Real Estate News & Articles

Recreational properties open up

2008-05-12

As demand grows, lenders do an about-face and make it easier for people to buy Suzanne Beaubien Province Jon Dick, vice-president of Pine Ridge Mountain Resort says he’s glad that he bought when he bought. — CANWEST Taking on a …

Mitek CEO pins turnaround on wireless check deposits

2008-05-12

Greg Farrell USA Today Jim DeBello's Mitek Systems has technology that lets consumers scan and deposit checks with their cellphone cameras. When Jim DeBello launched his technology career two decades ago, a mentor told him that on top of ge…

Housing dreams clash with reality

2008-05-11

Lena Sin Province “I want to stay in Vancouver because I love this city, but housing is becoming an issue. I want space, I want a home, I want a big family, I want a big house – the whole shebang. But can I stay in Vancouver to …

Mixed blessings for home-buyers

2008-05-11

Price correction expected in future, but Vancouver will remain pricey Lena S Province Tsur Somerville is the director of the University of B.C. Centre for Urban Economics and Real Estate There's the prediction, or hope, among those who have…

Home ownership a stretch for all but a few

2008-05-11

Rich parents, real-estate profits and high incomes help Lena Sin Province Photograph by : Gerry Kahrmann file -- the province Let's face it, being a young professional couple just doesn't cut it any more if you want entry to Vancouver 's we…

Read bylaws before you buy

2008-05-11

Don't be fooled by reading only strata plan Tony Gioventu Province Dear Condo Smarts: Our letter is more of a warning to other people who buy into a bare-land strata , but we also have a question. We bought a house in a typical "subdivision…

Read bylaws before you buy

2008-05-11

Don't be fooled by reading only strata plan Tony Gioventu Province Dear Condo Smarts: Our letter is more of a warning to other people who buy into a bare-land strata , but we also have a question. We bought a house in a typical "subdivision…

14-storey hotel possible for Seymour

2008-05-10

Roadblocks could delay, or even kill, planned ParaYso Hotel Bruce Constantineau Sun Graham Alexander wants to build downtown Vancouver 's newest boutique hotel -- a 14-storey, 91-suite development on a site now occupied by a vacant retail b…

Added perks make more than just a phone

2008-05-10

Gillian Shaw Sun Mobile DJ MP3, Hercules Cord Wrap, Agent 18 1 Nokia N95, Rogers, $400 with three-year wireless contract The Nokia N series smartphone offers so much more fun than mere chatting, and the eight-gigabyte N95 launched this week…

Making home ownership more accessible is not without risks to the owners

2008-05-10

Sun A house is more than a home. It is a store of wealth, an accumulator of equity, an asset that can be leveraged and a legacy that can be left to the next generation. A 2003 study by Peter Nares and Jennifer Robson- Haddow of the charitab…

Construction expected to continue its boom in B.C.

2008-05-09

Housing starts up for first quarter despite decline in permits Derrick Penner Sun Signs of an extension to B.C.'s construction boom continue to mount, even though first-quarter building permits have waned. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. …

Canadians more interested than ever in buying a condo

2008-05-08

John Morrissy Province OTTAWA -- Condos are increasingly becoming urban Canadians' residence of choice, as the lure of low maintenance and affordability boosts the number of potential buyers, says TD Canada Trust. Forty-eight per cent of ci…

Menu provides the royal welcome

2008-05-08

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Vancouver residents love their condos

2008-05-08

But only as an investment rather than a primary residence, TD Canada Trust says Bruce Constantineau Sun More than half of Vancouver residents surveyed would buy a condo as an investment rather than as a primary residence -- the highest leve…

New listings outpace sales to start the spring cycle

2008-05-08

Residential sales drop slightly Sun An influx of new listings entered the Greater Vancouver housing market in April 2008, while residential sales reduced slightly compared to the same period a year ago. The Real Estate Board of Greater Vanc…

Why I will always buy real estate - part II - continued from last week...

2008-05-08

Ozzie Jurock Sun The new consumer is you and I. How everyone can be motivated is what has to be analyzed. Because that analysis is what will tell us how the new consumer is likely to act and react in any given situation. And the analysis is…

Pair Bistro keeps them hooked with local fare

2008-05-08

It's a great neighbourhood spot on West 10th with a menu that reads like a map of British Columbia Mia Stainsby Sun At Pair Bistro, chef Shaughn Hall (left) with proprietors Janis and Todd Hodgins and a glorious spread from the kichen of Qu…

Dinner and a dance workout

2008-05-08

Laguna Blu puts authentic Italian on the menu and patrons on the dancefloor Alfie Lau Sun Daniel and Elena Morosan of Laguna Blu restaurant at Westminster Quay display their house specialty, Laguna Blu Lobster Seafood Linguini. Photograph b…

Salsa and Agave, it's fresh, lively, light

2008-05-08

Owner cuts extras, sticks to home-cooked specialties Mia Stainsby Sun Chef Elizabeth Hernandez at Salsa and Agave Mexican Grill near Yaletown. Photograph by : Bill Keay, Vancouver Sun It's gratifying to see family-style Mexican restaurants …

Restaurant Listings

2008-05-08

Sun CRITIC'S PICKS A list of restaurants recommended and anonymously visited by Sun restaurant critic Mia Stainsby . Prices are per couple for three courses, with a glass of wine each, before tip and taxes. $ means $50 or less $$ means $50 …

Identity thieves love Facebook, MySpace: Expert

2008-05-07

Ethan Baron Province Dave Shortt (left) and friend Eli Puterman surf the web at the Waves coffee shop on Hastings Street in Vancouver yesterday. Shortt said he probably isn’t careful enough about protecting his privacy online. Ric Ern…

Canadians face risks in not telling insurers about renovations

2008-05-07

Province Canadians are forgetting to tell their insurance companies when renovating their homes, a new survey suggests. About 40 per cent of Canadians renovated their homes in the last year. However, 67 per cent of them didn't alert their i…

Home sales lose some sizzle

2008-05-07

Lora Grindlay Province Home sales in B.C. were down 14 per cent in this year's first quarter. Photograph by : Les Bazso, The Province For six years B.C.'s residential real-estate market has been sizzling hot for sellers, but a dip in demand…

Alberta leads surprise decline in value of building permits

2008-05-07

Province OTTAWA --The value of building permits in Canada fell unexpectedly in March -- led by a big decline in Alberta -- due to rising costs and weakening demand, Statistics Canada said yesterday. "Construction intentions in Canada contin…