North Vancouver Real Estate

BETTER THAN NEW

April 9, 2009 – 3:59 pm
Here's an overused realtor phrase that rarely is true, "better than new". I recently listed a 2 year old home in North Vancouver, near Edgemont Village, which truly is better than new. Definitely not a spec home! It's a stylish custom built home where every detail has been thoughtfully considered for today's active family. Most new homes don't include window coverings, closet organizers and built-in sound systems. Appliances tend to be on the lower end. Often the landscaping is incomplete and lacks outdoor lighting and in-ground sprinklers and fencing. These items all add up to tens of thousands of dollars. All these issues have been taken care of. Imagine gorgeous window coverings, top-of-the-line appliances including a 6 burner & griddle gas cook top, front loading washer & dryer and speakers and closet organizers galore. The landscaping is lush and complete with in-ground sprinklers and lighting and features a gorgeous maple tree ...

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Property sales strengthen in current market cycle

April 6, 2009 – 2:28 pm
VANCOUVER, B.C. ? April 2, 2009 ? The Metro Vancouver housing market experienced a movement away from volatility and toward stability to start the spring season. ? Home sales in March 2009 returned to levels witnessed at the beginning of the decade, with 2,265 sales recorded across Metro Vancouver for the month, a 53 per cent increase over February but a 24.4 per cent decrease over March 2008, when 2,997 sales were recorded. ? Since 1999, March sales have increased 31 per cent, on average, over the month of February. March 2009 marks the second consecutive month that sales have outperformed the ten-year average for this month-over-month comparison. ?

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Property listings decrease, as February sales improve

March 4, 2009 – 4:54 pm
VANCOUVER, B.C. ? March 3, 2008 ? Residential housing sales in Greater Vancouver rose 94 per cent in February compared to the month before, with 1,480 sales registered in February compared to 762 sales in January, which was the slowest month for housing sales in 25 years. Over the past 10 years, February sales have typically surpassed January by an average increase of 53 per cent. ? At the same time, new MLS

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Market Report

February 4, 2009 – 11:17 am
Home listings withdraw as sales volume slows VANCOUVER, B.C. ? February 3, 2009 ? The first month of 2009 saw a continued reduction in the number of homes listed for sale in Greater Vancouver, while sales volumes in January were the lowest for that month since the early 1980s. ? The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that sales of detached, attached and apartment properties declined 58.1 per cent in January 2009 to 762 from the 1,819 sales recorded in January 2008. ? New listings for detached, attached and apartment properties declined 20.9 per cent to 3,700 in January 2009 compared to January 2008, when 4,675 new units were listed. Total active listings in Greater Vancouver currently sit at 13,966, down nearly 6,000 listings from October 2008. ? Overall residential benchmark prices, as calculated by the MLSLink Housing Price Index

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Market Report Update

January 14, 2009 – 2:36 pm
  2008 brought improved housing affordability to Greater Vancouver   VANCOUVER, B.C. – January 5, 2009 – The record-breaking real estate market cycle in Greater Vancouver, longer than normal at seven consecutive years, ended in 2008 amidst global economic challenges. The change brought relief from rising prices that saw benchmark prices escalate from $357,770 for a single family detached home in December 2001 to $648,421 by December 2008.   The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that sales of detached, attached and apartment properties decreased 35.3 per cent in 2008 to 24,626 sales compared to 38,050 sales in 2007. Property listings for the year increased 13.9 per cent to 62,561 compared to 2007 when 54,945 new properties were listed.   “Trends in the latter half of 2008 showed a consistent month-over-month decrease in residential housing prices, adeparture from the rising home prices and record-breaking sales that were experienced in Greater Vancouver for much of this ...

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Slow home sales create window of opportunity

December 15, 2008 – 3:12 am
          VANCOUVER, B.C. – December 2, 2008 – November reductions in home sales and prices have helped improve affordability in Greater Vancouver. However, November also saw a corresponding decrease in the number of new homes coming onto the market.   In its most recent statistics release, the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential property sales in Greater Vancouver declined 69.7 per cent in November 2008 to 874 from the 2,883 sales recorded in November 2007.   Residential benchmark prices, as calculated by the MLSLink Housing Price Index®, declined 12.8 per cent between May and November 2008, amounting to an 8.3 per cent year-to-date price reduction for detached, attached and apartment properties in Greater Vancouver between November 2007 and 2008. In May 2008, the overall residential benchmark price was $568,411, compared to $495,704 in November 2008.   “Times of turmoil, from which we always emerge, offer excellent opportunities to buy quality real estate,” says ...

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TURN YOUR HOME ‘GREEN’

November 19, 2008 – 4:40 pm
Eco-friendly. Carbon footprint. Global warming. Energy-efficient. These catch phrases have become part of our lexicon as we’ve become more aware of our impact on the environment and our role in protecting it. As a homeowner, there are some simple, inexpensive steps you can take to make your home energy-efficient. Get started on the road to being “green” with these five tips:   Change Your Light Bulbs By replacing just five incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs, you can save $100 per year on electric bills while using up to 75 percent less energy and removing greenhouse gases from the environment.   Buy ENERGY STAR® Appliances ENERGY STAR-qualified appliances, such as refrigerators, washers and air conditioners, meet a higher level of energy efficiency set by the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy than standard models. According to ENERGY STAR, if just one in 10 homes used ENERGY STAR-qualified appliances, the impact could be ...

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OCTOBER MARKET REPORT

November 6, 2008 – 3:52 pm
residential housing price decline    creates buying opportunities     VANCOUVER, B.C. – November 3, 2008 – Housing price reductions across Greater Vancouver over the last six months have eliminated price gains witnessed in the first quarter of 2008. The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential benchmark prices, as calculated by the MLSLink Housing Price Index®, declined 8.8 per cent between May and October 2008, resulting in a 3.9 per cent year-to-date price reduction for detached, attached and apartment properties in Greater Vancouver between Octobers 2007 and 2008. In May 2008, the overall residential benchmark price was $568,411, compared to $518,668 in October 2008. "Home sales are not keeping pace with the positive economic conditions in BC," said REBGV president, Dave Watt. "That’s a direct result of a loss of consumer confidence in the overall market. Accordingly, today’s housing market is characterized by moderating home prices and wide selection. It’s definitely a buyer’s ...

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August Market Report

September 19, 2008 – 11:11 am
Summer lull sees properties stay on market VANCOUVER, B.C. – September 3, 2008 – The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential property sales in Greater Vancouver totalled 1,568 in August 2008, a decline of 53.7 per cent from the 3,384 sales in August 2007, and a 47.7 per cent reduction from the 2,998 sales recorded in August 2006. New listings for detached, attached and apartment properties declined 1.7 per cent to 4,331 in August 2008 compared to August 2007, when 4,408 new units were listed. “In August, properties on average remained on the market longer than we’ve seen in recent years,” REBGV president, Dave Watt said. “As the market heads into the traditionally more active fall season, we have begun to see property listings recede and prices moderate.” Sales of detached properties declined 58.5 per cent to 535 in August 2008 from the 1,288 detached sales recorded during the same ...

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August 28, 2008 – 12:21 pm
» In order that people may be happy in their work, these three things are needed: They must be fit for it. They must not do too much of it. And they must have a sense of success in it.

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