Real Estate News & Articles

B.C. homes Canada's least affordable

2006-03-30

Michael Kane Sun Soaring prices in the fourth quarter of 2005 pushed the cost of a standard two-storey home in B.C. to $435,000 or an affordability of 62.8 per cent of average household pre-tax income, making the province the most expensive…

Restaurant listings For March 30, 2006

2006-03-30

Critic's Picks Sun 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 t…

Slingbox gadget redirects local cable TV through an internet connection - similar to Sony's Location Free TV

2006-03-30

Gillian Shaw Sun A little device that lets you watch your home TV programs from anywhere in the world is being launched across Canada today. In B.C., London Drugs announced Wednesday it will be among the first retailers in western Canada to…

U.S. builders poised to shun our lumber

2006-03-29

Gordon Hamilton Sun American homebuilders warned Tuesday that they will abandon Canadian lumber for European and Russian products if Canada "knuckles under" to the U.S. lumber lobby and signs a softwood agreement that includes taxes or quot…

PC-free VoIP could deliver new level of service -- and savings

2006-03-29

Two technologies have captured the public's imagination Danny Bradbury Sun Today, Wi-Fi hotspots are used primarily by Internet users on the move. Coffee-shop users who want to surf and sip can curl up with a laptop, read the news and check…

Forget your wallet? Pay with your cellphone

2006-03-29

Using a phone to pay will become increasingly common in the future Danny Bradbury Sun Jen Pederson was always getting parking tickets. The Saskatoon-based founder of freelance copy-editing agency Second Set of Eyes got caught without change…

Wireless networks open window to the future

2006-03-29

Marc Saltzman Sun Setting up a wireless network in the home is one of the hottest tech trends among Canadian computer users. After all, it's not unusual for more than one PC to be found in a home today -- desktop, laptop or wireless-enabled…

new dynamic businesses want to be downtown

2006-03-29

Residential use competes with office use for ultra-valuable space Frances Bula Sun Vancouver has been wildly successful at attracting regular people, complete with their dogs and baby strollers, to the downtown. Some are wondering what impa…

22 berth marina in front of Beach Crescent neighbourhood approved by city council

2006-03-29

Residents in False Creek area are concerned about views, safety and late parties David Carrigg Province The controversial development of a marina in Vancouver's False Creek got the go-ahead last night despite a last-ditch protest by some re…

Survey finds 20% of companies do not do regular back-ups

2006-03-29

20 per cent of firms courting data disaster Jim Jamieson Province Small to medium-sized businesses in Vancouver still don't get the backup concept, according to a survey conducted by Condor IT Solutions Inc. The survey found that less than …

PDAs open new world for people on the go

2006-03-29

Marc Saltzman Sun As a communications consultant and executive coach, Simon Atkins is in demand -- and on the move. So, the president of Socratic Communications, who serves clients in the Toronto area, relies on a pocket-sized e-mail device…

Reverse mortgage works for house-rich, cash-poor

2006-03-27

Tapping in to house equity works -- for some Kevin Greenard and Keith Greenard Province If you’re a senior with cash-flow problems and you don’t plan on moving out of your home in the near future, a reverse mortgage may be for y…

Cablevision tests 'remote storage' DVR use

2006-03-27

David Lieberman USA Today NEW YORK — In a move that could ignite a major debate about consumer "fair use" of TV programming, Cablevision Systems will unveil plans to test a service that gives cable subscribers the ability to record an…

Mortgaged for the long term

2006-03-26

Think carefully before increasing amortization Wendy Mclellan Province Genevieve Gubbels is looking at a new option that could help her buy an affordable condo in Steveston. Photograph by : Nick Procaylo, The Province Genevieve Gubbels woul…

Terminus - Built-ins bring beauty to building

2006-03-26

Outside will retain its heritage character but inside, it's beyond sleek Jeani Read Province Shebeen is in a good spot. Photograph by : Wayne Leidenfrost, The Province Parts of Goaler's Mews will be retained Photograph by : Wayne Leidenfros…

U.S. sales of new homes fall by biggest drop in nine years

2006-03-25

The median price is also falling -- another sign realty market is cooling Martin Crutsinger Sun WASHINGTON -- U.S. new-home sales plunged in February by the largest amount in nearly nine years, while the median price of a new home dropped f…

Free seminar for first-time buyers

2006-03-25

A who's-who of industry leaders will guide attendees through the home-buying process Peter Simpson Sun Oh boy! Oh boy, oh boy! My 28-year-old daughter recently purchased her first home -- a solid, two-storey, red-brick number that cost her …

Size matters in kitchens, bathrooms

2006-03-25

Families increasingly like to congregate in large spaces with creature comforts, and a wide-open kitchen is ideal for this David Bradley Sun It seems bigger is indeed better when it comes to kitchens and baths. And the more the merrier, say…

Soap and water boost home sale prices

2006-03-25

Smells, dirt, clutter and overpersonalization of a house are sure ways to turn off potential buyers, experts warn Mary Lamey Sun Banishing clutter, personal affects, and cleaning, cleaning, cleaning are sure ways to increase the appeal of y…

Shanghai China Real Estate market bubble has burst, prices down by 50%, 3000 offices close

2006-03-25

Shanghai real estate speculators face

CCRA - Canada's complicated Income Tax Laws bring self help books

2006-03-24

A selection of books to help you navigate the latest tax changes from Ottawa Ray Turchansky Sun Nothing wreaks havoc with annual books on income taxes like a winter federal election, when vote-luring tax changes are announced close to the t…

Survey finds homeowners underestimate property values

2006-03-23

British Columbians' assessments are off by 17 per cent Derrick Penner Sun British Columbia homeowners generally don't know what they've got when it comes to the value of their property, according to RBC Financial's annual homeownership repo…

Demand for office space still strong

2006-03-23

Vacancy rate in Vancouver drops to 6.9 per cent Tara Perkins Sun Strong demand for office space in Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary suggests that corporations are confident about the economy and their prospects, say commercial real estate spe…

Restaurant listings For March 23, 2006

2006-03-23

Critics Picks Mia Stainsby Sun 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 $$…