Real Estate News & Articles

Home bargains on way out

2009-11-26

Mortgage rates and prices rising, fewer homes to buy Province Home affordability deteriorated in all provinces and major markets in Canada due to a slight rise in key mortgage rates and appreciation in property values, according to RBC seni…

B.C. home affordability takes a hit as prices rise in tightened, hot market

2009-11-26

Brian Morton Sun It's getting harder to buy a home in B.C. as an increasingly hot real estate market pushes prices higher, according to an RBC report on housing affordability released Wednesday. "We're talking about a very expensive market …

Comfort food can also be sustainable

2009-11-26

Combination of delicious food and warm service makes for a perfect outing Michelle Hopkins Sun At Steveston’s Tapenade Bistro (from left) Bill Laboucan, Tina Merces, Justin Cheungand Chef Alex Tung with organic beet risotto. Ian Linds…

Landcor 3rd Quarter Residential Sales Summary

2009-11-26

BC residential housing market recovery well underway Other The BC housing market rebounded in Q3 2009 with a 36% increase in home sales and a 45.9% increase in the total dollar value of homes sold province-wide, according to a new report fr…

City rescinds bylaw limiting alcohol at dinner

2009-11-24

Council hoped to target restaurants receiving many complaints by limiting alcohol to 50 per cent of bill Richard J. Dalton Jr. Sun Vancouver restaurant owners will no longer face a strict limit on how much alcohol they can sell, city Coun .…

B.C. estate law stops the dead from stiffing ungrateful kids

2009-11-23

Ian Mulgrew Sun People might still believe it's their estate and they'll leave it to whom they please, but the law in B.C. says otherwise if you try to stiff your wife or kid. There was talk of changing the unique way the province handles e…

Home sales jump in October, beating expectations

2009-11-23

Alan Zibel, AP Real Estate Writer USA Today A "sold" sign hangs outside a home in Los Angeles. October home sales rose 10.1 percent as a first-time buyer tax credit spurs sales. William Bares and wife Sarah Bares inspect the fire place in t…

Vancouver’s 24th & Main latest hot spot, Listed at $749,000, Sold $1,033,000

2009-11-22

Latest hot spot is area around Main and E. 24th Avenue John Colebourn Province Realtor Darryl Sjerven stands in front of a house at 265 East 24th Ave. in Vancouver. Sjerven says the area around Main Street and 24th Avenue is the city's new …

Liability coverage could be life saver

2009-11-22

Tony Gioventu Province Q: I was involved in my condo in a fire a few years ago that has come back to haunt me many times over. We were barbecuing pork ribs and chicken on our balcony and the grease caught fire. Seven of the units in the bui…

70-unit townhome tract is latest addition to Langley's Milner Heights

2009-11-22

Where life just comes naturally Province Milner Heights in Langley, home to the new Radius development, incorporates green streets and landscaping with an environmental reserve and nature paths. --HANDOUT ILLUSTRATION A 1,525-square-foot Ra…

Top grades for a smart house

2009-11-22

TECHNOLOGY: Program lights, heating, air to reduce energy use MIKE HOLMES Province A smart meter allows homeowners to save money on their electricity bill by avoiding usage peak rate. Is your house smarter than you? In some ways, it probabl…

Sanyo device keeps hands toasty

2009-11-21

Gillian Shaw Sun Spin, Vestax Vuzix Wrap 310 portable video eyeware Hand warmer, eneloop kairo KIR-SE1SW, Sanyo Canada, $60 If you want to spread a little holiday warmth, check out this new hand warmer from Sanyo, first in its series of gre…

Is it wise to trade residential density for community benefits?

2009-11-21

City hall development incentives a way to avoid priority discussions Bob Ransford Sun This east-side Vancouver home, at 2826 Trinity, recently sold for $1.15 million, $71,000 over the asking price. East-side address generates last price $71…

Squeaky wheel gets the grease in HST fight

2009-11-20

Michael Smyth Province Thursday's tax break for new-homebuyers shows there's an old saying that's highly applicable in B.C. politics these days: the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Or, in this case, a reduction in your HST bill. The Gordon C…

Homebuilders seek more concessions

2009-11-20

Bump up to $525,000 HST threshold on new homes not enough, association says Ian Austin and Suzanne Fournier Province 'We're willing to shake their hand for coming this far, but we're not giving any high fives,' says Greater Vancouver Buildi…

HST break for new homes, but not much for the masses

2009-11-20

Don Cayo Sun Unless you're in the market for a new home, Thursday's announcement of a bigger HST break on new homes might have you asking, "Why not something for me?" If so, you've got company. There are lots of other losers. They include t…

Government to raise rebate threshold for HST on new homes

2009-11-20

Move comes after weeks of lobbying and protests Derrick Penner Sun After weeks of hot political debate, public protest and industry lobbying, a crack appeared Thursday in the provincial government's implementation of the hugely unpopular ha…

Homes are a place to live first, a source of wealth second

2009-11-20

Sun If you blinked, you might have missed the real estate slump that accompanied the recession of 2009. Home resale prices have recovered most, if not all, of what they lost in the aftermath of the credit crisis and financial meltdown. In f…

Port Metro Vancouver's next stop: up the Fraser River

2009-11-20

Fiona Anderson Sun The next route for expansion at Port Metro Vancouver is through the Fraser River, the port's chief operating officer Chris Badger told an audience of mayors and municipal representatives at the Vancouver Board of Trade's …

Victoria throws construction sector an HST break

2009-11-20

Tax threshold is below average price of new home in many areas DERRICK PENNER Sun REUTERS FILES The provincial government is throwing the homeconstruction sector a Harmonized Sales Tax break, raising the threshold for its maximum tax rebate…

New tree-cutting bylaw may put you out on a limb for $10,000

2009-11-19

Frank Luba Province Cutting down a tree in Vancouver without a permit could result in a fine of as much as $10,000 if a new bylaw being considered by city council is passed. The bylaw is on the schedule for Thursday morning's city services …

Vancouver city council pushes densification in False Creek

2009-11-19

Move would come at the expense of open public-space target of 2.75 acres per 1,000 people set in 1980s. In this plan, it drops to 1.8 acres Kelly Sinoski Sun SOURCE: CITY OF VANCOUVER VANCOUVER SUN GRAPHICS Vancouver is opting for denser co…

Atmosphere fabulous and so is the food

2009-11-19

Owners of restaurant located in the basement of the Dominion Building takes on the feel of Beirut in the 1940s and

Another wave of foreclosures looms

2009-11-19

Stephanie Armour USA Today A foreclosure sign sits outside a home in Phoenix. Arizona has one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country. -- By Ross D. Franklin, AP A second wave of foreclosures is poised to hit the market, potentially…