Blog Posts

Posted Jul 07, 2011

10 Reasons to Use a Real Estate Professional

Just like it is vital to seek the unbiased expert advice of a mortgage professional who canshop the market througha number of different lenders and best assess your personal needs, so too is it ... Read more
Posted in Misc. Tagged as Real Estate in Canada, B.C. Real Estate, Realtor
Posted Jun 29, 2011

A look at Vancouver's hot real estate market

Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said recently he continues to monitor the country's housing market, which has some "hot spots", but said the situation remained stable. Despite these hot... Read more
Posted in Misc. Tagged as Vancouver, Vancouver real estate, B.C. real estate, British Columbia real estate, Vancouver housing bubble
Posted Jun 23, 2011

New Addition the the Family

It was with great sadness that we lost our beloved Lab/Border Collie Max to cancer a month ago. He was 10 years old. He will be sadly missed. But as with everything else, life carries on and we ... Read more
Posted in Misc.
Posted Jun 23, 2011

A beginners guide to building a successful investment portfolio

Whether you’re a seasoned investor or just exploring investment opportunities, you won’t get very far without a plan. The oft-mentioned analogy is vacation planning. Most vacationers would c... Read more
Posted in Misc. Tagged as Real estate investing, B.C real estate, invstment planning
Posted Jun 15, 2011

Local recreational properties are hot properties

It’s a fact that those of us working in the real estate market in the Vancouver area already know – that recreational property sales are picking up and market conditions are the best they ha... Read more
Posted in Misc. Tagged as luxury properties in Vancouver, recreational property, B.C. vacation property
Posted May 30, 2011

More Canadian renovating their homes

Canadians plan to spend more than $46 billion this year to renovate their homes even without tax incentives, according to a BMO survey. The figure is slightly higher than the $45.3 billion spent... Read more
Posted in Misc. Tagged as home renovations, home decor, home decor trends, B.C. Real Estate
Posted May 24, 2011

Making your dream home a green home

If you are planning a renovation to your new home consider the financial value in making it eco–friendly. Not only will a green home reduce your environmental impact, a home that costs les... Read more
Posted in Misc. Tagged as Green home, B.C. Real Estate, Going Green, eco- friendly renovations
Posted May 16, 2011

Good news for consumers and mortgage industry

It’s status quo for mortgage rules for the near future according to finance minister Jim Flaherty. Since the Canadian real estate market has softened in 2011, Mr. Flaherty sees no reason to fu... Read more
Posted in Misc.
Posted May 11, 2011

Upsurge in house prices

Here is something that all of us living and working in the B.C. knew – multi-million dollar deals are surging in Vancouver. Nationally, the 9% increase in overall sales activity in the first q... Read more
Posted in Misc. Tagged as B.C. Real Estate, Canadian Real Estate Association, CREA, Vancouver real estate
Posted May 04, 2011

New rules for your lines of credit

If you’ve ever renovated a part of your home or are thinking about it, the usual way to finance these improvements is to borrow from you home equity in the form of a line of credit or as it is... Read more
Posted in Misc. Tagged as real estate, lines of credit, mortgages
Posted Apr 25, 2011

Do it yourself energy audit

Today’s typical family living in a three-bedroom, two-story home spends about $2500 in energy costs each year. To better manage those costs, consider conducting your own energy audit. It’s e... Read more
Posted in Misc. Tagged as energy audit, home energy audit, save money on home energy,
Posted Apr 21, 2011

How does a credit bureau gather info on you?

Whether you’re applying for a consumer loan or a mortgage loan, every lender will request your credit report, which is an indicator of how you pay your outstanding debts. This information is c... Read more
Posted in Misc. Tagged as Canadian credit, real estate, Canadian real estate, B.C real estate, credit score
Posted Apr 21, 2011

The ABC’s of Commercial Lending

If you are venturing into commercial real estate,  it’s important to understand the lending criteria and how it differs from residential lending. There are a number of variables that are care... Read more
Posted in Misc. Tagged as mortgages, Canadian mortgages, real estate, commercial real estate, Canadian real estate, B.C real estate, commercial lending
Posted Apr 21, 2011

Essentials to pay down your mortgage

Since a mortgage is probably your largest expense why not try to free up that money by paying it off. Not only will you have peace of mind but you will save thousands of dollars in interest cost... Read more
Posted in Misc. Tagged as mortgage, B.C real estate, canadian real estate, canadian mortgage
Posted Mar 30, 2011

How title insurance protects you

How Title Insurance protects you Title Insurance is a fairly recent addition to the closing costs on a home. It is unlike any other insurance protection and was introduced to protect homeown... Read more
Posted in Misc.
Posted Mar 28, 2011

For First Time Home Buyers - Where to find your down payment

Every home purchase requires a down payment of at least 5% of the purchase price. Any down payment under 20% must be insured. With a higher down payment, you qualify for a conventional mortgage,... Read more
Posted in Misc. Tagged as first time buyers, down payment
Posted Mar 28, 2011

Purchasing A Condo

The carefree lifestyle of condominium makes buying a condo a popular choice for Canadians. In some parts of the country, one out of three new homes built is a condominium. When vacancy rates are... Read more
Posted in Misc. Tagged as purchasing, buying, condo

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