By Susan Boyce Last year was busy for developers and marketers throughout Metro Vancouver, and a lot is in store for 2018. Sales continue to be robust, and many projects are launching with priority registration lists that far outpace the number of units available. Faced with increasingly sophisticated and knowledgeable homebuyers, the industry is responding with a more diverse range...[ read more ]
By Joannah Connolly In an August that turned out to be much busier for Greater Vancouver homes sales than anyone had anticipated, transactions in Vancouver proper during the last full week of the month remained robust, despite back-to-school distractions. There were slightly fewer detached home sales within the city limits during Aug. 21-27 (registered as of Sept. 7) compared with...[ read more ]
By Mary Frances Hill At the display space for The Smithe, Boffo Developments’ planned community of condominiums in downtown Vancouver, designer Scott Trepp responds to the tower’s architecture from the inside out — by embracing the potential of a bright space, bringing beauty to the smallest details and creating a centrepiece in the display space. GBL Architects designed the...[ read more ]
By Bob De Wit THINK YOU CAN’T RAISE a family in a condo? Think again. There are many benefits to condo living versus the traditional single-family home. Compared to owning a home with a backyard, which may or may not have room for a play set, condo living has a lot of added family benefits. » Family first: Smaller spaces...[ read more ]
By Joannah Connolly Phew! What a year it’s been for Vancouver and BC real estate stories. From soaring values, to shadow flipping, to foreign buyers tax, to tough new mortgage policies and then Donald Trump’s US presidential election win… 2016 has seen it all. Here are the highlights of our local year in real estate. January January real estate news...[ read more ]
By Cameron McNeill WITH RUMORS OF THE REAL ESTATE market taking a down turn recently, let’s take a look at what has happened so far in Greater Vancouver as we reach the yearly half way mark. Although many predicted the market would soften in 2016 that has not been the case. Since the start of 2016, sales activity and prices...[ read more ]
By Wayne Karl WHY IS 2016 A GOOD YEAR to buy a home in Canada? Let us count the ways. 1. Low interest rates In its latest rate announcement on Jan. 20, the Bank of Canada held its target for the overnight rate at 0.50 per cent, citing a setback brought on by a decline in oil and commodities prices....[ read more ]
By Barbara Yaffe Condominium units have long been viewed as the poor cousins of single-family houses in Vancouver’s real estate market. But 2016 could well be the Year of the Condo. Realtor Patrick Weeks foresees only moderate growth this year in Vancouver’s detached housing sector. But he sees the sale of “certain segments of condos going up substantially, as (single-family...[ read more ]
By Josh Sherman Eight times a year, the Bank of Canada sets its key interest rate. Leading up to these routine announcements, there’s typically a flurry of commentary as experts weigh in on what it could mean for the Canadian economy if the central bank hikes, cuts or maintains its current rate. Given the housing market is one of the...[ read more ]
By Josh Sherman To get an idea of what’s in store for the Canadian housing market in the coming year, you might want to look back over the past 12 months. “On a regional basis, it’s probably pretty similar to what we’ve seen through most of this year,” says Robert Kavcic, a senior economist at BMO, of his housing market...[ read more ]
