08

Challenging conversion of old school in East Vancouver saw 'green' features inserted into five new townhomes -and the installation of a new level that features a shared rooftop deck Kim Pemberton Sun The renovated schoolhouse in which five …

Former growing operations should be fixed by the pros

2010-01-08

Average homeowner needs to ensure that cost of fixing up house doesn

Three new hotels race to the finish line before 2010 Games

2010-01-07

Fairmont Pacific Rim, Coast Coal Harbour, Pinnacle hotels work on final touches Bruce Constantineau Sun Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel general manager Randy Zupanski stands in front of his new downtown Vancouver hotel, scheduled to open later t…

Onyx a contemporary take on the traditional steakhouse

2010-01-07

All the beef served at upscale White Rock eatery is aged for 36 days, seven of those on-site, to bring out succulent flavour Shannon Kwantes Sun Onyx Steakhouse & Lounge executive chef Amanda Smith and manager Sean Nelson show off the f…

Rates on 30-year mortgages fall to an average 5.09%

2010-01-07

Alan Zibel, AP Real Estate Writer USA Today WASHINGTON — Rates for 30-year home loans inched downward this week, first decline in a month, but remained above last month's record lows. The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage was 5…

Success stories: Real estate bounces back

2010-01-06

First-time homebuyers help boost sales by substantial numbers Province The Lower Mainland's real-estate market veered from bust to boom last year. Year-over-year sales in the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver soared 172.2 per cent last…

Google’s new ‘superphone’ wows crowd

2010-01-06

unveiled: As light as a Swiss army knife with vast consumer-friendly software Jessica Guynn Province Google’s entry in the smartphone market is the Nexus One, which was unveiled in the U.S. Tuesday and sells for $529 US, however it is…

Google unwraps Nexus One smartphone

2010-01-06

Canadian consumers on hold for search-engine giant's first venture into hardware Gillian Shaw Sun The highly anticipated Nexus One, which marks the first time Google has designed and sold its own consumer hardware device, could provide the …

December jump in housing sales caps 2009 rebound

2010-01-06

Seller's market in most Metro areas expected to continue until mid-2010 Derrick Penner Sun After plummeting to lows not seen since the 1980s, Lower Mainland real estate markets saw a rush in the second half of 2009 that pushed sales well ab…

Cell phone (and MP3) law takes effect: Here's the fine print

2010-01-05

Gillian Shaw Sun Step away from your cellphone -- that is, if you are getting behind the wheel of a vehicle in British Columbia, where juggling the steering wheel in one hand while using the other to text or talk on your phone is now forbid…

Will you win or lose on this year's property tax bill?

2010-01-05

Property assessments for all B.C. homeowners are arriving this week Don Cayo Sun The 2009 property assessments-- the values on which British Columbians' 2010 municipal tax bills will be based--are on the web and in the mail. This year--unli…

Prepare for coming mortgage-rate rise

2010-01-04

Province Many people are tempted to take advantage of low mortgage rates before they start rising again, and before housing prices recover completely from the slide they took in 2009. But those rates aren't here to stay, warns the Bank of M…

Techies pull out crystal balls

2010-01-03

predictions: Fortune-tellers of geek world guess what 2010 holds Roberto Rocha Province Some tech-savvy soothsayers say the Palm Pre smart phone is heading for a comeback in 2010, but the company may seek a partner such as Microsoft or Rese…

2010: What's on the menu for restaurants

2010-01-02

Some restaurateurs are cautious, but others are going full-steam ahead for the upcoming year Mia Stainsby Sun Scott Hawthorn (left) and Sean Heather opened a new restaurant called Judas Goat Taberna Dec. 21 in Vancouver's Blood Alley. Photo…

How technology killed copyright

2010-01-02

In a digital age of file sharing, writers, musicians and other artists must find new ways to earn a living from their work Gillian Shaw Sun Mira Sundara Rajan, a professor at UBC, has written a book on copyright law and has a second one on …

Portable power charge keeps you working off the grid

2010-01-02

Gillian Shaw Sun Instant USB Charger, Duracell Bluetooth Music Receiver, Belkin Portable Laptop Stand, AViiQ iCrado, Konnet 1. Instant USB Charger, Duracell, $45 Cdn One of Duracell's Smart Power lineup , this is a slick and elegant charger…