With all the heat we have had in the last few weeks, it didn't seem to have much effect on the local real estate.

It's cooling and cooling fast.

We have just started a new report; MID MONTH REPORT FOR SALES ACTIVITY
which will update sales trends in detached and attached, (condos and townhomes),  category.

If you like me to add you to the email list for this particular report, just drop me an email with send me mid month report in the subject line.

What this report will give you a sneak peek at the trend in sales activity, so you don't have to wait for the Real Estate Board monthly sales report.
If you are thinking of selling or buying, this report will tell you what you may expect when you decide to buy or sell a property.
A rise in sales activity would be good sign to buy, before the prices respond to stronger activity, or if you were sitting and waiting for a market move to sell, this would give you heads up before everyone else find out and start listing.
This month report shows that sales activity is still in decline anywhere from 30% to 100%, depending on the area and type of property.

Here is this months Mid Month Report

 If you are looking to Buy or to Sell real estate in Vancouver area, give me a call. My consultations are FREE. The benefits to You, may be worth a lot of money.
Call Jeff Stark at 604-290-7890 or email me at jeff@jeffreystark.net

2300 Kingsway East Vancouver

Just visited the new project at 2300 Kingsway. For you that remember, not too long ago the site was a home of the Eldorado Hotel and Bar. Great swinging place. A little on a border line as to the type of customers that used to frequent the bar, but a good place for some fun.

Well now, Wall Financial has kicked of through Bob Rennie Marketing a two building project with a high rise at the corner of nanuimo and Kingsway and the smaller building along the Kingsway. The project has a nice functional design, it is right on a bus line and only a few blocks to the Nanaimo SkyTrain station. Functional floor plans are complimented with nice finishes, gas cook top ranges, stainless steel appliances etc.

The interesting fact is that most of the suites are small in size, and most will be bought by investors and rented out or bought by first time buyers who will eventually outgrow them and move on.

There is a good number of suites available for around and under $200,000. These are junior studio+flex space at around 450 s.f. Parking included with most.
According to current rentals you could rent one of these for $1000.

Roughly calculated, if you put a down payment of $60,000 (30%) and assuming the rates go up and by the time the project is finished in couple of years, you have to pay an extra point and get a 5 year mortgage at $5.39%, your payments would be around $845 p.m. Ad to that the strata fee and taxes, estimated at $150 t0 $160 per month, your rental should cover your expenses.

After 5 years you will have paid down your mortgage by some $15,000. With an original investment of $60,000 you have received a 25% return. Not bad!  All you need is to have the market price increase by 12% or better to cover your purchase taxes-HST. Possible? In 5 years? I think so.

If you are looking to Buy or to Sell real estate in Vancouver area, give me a call. My consultations are FREE. The benefits to You, may be worth a lot of money.
Call Jeff Stark at 604-290-7890 or email me at jeff@jeffreystark.net

Things are changing and the Buyers are slowly getting the upper hand. A you can see from the attached graph, most of the properties are taking more than 5 months to sell.

The graph represents the months it takes to sell a home or a condo ion various areas of Greater Vancouver.
Five months being a balanced market and anything above that means that the inventory levels have increased and more competition is on the market.

Bad news for the sellers? Not really. Properties will always sell, even in a tough market, just not above the market values.

Even at the lowest point of the past short real estate recession locally, there were properties that sold. Currently we are at the highest value levels we have ever seen around here. If have had your home for a few years, you will make a nice profit, and if you are moving to another property in the area, being a move up, or move down, you will get a good deal also.

For the Sellers it means that they have to be more realistic as to where they price their properties and do whatever they have to to maximize the best return on the sale.

They Buyers will not probably make multiple offers, because there is a good selection. They will take their time.
The Sellers will have to keep their homes in pristine conditions with good curb appeal and provide complete information about their home.

Good idea  is to have an inspection done by a certified and now, required to be licensed in BC, home inspections specialist, before the home is put up for sale. The report may indicate some easy fixes to the home that may otherwise rise Buyers suspicions and delay their decisions. Small investment that may pay off with a better return and avoid  inspection traps, you should know about.

If you are looking to Buy or to Sell real estate in Vancouver area, give me a call. My consultations are FREE. The benefits to You, may be worth a lot of money.
Call Jeff Stark at 604-290-7890 or email me at jeff@jeffreystark.net

For a list with pictures of Burnaby 2 bed/2bath condos in a price range between $250k and $500k visit:
http://www.burnabybestbuys.com

Earth Day? It sounds so, so kind of big. How can we be earth friendly? What do we need to do?

And can we, in our little ways really affect the earth eco systems.

Well, we can. We don't have to do deprive ourselves of anything, reaslly. We just need to act more responsibly and cut a little here and there. Little things done by a lot of people will make a difference.

You don't have to become solar or grow your own food, but here are some things you can do;

1  Green up your appliances. Next time you need to by appliances or if you have old ones, maybe you should switch to the green "Energy Star" type. There are local government programs with rebates and it probably wouldn't cost you very much, but you can realize big savings in energy consumption

2  Watch the temperature - almost half the home's energy goes to heating and cooling.

3  Save water - install an aerator on the kitchen faucet and save up to 50% of water
                      install a low-flow toilet. They use only 1.6 gal, (just over 6 litres)
                      or adjust the flow valve to let less water in to the tank

4  Clean Green - One of the best books I like and used it's cleaning suggestions in,
                      Haley' Cleaning Hints, which uses inexpensive everyday items to clean.
                      Amazing what you can do without using the expensive cleraning solutions bought 
                      at your local stores.

5  Use energy efficient lights and light bulbs

6  Save a tree, use less paper  - Use recycled paper products and ones with less virgin
                      pulp in it's contents.

7  Want hardwood floors? - Did you know that bamboo is a better choice? Bamboo ages in 4-6
                      years and hardwood forests take 50-100 years to mature.

8  Reduce use of plastics - from shopping bags to sandwich plastic bags, find an alternate
                     eco friendly product.

9  Use healthier paint - avoid use of solvent base paints as they release toxic fumes into
                      the atmosphere.

10  Garden green - use composting. Use native plants in your garden, perennials are better
                     than annuals. Stop using chemical pesticides as better options are available.
                     Remember the DDT? We are still paying the price even though it has been out
                     of use for some time.
                                           

These are just some ways we can help and get greener. So don't stop now just because the earth days is just a day on the calendar.

Keep contributing in small ways every day, and we will all be better for it.

If you are looking to Buy or to Sell real estate in Vancouver area, give me a call. My consultations are FREE. The benefits to You, may be worth a lot of money.
Call Jeff Stark at 604-290-7890 or email me at jeff@jeffreystark.net

Whenever you hear some bad news about our health services, we never think that it will affect us. It just something other people have to endure. It won't happen to me.

I was reading the story in today's Sun paper about the long wait time, lack of space and service at the ER in VGH.

The local TV stations covered it in last night news as well. Everybody speculates and no-one has an answer to the problem.

Doctors complains about short staff at the ER and lack of space is spinned by the government of the day as politics. Doctors are negotiating.

But things are not getting any better no matter how the problem is being swept under the rug.

The other day my daughter had a problem that in her opinion warranted going to the VGH ER. She went at the time, (a.m.), when there is supposed to be normal at the ER. Not the busy evening times when most people seem to need emergency services.
After 6 hours of sitting around a blood sample was taken and that was it.  No examination of any kind. The report will be sent to her family doctor.

It seems that whichever governing party is in power, nothing gets done. Elected party blames the previous government for miss-managing the health care, and that is it. No answers and no attempts to solve the problem Just, more money needed.

Isn't getting tiring listening to the same story over and over again?  So what's the answer? Who can fix it?

All through history we have learned that human mind has some extraordinary powers. We can solve problems that are seemingly unsolvable. So why can't we fix this problem?

My suggestion is for the party in power to take 6 months or whatever it takes and concentrate on the problem on hand. Forget other things. Everyone agrees that health is the largest single budget item and getting bigger by the moment.

Get everyone in unison, across party lines, doctors, health managers etc, to concentrate on the problem and get it solved.

And I don't mean another inquiry! They are useless, take forever and solve nothing.

If you are looking to Buy or to Sell real estate in Vancouver area, give me a call. My consultations are FREE. The benefits to You, may be worth a lot of money.
Call Jeff Stark at 604-290-7890 or email me at jeff@jeffreystark.net