Real Estate News & Articles

BlackBerry-linked wristwatch lets the suits stay on the clock

2009-10-27

Vancouver-raised engineer started work on gadget in university Gillian Shaw Sun The inPulse is a wireless-enabled wristwatch that lets BlackBerry users see at a glance who's calling them or sending e-mails. It doesn't make outgoing calls or…

Augmented reality coming soon to a cellphone near you

2009-10-26

Its proponents predict it will change everything, allowing users to point a camera at a church and read its history Roberto Rocha Sun People are coming to Arcane Technologies' Martin Dube (left) and Jean-Francois Lavoie to ask about their a…

Rent restrictions tough to enforce

2009-10-25

rules: Bylaws can be complicated due to many exemptions and amendments Tony Gioventu Province A well-run strata shows in the condition of the building and finance records. Photograph by: AFP, Getty Images, Special to The Province Dear Condo…

Mexico hopes for better times ahead

2009-10-25

Phil Reimer Province Travelling in the shoulder season, which is just before or after the high season, has its advantages. Prices are lower, the crowds are smaller and most people involved in the tourist market are happy to see you. That wa…

Disney offers refunds for Baby Einstein videos

2009-10-24

Sarah Schmidt Sun American parents who feel duped by claims Baby Einstein videos were brain boosters for their infants and toddlers can now get a refund for old merchandise from the Walt Disney Co. The company has agreed to cough up the cas…

SanDisk ultra-mini music player makes a perfect gift

2009-10-24

Gillian Shaw Sun Sansa Clip+ MP3 Player, SanDisk, from $50: I’ve always thought a great present to give someone is an iPod or other MP3 player already loaded with their favourite music. SanDisk must have been listening. Its latest ult…

Mayans' ancient playground

2009-10-24

The two Cancuns provide a taste of the Mayans' ancient playground Gary May Sun The main pyramid at Chichen Itza, Mexico, El castillo has 91 steps on each of its four sides. The Pyramid was built on top of a smaller pyramid. The waters aroun…

Something for everybody at Maynards at 415 W. 2nd Ave. in False Creek

2009-10-24

Latest from Aquilini combines modern, heritage and retail in three buildings Claudia Kwan Sun Of the three Maynards buildings, the west building will be the largest, at 13 storeys and more than 160 residences. Eleven 'glass boxes' will top …

Luma - Luma a beacon for younger households - a beacon for younger households

2009-10-24

Polygon highrise in Burnaby attracts big crowd on first day of selling Steven Threndyle Sun A neighbourhood rarity priced competitively created a first-selling-day lineup outside sales centre. Low interest rates and prices, and relative rar…

Size matters: apartments getting bigger, houses getting smaller

2009-10-24

Attitude, too, matters: less was once acceptable and on Whidbey Island we can see its return Michael Geller Sun ‘Tiny House Movement’ examples are as close as Whidbey Island, in Washington state. There, the Third Street Cottages…

The future, according to Twitter chief

2009-10-24

Popular social networking site

Metro taxes may rise, but homeowners will get world-class services, officials say

2009-10-23

Kelly Sinoski Sun Metro Vancouver homeowners may face higher rates for sewer, water and garbage pickup in the future, but in return they will get some of the best services in the world, regional directors say. Jim Rusnak , chief financial o…

BC Place Stadium to be re-topped with retractable roof

2009-10-23

Provincial government set to announce $500-million project today Richard J. Dalton Jr Sun An artist’s conception of the retractable BC Place roof. The aging teflon dome on BC Place Stadium will be replaced by a retractable roof costin…

Microsoft launches new Windows 7

2009-10-23

Reviews favourable as software giant looking to live down disappointment of Vista Glenn Chapman Sun Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Windows spokesgirl Kylie officially kick off the worldwide availability of Windows 7, the company's highly-a…

Watch out for next year's property tax bills

2009-10-23

Don Cayo Sun Most business and residential taxpayers ended up worse off, yet a relative handful of elite B.C. businesses really did save mega-bucks this year thanks to provincial meddling with the assessments on which 2009 property tax bill…

Women are key to clinching the sale

2009-10-23

Men still make more money, but when it comes to buying a house, women call the shots Joanne Laucius Sun When searching for a home, women are more apt to imagine how the household will function in a given space, while men are inclined to go …

Home sales rise 9.4% in September

2009-10-23

Alan Zibel, AP Real Estate Writer USA Today WASHINGTON — Home resales rose in September to the highest level in more than two years, beating expectations, as buyers scrambled to complete their purchases before a tax credit for first-t…

Air inside home is often more polluted than outside the house

2009-10-23

The denser the furnace filter the smaller the particle it will clean from circulating air MIKE HOLMES Sun Mike Holmes checks out a customer's furnace an essential part of improving home air quality. Every furnace has a filter installed at t…

Homeowners face tax increases of 50 per cent within five years

2009-10-22

Higher costs for regional services, in addition to property levy Kelly Sinoski Sun Metro Vancouver predicts the average homeowner will face a 50-per-cent increase -- or $661 -- in their tax bill in five years as the region grapples with pro…

New rapid transit Canada Line is just the ticket to ride

2009-10-22

One of the greatest side effects of the Olympics is the sleek and silent 26-minute marvel transporting passengers from YVR to downtown Barbara Yaffe Sun It surely is an unusual occurrence to become besotted with a municipal infrastructure p…

Buzz Cafe breaks the ice with coffee

2009-10-22

Having breakfast or lunch in an art gallery strikes a welcoming chord Mia Stainsby Sun Owner Chris Harrison at the Buzz Cafe has found the addition of a coffee bar tends to attract previously intimidated visitors to Harrison Galleries. Phot…

B.C. house prices forecast to hit new highs over next 2 years

2009-10-21

Province The median price for a house in B.C. is due to hit $415,000 in 2011, indicating the vitality of a born-again real-estate market. B.C.'s born-again real-estate market will see house prices hit record levels in 2010 and 2011, a new r…

Home prices could hit new highs in 2010

2009-10-21

Low mortgage rates are driving the market to pre-recession levels, credit union economist says Derrick Penner Sun The rebound in B.C. housing sales from the recession is the strongest on record, Central 1 Credit Union said Tuesday, predicti…

Fraser Institute says scrap the ALR

2009-10-20

Farmers, local politicians argue report is ideological and full of errors Brian Lewis Province Fraser Institute author blames Agricultural Land Reserve for region's high housing costs. Photograph by: Les Bazso file, The Province The right-w…