Real Estate News & Articles

Real estate claws itself out of a hole

2010-01-02

Falling home prices appear to be behind us as Lower Mainland sales gain strength Derrick Penner Sun SOURCE: B.C. REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATION VANCOUVER SUN GRAPHIC When condo marketer Cameron McNeill stood to make a speech at his company's Chris…

Supply, demand, and a real estate rebound

2010-01-02

To understand recent industry gains, it's important to look at often misunderstood real estate dynamics, notes developer Sun developer james schouw, who reflects on recent real estate trends, uses a skateboard to get around town when he's n…

Some home thoughts as a new year dawns

2010-01-02

Market showed resilience in 2009, and should show solid growth in 2010, says Adera president Norm Couttie Sun The spacious living area in a show suite for the Pacific new-home project, a development Adera had put on hold and then brought ba…

Facebook? Social networker could ignite IPO market in 2010

2010-01-02

Erin Conroy, AP Business Writer USA Today NEW YORK — The pipeline of initial public offerings for 2010 looks promising as private equity firms look to cash in on their investments after coming back to the nearly defunct market in the …

Mortgage rates keep rising; 30-year ends year at 5.14%

2010-01-02

USA Today McLEAN , Va . (AP) — Mortgage rates rose for the fourth straight week, ending the year above 5%. The average fixed rate on a 30-year mortgage was 5.14% this week, up from 5.05% last week, Freddie Mac said Thursday. Mortgage …

Cybercrooks stalk small businesses that bank online

2009-12-31

Byron Acohido USA Today A rising swarm of cyber-robberies targeting small firms, local governments, school districts, churches and non-profits has prompted an extraordinary warning. The American Bankers Association and the FBI are advising …

Don't clamp down on home mortgage regulations, federal government urged

2009-12-30

Derrick Penner Sun The mere hint that federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty might step in to tighten mortgage requirements to cool an overheated housing market has sparked a lobby urging him not to do it. Steps to raise down-payment require…

Case-Shiller index: U.S. home prices flat but stable in October

2009-12-30

Paul Davidson USA Today Home prices were flat in October after rising five months in a row, but economists say the housing market at least has stabilized after a three-year free fall. Experts, however, are split over whether prices will res…

Gillian Shaw: After-Christmas gadgets

2009-12-27

Gillian Shaw Sun Recently launched by Source R&D, the Warpia USB adapter lets you stream media wirelessly from your laptop or desktop computer to your television. Photograph by: Handout, Vancouver Sun Powermat Home and Office Mat, Power…

Mortgage rates inch above 5%

2009-12-27

USA Today McLEAN , Va . (AP) — The average fixed-rate for a 30-year mortgage climbed above 5% for the first time in two months, leading to a decline in mortgage applications. The average fixed rate on a 30-year mortgage was 5.05% this…

Indian menu inspired by mom's home cooking

2009-12-24

Mia Stainsby Sun Atithi Indian restaurant needs a shout-out, so here I am, shouting out. The jovial owner, Abhishek Roy, was the executive chef at the fancier Maurya Indian restaurant before going it on his own two years ago. You won't find…

Victoria's Dockside Green project hits pause button

2009-12-23

Developer Joe Van Belleghem selling interest to Vancity Carla Wilson Sun Joe Van Belleghem, a partner with Windmill Development group, with models of Phase 1 of the Dockside Green project. -- VANCOUVER SUN FILES Dockside Green, one of the h…

New-home sales sink 11% in November

2009-12-23

USA Today WASHINGTON (AP) — Sales of new homes plunged unexpectedly last month to the lowest level since April, a sign the housing market recovery will be rocky. The Commerce Department says November sales fell 11.3% to a seasonally a…

Home sales surge 7.4% in November, on federal tax credit

2009-12-22

USA Today WASHINGTON (AP) — Home resales surged 7.4% in November from October, to the highest level in nearly three years, as expiration of a federal tax credit spurred buying, the National Assocation of Realtors said Tuesday. Novembe…

New shared workspace opens in Vancouver's inner city

2009-12-21

Independent entrepreneurs can rent space for $200 per month Gillian Shaw Sun "Co-working" and " hotdesking " are growing trends with companies that are abandoning high-priced real estate in favour of more practical -- and less pricey -- wor…

New shared workspace opens in Vancouver's inner city

2009-12-21

Independent entrepreneurs can rent space for $200 per month Gillian Shaw Sun "Co-working" and " hotdesking " are growing trends with companies that are abandoning high-priced real estate in favour of more practical -- and less pricey -- wor…

Comeback in housing resale sector

2009-12-20

Province Business is booming in the Canadian resale housing market and will continue to do so, according to a report released Friday that shows November sales back above 2008 numbers in all 28 markets surveyed. The Conference Board of Canad…

Tough economy has made us see comfort dining in a whole new way

2009-12-19

When 10-course meals aren't an option, French bistros and Italian trattorias become the 'it spots' Mia Stainsby Sun Vancouver Sun / Two Chefs and a Table owners Karl Gregg (left) and Allan Bosomworth hold a duck confit salad and an apple gr…

Federal government ready to deflate any housing bubble: Flaherty

2009-12-19

Andrew Mayeda Sun The federal government is ready to clamp down further on mortgage rules if the boom in the Canadian housing market turns into a bubble, says Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. In an exclusive interview With Canwest News Servic…

Metro's vacancy rate edges down in Q4

2009-12-18

Office-leasing market shows signs of recovery Garry Marr, with a file from Derrick Penner Sun Metro Vancouver's office-leasing market saw some signs of economic recovery in the fourth quarter of 2009, along with signs of concern over how su…

Contractors’ jobs take longer than clients estimate

2009-12-18

Think you know how long a basic home repair should take? As a general rule, multiply that by four MIKE HOLMES Sun The time spent on a basic task such as fixing a broken stair railing spindle can be broken down into four main steps — p…

Homeowners warned of rising rates

2009-12-17

Variable-rate-mortgage holders could face financial squeeze late next year Derrick Penner Sun Homeowners are being warned any rise in interest rates later next year risks putting a financial squeeze on the large number of debt-laden Canadia…

Recession-weary buyers are settling for smaller homes

2009-12-17

Home buyers are focusing on smaller homes Stephanie Armour USA Today KB Home is building smaller homes nationwide. Here, a sold sign sits in front of homes being built in Gilbert, Ariz. By Photos by Joshua Lott, Reuters Out of the depths of…

Supportive-housing tower to shelter homeless by 2011

2009-12-16

Linked with aid society, mental health/addiction services Andy Ivens Province A groundbreaking was held Tuesday for a $28.8-million supportive housing development on East 1st Avenue in Vancouver, which will provide 129 new apartments for pe…