Real Estate News & Articles

Vancouver prices still reasonable for Prestigious Homes when compared to Sidney, Tokyo, Hong Kong, London, New York

2008-06-19

Sun When is a home a bargain at more than ten million dollars? When that home's seven thousand square feet are set on a private half acre on a hillside overlooking Eagle Harbour. Its two-hundred feet of waterfront include one of the few pri…

Property-tax averaging can hurt as much as it helps

2008-06-18

Don Cayo Sun In a city known for runaway land costs, the property tax policy of "averaging" has been a godsend for many business owners. It means that a given year's tax bill is based not on their current land assessment -- which might be u…

Greater Vancouver Sales are down 31% and Listings are up 38%

2008-06-17

More buyers head to real estate sidelines, especially in the Kootenays and Okanagan Derrick Penner Sun House for sale this spring in Abbotsford Potential homebuyers are becoming worn down by rising fuel and food prices, wary about economic …

Bill would protect consumers from cheque fraud

2008-06-17

Bal Brach Sun OTTAWA -- A private member's bill introduced in the House of Commons Monday would require that cheque -cashing services protect the rights of consumers in the same way as banks and other mainstream financial institutions. The …

Cellphones challenge cameras with sharper pictures

2008-06-17

Tarmo Virki Sun A woman poses next to cell phones at the 'Internationale Funkausstellung' (IFA) 2006 consumer electronics fair in Berlin September 1, 2006. Virtual worlds, mobile coupons and bar-code readers on cell phones are the next tech…

May housing starts fall 3.3% to lowest pace since 1991

2008-06-17

USA Today WASHINGTON (AP) — Housing starts slid 3.3% in May to their lowest level in more than 17 years, while permits for future construction also fell, signaling more weakness ahead for the battered housing sector. The Commerce Depa…

Hope Now tries to speed home foreclosure aid process

2008-06-17

Stephanie Armour USA Today A mortgage industry alliance plans to announce Tuesday that it's reached agreement with lenders and loan servicers to develop a standardized process for helping homeowners at risk of foreclosure. The move by the H…

Analysts see Canada's housing market softening as affordability erodes

2008-06-16

Eric Shackleton Other TORONTO - Analysts say rising mortgage rates are expected to further soften Canada 's housing market as affordability erodes, sales cool and the economy in many parts of the country blows off more steam. Their comments…

Prices keep climbing, but resale homes market cools off

2008-06-15

Province TORONTO -- Canada 's residential resale market cooled slightly in May, and while house prices continued to climb they did so at a more moderate pace, the Canadian Real Estate Association said yesterday. Existing home sales in major…

Strata can be ordered to pay 'damages' to owners for strata fees deemed unfair

2008-06-15

Tony Gioventu Province Dear Condo Smarts: We live in a 68-unit townhouse complex. All of our units are close to the same size so we have generally paid the same amount in strata fees each month. We're now faced with major construction and t…

V6A, a brand-new condo development going up on the edge of Chinatown in Strathcona

2008-06-15

Close to downtown, these beauties are bound to draw a crowd Kate Webb Province The unique location in the Gastown, Chinatown area is a real attention-grabber. The bedroom can be either a cozy enclosure or a kick-back-and-lounge area. The sp…

Strata can be ordered to pay 'damages' to owners for strata fees deemed unfair

2008-06-15

Tony Gioventu Province Dear Condo Smarts: We live in a 68-unit townhouse complex. All of our units are close to the same size so we have generally paid the same amount in strata fees each month. We're now faced with major construction and t…

Vancouver's Strathcona neighbourhood location of V6A apartments

2008-06-14

Onni's inserts new beginning into old district Barbara Gunn Sun Chuck Russell, Vancouver Sun / WAKING UP STRATHCONA: V6A apartments from Onni contribute to historic neighbourhood's 'revival' V6A kitchens will feature Blomberg refrigerator/f…

Kingsway townhouses at 7428 14th Ave. cuts commute

2008-06-14

Affordable residences close to downtown Marcus Chee Sun The one-bedroom Kingsgate Gardens apartments along Kingsway went first — and quickly, sales representative Marcus Chee reports. Kingsgate Gardens is sure to appeal to buyers look…

Paris Block 'annex' homes soon for sale

2008-06-14

Sun More than a century may separate the Salient Group's new Paris Annex from the 29-residence restored Paris Block (right) at Hastings and Abbott in the Downtown Eastside, but they still have plenty in common. 'The Annex will complement it…

Not all transit make sense

2008-06-14

Bob Ransford Sun More convenient public transportation means more affordable housing. The costs associated with your daily personal transportation have to be factored into your total shelter costs. Those transportation costs are growing qui…

Motion for air-passenger bill of rights flies through Commons

2008-06-13

Law would force airlines to compensate people for poor service Tobin Dalrymple Sun OTTAWA -- A private member's motion calling for an "airline passenger bill of rights" received unanimous support in the House of Commons Thursday, setting th…

Resale housing market sees sales and prices drop off as new offerings

2008-06-13

Home listings flood market LORI McLEOD Other A fresh flood of homes on the market sent resale listings to their second consecutive record level in May, while sales activity and price gains both cooled. There were 54,029 new listings of resa…

Copyright bill's fine print a disturbing read

2008-06-13

Federal strategy appears to mask rules that will reshape Canadians' rights over personal property Michael Geist Sun In 2004, the Supreme Court of Canada issued a landmark copyright decision in a battle between the Law Society of Upper Canad…

Home prices still rising in B.C.

2008-06-12

But modest increase reflects a sector 'coming off the boil' Province OTTAWA --Prices for new homes in B.C. rose by about five per cent in April from a year earlier -- almost on par with the national average, Statistics Canada says. Vancouve…

Growing supply helps stabilize market conditions

2008-06-12

Re-balance continues Sun The Greater Vancouver housing market continued its re-balance between sales and listings last month. The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential property sales in Greater Vancouver de…

The Observatory Restaurant on Grouse Mountain is spicing things up

2008-06-12

Fresh menu items and a breathtaking view Linda Bates Sun Executive chef Dino Gazzola of Grouse Mountain Peak restaurant is looking to shake up the West Coast menu with fresh, local, organic foods. Photograph by : Bill Keay, Vancouver Sun Th…

Rates on 30-year mortgages jump to avg. 6.32%

2008-06-12

Martin Crutsinger USA Today WASHINGTON — Rates on 30-year mortgages jumped to the highest level in nearly eight months, reflecting increased concerns about what the Federal Reserve might do to fight inflation. Freddie Mac, the mortgag…

Copyright law could result in police state: critics

2008-06-12

Other Minister of Industry Jim Prentice says his copyright reform bill is 'made in Canada,' but critics say it has been crafted by U.S. lobbyists. (Tom Hanson/Canadian Press) The federal government has introduced a controversial bill it say…