Real Estate News & Articles

Killer chai is the reason why

2007-12-06

Incense and carpets amp up this eatery's ambience Mark Laba Province Sonya Vikoulovskaia shows off the Eastern Plate at East is East on Main. Photograph by : Jon Murray, The Province It's a good thing I was just a kid during the '60s becaus…

Vancouver has nation's lowest vacancy rates

2007-12-06

Tenants must consider Class B and C buildings Province TORONTO -- Vancouver 's central office market will record the lowest vacancy rate in the country next year at just 2.1 per cent, a new report says. Much of the tightening in the city is…

Homeowners facing stiff hike in taxes

2007-12-06

Pre-Olympics workload spurs city hall demands for more staff Frances Bula Sun VANCOUVER - Get ready for an ugly budget year in Vancouver . City managers are asking for a host of new planners, engineers, emergency personnel and more, to try …

Storybook house on west side to be restored

2007-12-06

The architect was Ross Lort, who designed Casa Mia John Mackie Sun The 'hobbit house' with the unique roof at 3979 West Broadway has been sold, the lot subdivided and the old house, one of the best examples of its kind in town, is to be res…

Ad firm gets its Bluetooth into 'final frontier'

2007-12-06

iSign Media links flat-panel message displays to consumers' wireless phones Derrick Penner Sun William Urrea, iSign Media's vice-president of business opportunities, shows a flat-panel display ad in a store viewed on a cellphone. Urrea call…

Vancouver restaurateur greens up his business

2007-12-06

Harry Kambolis looks beyond the sustainable food he serves Bruce Constantineau Sun Bringing sustainability to C Restaurant, Wisent partners, Tom Chisholm (left) and Brad Mepham (right) are helping owner Harry Kambolis switch to more environ…

Downtown office vacancy expected to shrink

2007-12-06

Commercial realtor forecasts further drop to 2.1 per cent in 2008 Derrick Penner Sun Already at historic lows, Vancouver 's downtown office vacancy should shrink further to 2.1 per cent in 2008, the lowest central-core vacancy rate in the c…

Here's one Cambie business that remains a full-house hit

2007-12-06

Malcolm Parry Sun Chris Stewart and Andrey Durbach’s Pied- a- Terre does strong day- and- night business on reviving Cambie Street. BUSINESS LUNCH: New blacktop and fast-moving traffic are seen through the Pied-a-Terre restaurant's fo…

Gifts to satisfy a Christmas appetite

2007-12-06

Sun food critic Mia Stainsby serves up some ideas for those on your list who like to cook, eat, drink or entertain Mia Stainsby Sun One thing everyone does is eat. And most adults, at one time or other, cook, drink and entertain. So when yo…

Classic French bistro fare, pure and simple

2007-12-06

Pied-a-Terre's Andrey Durbach isn't into inventing, just cooking French favourites with skill and top-notch ingredients Mia Stainsby Sun Pied-a-Terre's atmosphere is cosy and friendly with an intimate glow. Photograph by : Ian Smith, Vancou…

'Showcase lounge' for coffee in Kits

2007-12-06

49th Parallel offers 13 roasts and the best in pastry and chocolate treats to nibble on Mia Stainsby Sun Conrad Brown (left) and Colter Jones at 49th Parallel Coffee Bar on Fourth Avenue. Photograph by : Ian Lindsay, Vancouver Sun When coff…

Thinking of switching to a Mac? Here's why you might

2007-12-06

Edward C. Baig USA Today Customers browse iMacs at an Apple Store in Salt Lake City. Macs are generally more expensive than Windows PCs, but Mac lovers say they're worth it. Most consumers seeking a new computer this holiday season will buy…

November home sales spike as mortgage rate hike anticipated in '08

2007-12-05

Derrick Penner Sun More buyers rushed into the Lower Mainland's real estate markets in November, perhaps to beat higher mortgage rates forecast to take hold in 2008. "That's what we saw in the summer when we did see a couple of upticks [in …

House price appreciation gap expected to close

2007-12-05

Eastern markets to heat up as the West undergoes a 'massive cool down' Derek Abma Sun OTTAWA -- In recent years, Western Canada has made the national housing market look a lot better than it really is, but a report released Tuesday says the…

Proposed GST/HST Rate Reduction in 2008

2007-12-04

Other On October 30, 2007, the Government of Canada announced a reduction in the GST rate from 6% to 5%, effective January 1, 2008. This follows a reduction a year ago from 7% to 6%. There are a number of transition rules for GST as it rela…

Proposed GST/HST Rate Reduction in 2008

2007-12-04

Other

Assessment under way of land swap between Whitecaps, port authority

2007-12-04

Lora Grindlay Province An independent financial assessment is under way of a land swap between the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Vancouver Port Authority to make way for a $75-million waterfront stadium. Port authority spokeswoman Anne McMull…

Divorcing your cellphone doesn't have to cost a mint

2007-12-04

A new website matches restless users with people who want to buy their existing contracts Gillian Shaw Sun When Bijan Shahrokhi heard Apple's new iPhone was coming out he decided as soon as it reached Canada he would get one. But between hi…

Construction costs continue to rise

2007-12-04

Fewer homes being built or fixed up, but labour is more expensive Derrick Penner Sun British Columbians spent more building or fixing up homes in the third quarter of 2007, but mostly because it is more expensive to build and not because th…

How to avoid being a victim of Internet fraud schemes

2007-12-04

Danny Bradbury Sun The e-mails began to arrive just hours after the collapse of the World Trade Center , says Audri Lanford , the Internet entrepreneur and operator of online scam awareness site scambusters.org. The events of Sept. 11, 2001…

Wireless devices open new territory for ID theft

2007-12-04

Darcy Keith Sun Bluetooth headsets are appealing because of their ease of use – but they pose security risks. When gadgets want to speak to each other these days, they can do it in secret. Bluetooth, a wireless technology that connect…

New owner of Fairmont Hot Springs has billion-dollar development plan

2007-12-04

Geoffrey Scotton Sun INVERMERE -- The new owner of the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort plans a $1-billion makeover of the historic and iconic Columbia Valley complex that includes new hotels, a high-end spa, commercial development, residential …

Conventional Wisdom

2007-12-03

Peter Mitham Other image/photo:Paul Joseph Comments in a study of off-site venues produced by Tourism Vancouver this past February were clear. The city’s lack of off-site venues was described variously as falling short of world-class …

Grand return for skid-row palace?

2007-12-02

David Spaner Province The heritage plaque on the side of the Pantages Theatre building at 144 East Hastings Street. Photograph by : Jon Murray, The Province Tony Pantages, great-nephew of theatre founder Alexander Pantages, outside the shut…