June Conway
Kelowna BC REMAXpersonal real estate corporation
Affiliated with BrentEilers.com
+1.250.317.3136 Contact June
 June's Kelowna Blog Feed

June's Kelowna Real Estate Blog Archive

Showing posts from December 7, 2007 to May 22, 2009

December 7, 2007
Lot values in the Shuswap, Blind Bay and Salmon Arm - You've been toying with the idea to build a home but uncertain what lot values are in our location. Here is sampling of year-to-date lot...

December 21, 2007
Recycle drop-offs nearby for CFLs - Home Depot has launched in-store recycling drop-offs for compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). The bulbs use up to 75 per cent less electricity than incandescents and...

December 21, 2007
Make this Christmas an eco-friendly one - Our guide on how to green your holiday celebrations without turning yourself into a dreaded eco-grinch in the process. Instead of dreaming of a white...

December 22, 2007
Resort stokes Revelstoke - As the first gondola heads up the slopes today, the Revelstoke Mountain development brings the town a promise of economic stability, along with soaring property values and new-found...

January 5, 2008
Northern BC real estate sales set record - Northern B.C. real estate sales last year fell 5.9 per cent below the record set in 2006 but the total value of all sales still hit a record $1.2 billion,...

January 5, 2008
Broadest appeal will sell your home - As real estate prices soar, many homeowners are probably thinking of selling their homes and moving on, either to another home or another part of the country. All...

January 5, 2008
Housing market remained surprisingly robust in 2007 - Greater Vancouver benchmark price (Dec. 2007) Detached homes $730,399 +13.5% since Dec. 2006 +95.5% since Dec. 2002 Townhouses...

January 6, 2008
British Columbians make long committments to mortgages - When talking mortgages, 40 is the new 25. Less than two years ago, the longest amortization period for mortgages was 25 years. And...

January 6, 2008
Salmon Arm mortgage lenders - Not unlike realtors there are many lenders to choose to assist with your real estate needs. A "narrowed list" of Salmon Arm mortgage lenders for your reference...

January 6, 2008
Who can afford million dollar houses? - When you drive the streets of Vancouver's west side, virtually every house for sale is worth $1 million or more, which prompts the question: Who is buying them?...

January 6, 2008
Salmon Arm million dollar houses - Summary of 2007 residentail house sales in the City of Salmon Arm total 311. Of the 311 house sales two exceeded sale price of a million bucks. The following shows a...

January 7, 2008
Salmon Arm and Blind Bay December 2007 average home prices compared to Fraser Valley - Figures released by the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board show a general increase in the...

January 9, 2008
Housing trends: electronic recyling program - Electronic waste is all those stereos, computers and mp3 players that become obsolete and irreparable. E-waste accounts for more than 140,000 tonnes of...

January 9, 2008
Strong job market keeps house prices high - Real estate prices rose between 11 and 12.4 per cent year-over-year, with an average detached bungalow reaching $795,250 in the fourth-quarter of 2007,...

January 10, 2008
Housing trends: Countertops, the quartz invasion - If you're in the market for a new premium countertop surface and you think you'll be selecting granite, think again. After all of your research...

January 10, 2008
New detached homes become scarcer - The new detached house became a rarer commodity in 2007 than ever in Metro Vancouver. Multi-family units accounted for 80 per cent of all new homes started during...

January 10, 2008
Shuswap real estate sale activity and prices up - 2007 sale activity surpasses 2006; up 8.5% in the Shuswap area. Shuswap area includes Blind Bay, Chase, Eagle Bay, Monte Lake/Paxton Valley, NE...

January 12, 2008
BC real estate market - always try to avoid answering the obvious question: "So, how long is this current real estate boom going to continue?" Predicting when the bubble will burst can be dangerous,...

January 14, 2008
Bank rate shuffle - The Bank of Canada has been keeping the bank rate in a tight range for the past year, but last month, it reduced the rate for the first time in 31/2 years -- a quarter-point drop that took it...

January 16, 2008
Shuswap area homes prices keep going up! - I do not have a crystal ball for 2008 but I can share with you the real facts re median house prices in 2007 (compared to 2006). Not only can I pass on to...

January 16, 2008
SERIES 1/3: "Feulling a resort-building boom on Vancouver Island" - Calgarians and Edmontonians are snapping up homes on golf and waterfront properties THE ALBERTA EFFECT A three-part...

January 17, 2008
Housing trends: Dream kitchen - When looking for renovations with the highest return on investment, kitchens top the list. Careful planning and expert help are key to success. Kitchen renovations are...

January 17, 2008
SERIES 2/3: "BC Border towns -- living and thriving in Alberta shadow" - Traditionally depressed areas near Alberta are experiencing unprecedented growth. ALBERTA EFFECT A...

January 18, 2008
SERIES 3/3: " Maverick culture puts Alberta ahead" - Rugged individualism across the Rockies helps province's economy outperform B.C.'s Second Place. First loser. Perennial bridesmaid....

January 21, 2008
Central bank expected to trim interest rate - Statistics Canada likely to reveal data showing core inflation rate steady. On Tuesday, Bank of Canada governor David Dodge is expected to cut...

January 22, 2008
Bank of Canada not done in cutting rates - The Bank of Canada cut the overnight rate this morning by a quarter-point to 4.00%. This was broadly in line with market expectations; however speculation...

January 23, 2008
Central bank, Fed both slash interest rates - With world stock markets reeling at the prospect of a sharp downturn in the U.S. economy spreading around the globe, the Bank of Canada and the U.S....

January 23, 2008
Salmon Arm, Blind Bay houses prices then and now - A market review of the median price of single family residences have risen humungously over the years. If you are hesitating buying this should...

January 23, 2008
Banks lower lending rates after bank cuts - Canada's big banks moved Tuesday to cut their prime lending rates, following a rate cut by the Bank of Canada and confounding some speculation that they...

January 25, 2008
Housing affordability at 17 year low - Years of price gains in Canada's booming housing market have made owning a home the least affordable it's been in 17 years, according to a study released yesterday...

January 26, 2008
Is BC's economy insulated from a US recession? - Stock markets plunged, and rebounded, the central bank of the United States made an unprecedented interest rate cut, and the former chair of the...

January 26, 2008
BC farmers getting richer as land values skyrocket - It is a comfort for B.C. farmers -- although perhaps a cold one in today's tough times -- that they're getting richer because the land they're...

January 26, 2008
Shuswap area farm properties - Shuswap farm sales vary widely depending on location, size, and crops not unlike the other areas of BC. Sprinkling of 2007 Shuswap are sales: Dairy.....$2,450,000 (43.84...

January 26, 2008
Look at me: If I can buy a first home ,you can, too - The housing affordability challenge throughout Metro Vancouver, and the plight of first-time homebuyers in particular, had me thinking about...

January 26, 2008
You can buy your first home in Salmon Arm - 79.5% of Salmon Arm's actively listed homes are priced above $350,000 compared to 99.2% of all new single-family homes in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser...

January 27, 2008
What buyers want in a home - New buyers are looking for features that enhance their comfort, security and enjoyment, and that reflects in the high prices of today's homes. Three experts -- a home builder, a...

January 28, 2008
Salmon Arm waterfront home for sale - $679,000 provides you ownership of 75ft Shuswap Lake frontage. This unique waterfront property is in the City of Salmon Arm. Professional and shopping amenities...

January 29, 2008
Record setting year for sales of existing homes in Canada as well as the Shuswap area - Last year was the best year ever for sales of existing homes, according to statistics...

January 29, 2008
Salmon Arm character-like home with inlaw suite - $439,000 provides you with 3,029 sf of winning features: 5 bedroom, 3 bath residence. Updated 1952 residence sits on two titled 50x105 lots in...

January 30, 2008
Shuswap, Blind Bay and Salmon Arm home prices - Past ten years median house prices have increased by 140.5%, 156.5% and 127.7% in the Shuswap area, Blind Bay and Salmon Arm respectively. 2007...

January 30, 2008
World class housing prices in BC - It's official: Homes in Vancouver, Abbotsford, Victoria and Kelowna are "severely unaffordable" and among the top most expensive housing markets among six...

January 30, 2008
High cost housing - Least affordable cities in Canada: 1. Kelowna (13th in a world rank of six countries), median house price $446,300, median income $52,200, rating 8.5 2. Vancouver (15th), $503,400, $59,900,...

January 31, 2008
Savvy investing tips in the property market - The old saying for investors is: "When everybody else is yelling buy, you should be selling, and when everybody yells sell, you should buy."...

January 31, 2008
Variable rate mortgages shine - Interest rate cuts like the one announced yesterday by the U.S. Federal Reserve are providing some badly needed leverage to people renewing or taking out new mortgages....

February 1, 2008
Shuswap home sale activity - 2007 realized the greatest number of home sales in the Shuswap. Next best year of home sales was 2004. Take a look at the trend of homes sales in the Shuswap the past 10 years:...

February 2, 2008
Blind Bay home sale activity - 2007 was not Blind Bay's strongest year of home sale activity but rather 2006. Not too much difference with year end sale totals nonetheless previous year was a titch...

February 2, 2008
Salmon Arm home sale activity - 2005 was Salmon Arm's strongest year of home sale activity not 2007. Nonetheless the past ten years have seen approximately 5.5% increase annually in home sale activity....

February 2, 2008
Sustainability home tool kit - Natural Step organization recently released a tool kit for Alberta homeowners to understand how to apply sustainable development concepts to everyday household making...

February 6, 2008
Average home prices in the Shuswap compared to Vancouver's Fraser Valley - The average price of a house in the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board's region dropped by 2.6 per cent from...

February 6, 2008
Housing market balancing out: analyst - GREATER VANCOUVER area...... Home-sellers in Greater Vancouver listed properties for sale faster than they sold in January, according to real-estate board...

February 6, 2008
Small steps in your home - Ever wonder when you should replace your old appliances? From a price perspective, here's a rule of thumb: if the cost to repair a household appliance is more than half the price of...

February 7, 2008
A look at the year regarding real estate trends - The B.C. Real Estate Association believes it will remain a seller's market for the foreseeable future in British Columbia. Looking ahead,...

February 8, 2008
Pricey BC properties - Whistler has a new real-estate record with the pending $17.5-million sale of a sprawling luxury home on 1.9 hectares with a view of Blackcomb Mountain. The house, a five-bedroom,...

February 8, 2008
Pricey Shuswap area properties compared to the rest of BC - PRICY SHUSWAP PROPERTIES Most expensive 2007 homes sales include: 1. $2.4 mil (lakefront) 2. $2.285 mil (lakefront) 3. $2.027...

February 11, 2008
Small steps in your home - It pains me to witness all the junk mail that accumulates in a given month. I'm not alone. Surveys tell us that 67 per cent of Canadians are not interested in flyers and advertising...

February 12, 2008
New home prices edge up, just a little - New-home prices in Canada edged up by a lower-than-expected 0.1 per cent in December from the previous month, Statistics Canada said Monday. Many economists...

February 12, 2008
Salmon Arm new home prices - Active Shuswap area listings for new homes built 2007-2008 include: Blind Bay $399,000 - $480,000 range Chase $289,000 - $449,000 Eagle Bay $1,790,000 NE Salmon Arm...

February 14, 2008
Marketing your rental unit - Every landlord wants to find the ideal tenant -- the person who always pays rent on time, never disturbs others, doesn't complain or cause conflicts and keeps the premises in...

February 14, 2008
Buying a home - Buying a home is one of the biggest decisions you'll ever make. So when it comes time to signing on the dotted line, make sure you don't make that decision alone. To help you put together the...

February 15, 2008
Small steps in your home - Many commercial home-cleaning products are loaded with toxic substances designed to make our life easier. Unfortunately, these chemical-based products can in fact make things more...

February 15, 2008
Find your vacation home in the Shuswap - Firm bullish on vacation homes for next 15 years: Owning recreational property is a 10- to 15-year prospect for buyers, according to research by the real estate...

February 16, 2008
Home thoughts: GST rebate address posted - What follows is information about getting money back from government (and how rare is that!) . . . The application form for buyers of new homes applying...

February 16, 2008
Home thoughts: Uplifting scents key to a happy home - 'Smell is a potent wizard that transports you across thousands of miles and all the years you have lived." -- Helen Keller Nearly any...

February 17, 2008
Shuswap area for a second home - Second home numbers surge 22%. Of course, it's just a place for the kids . . . 1.1 million: Number of Canadian households that owned second homes or vacation homes in...

February 17, 2008
STRATA: Study your strata insurance asap - Buildings under construction, major renovations or major warranty claims may have different insurance than buildings that are occupied....

February 20, 2008
Getting your house ready to sell - Today's homebuyers lead busy lives and may not be interested in taking on major repairs or improvements upon moving in. You need to make your house a "10". The...

February 20, 2008
Realtors know real estate - There are more than 145 steps to complete a real estate transaction. It requires an organized, step-by-step approach that many homeowners just don't have the time, skill or...

February 20, 2008
For new home owners - The threshold for the First Time Home Buyer's program -- which exempts those buying their first home from paying the property transfer tax -- was increased to $425,000 from $375,000. In...

February 21, 2008
Managing property requires clear goals - Managing a rental recreation property can be a mixed-up world. You now are an owner of a fine investment. Life is easy from here on in, right? Wrong! I have...

February 21, 2008
Shuswap area...."Finding a home in that suits your lifestyle" - When choosing the right home, it's easy to be overcome by a beautiful setting or a unique architectural style, overlooking the...

February 21, 2008
Real estate activity in the Shuswap - Real estate sale activity in the Shuswap area in January 2008 compared to January 2007 overall is down approx by 23% for single family residential, up approx 120%...

February 25, 2008
Salmon Arm new home for sale - $549,900 only for a brand new 2007 yr built, family residence in a close-in Salmon Arm location to community amenities, schools & lakeshore. Sited on an approx 64x102 ft...

February 26, 2008
Canadian housing market - Canadian real estate markets remain "remarkably buoyant", especially in light of the deepening housing downturn in the United States and the generally softening conditions...

February 26, 2008
Salmon Arm waterfront home for sale - $679,000 is all it takes to have ownership of lots of "ah-hah" Shuswap Lake waterfront moments! Located within the city boundaries of Salmon Arm this...

February 27, 2008
Western Canada enjoys best of bouyant market - Canadian real-estate markets remain "remarkably buoyant," especially in light of the deepening housing downturn in the U.S. and the generally...

February 27, 2008
Real estate remains bouyant in Canada - Canadian real estate markets remain "remarkably buoyant," especially in light of the deepening housing downturn in the United States and the generally...

February 27, 2008
Salmon Arm home for sale - $423,700 offers you a superb location in the heart of Salmon Arm! 1952 yr old home recently renovated. Three floors of approx 1000 sf per floor totalling 3029 sf. 5 bedrooms, 3...

February 28, 2008
Plan your renovations - The first step is to set renovation goals that reflect your lifestyle and priorities. By defining what you want to achieve, the contractors and trades you hire will be better able to...

February 28, 2008
Don't listen to the gloomers - Ten years ago, I wrote a story with a similar headline to the one above. Condominiums in False Creek were going down in value and the gloomers were out in force. In 1999, I...

February 29, 2008
Construction boom "winded" - The Conference Board of Canada is warning of "a lengthy slowdown" in Canada's residential construction industry. It's forecasting that profits --already off 22 per...

March 2, 2008
Shuswap market activitiy - More residential homes came onto the market in January 2008 than same time last year. An increase of approx 72.83%! The totals of residential listings for January 2008 and 2007...

March 2, 2008
Resale listings a record for January - There were more new listings for resale homes in Canada last month than any other January before it, the Canadian Real Estate Association said Friday. That has...

March 3, 2008
Central bank set to cut interest rates, but just how much? - It's no longer a question of to cut or not to cut for the Bank of Canada, but of how low will it go. Canadians will find out...

March 3, 2008
There are ways to avoid probate fees - A recent story on the perils of putting property in joint ownership to avoid probate drew a panicked response from a reader. "Because we knew our mom...

March 3, 2008
Withdrawing RRSP funds can be good for students, home buyers - Saving for education or buying a home often have higher priorities for young people than contributing to an RRSP. But the...

March 3, 2008
BC boom doesn't echo in the outskirts - Bad news hits hard in small towns. Take Mackenzie, a community of about 4,000 in the Rocky Mountain Trench about 1,000 kilometres northeast of Vancouver....

March 4, 2008
Residential construction - The total value of residential construction investment in Canada for 2007 reached $88.7 billion, an increase of 8.5 per cent compared with 2006. Monday's report from Statistics...

March 4, 2008
Bank of Canada slashes interest rates - Forget the talk that Canada's economy can thrive without help from U.S. consumers. The Bank of Canada muted that debate yesterday by taking a rare...

March 4, 2008
Outlook darkens ahead of bank-rate decision - The clouds over the Canadian economy are getting darker, putting pressure on Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney to make it cheaper to borrow money and...

March 4, 2008
Canadians more loath to buy a home - Canadian consumers are turning more bearish on the housing market, with home buying intentions slipping to their lowest level in years, according to a poll released...

March 4, 2008
Canadians spending more to build new homes, fix old ones - The total value of residential construction investment in Canada for 2007 reached $88.7 billion, an increase of 8.5 per cent compared...

March 4, 2008
New home prices in the Salmon Arm, Blind Bay, the Shuswap area - Moving to the Shuswap area here is what it takes to buy a new home today (remember to add "likely" 5% general...

March 5, 2008
Bank of Canada cuts interest rate to 3.5% - The Bank of Canada slashed its benchmark interest rate by half a percentage point to 3.5 per cent on Tuesday, signalling more rate cuts are likely as it...

March 5, 2008
Homebuyers more cautious - The number of Canadians intending to buy a home is at the lowest level since 2002, according to RBC Royal Bank's annual home-ownership survey released Tuesday. The survey results...

March 5, 2008
Housing market shows signs of cooling down - The number of Canadians intending to buy a home is at the lowest level since 2002, according to RBC Royal Bank's annual homeownership survey released...

March 5, 2008
Ranks of home hunters thinning out - Canadian consumers are taking a more bearish outlook on the housing market, with home buying intentions slipping to their lowest level in years, according to a poll...

March 5, 2008
Home sales expected to drop slightlly in 2008 - Flagging consumer confidence is expected to eat into housing sales in greater Toronto this year, according to poll results released yesterday by Royal...

March 6, 2008
Playing it safe with presale real estate - Consumers have long recognized the inherent value of owning real estate in British Columbia. The demand for new product has never been greater and developers...

March 6, 2008
Real estate still a sellers game in the Shuswap as well as Vancouver's Lower Mainland - housing market I Inventories of residential real estate swelled in February and sales...

March 6, 2008
Real estate markets settling into balance - In the terminology of real estate market analysts, conditions in property markets are settling into balance: an even distribution of supply and demand....

March 6, 2008
Average price in the Greater Vancouver reaching $1 mil mark - At an asking price of $889,000, the Second World War bungalow in the 3100-block West 10th Avenue in Vancouver seemed like a...

March 6, 2008
Average price in the Salmon Arm & Shuswap area still affordable - With two months selling history in the Shuswap area residential average home prices are much more affordable than Greater...

March 7, 2008
Residential real estate markets across Canada - Pent-up demand, population growth, tight inventory levels, and the longest economic expansion since World War II collectively fueled one of the best...

March 7, 2008
Renovating: New flooring durable and easy to install - FiberFloor is a new type of flooring that combines the cushiony feel of carpet with the easy maintenance of vinyl and the relatively simple...

March 7, 2008
Homes: Security system helps but not the perfect solution - Homeowners seeking peace of mind are turning to high-tech alarms and surveillance equipment to protect their investments. But police...

March 7, 2008
Housing market cooling - In another sign the housing market is cooling, a dramatic plunge in applications for multiresidential construction sent the value of building permits issued in January below $6-billion...

March 8, 2008
BC building costs expected to stabilize - A strong provincial economy, thriving oil, gas and mining industries and continued population growth will lead to more stable construction costs in British...

March 8, 2008
Salmon Arm home prices can be affordable - Salmon Arm homes priced under $300,000 are limited! 6.6% of Salmon Arm's current single family residential market. But it is possible and starts at...

March 9, 2008
STRATA: Let your lawyer vent the presale deal - Dear Condo Smarts: With all the media coverage recently about presales going badly, we were wondering if you could answer a question for us. We took...

March 9, 2008
Preparing your home when you head on vacation - The following is a list of things to do when leaving your home to avoid any unwanted surprises while you're away. . Shut off automatic ice maker in...

March 9, 2008
Improve garage doors with condensation issues - Question: We have a wood garage door and during winter, condensation forms inside the door. The water seems to drip down on the floor and puddle...

March 10, 2008
Shuswap area 2-10 acre properties - Salmon Arm, Blind Bay, Chase, Eagle Bay, Monte Lake/Paxton Valley, North Shuswap, Pritchard, Revelstoke, Shuswap/Anstey/Seymour, Sicamous, Sorrento, Salmon Valley and...

March 10, 2008
Salmon Arm home for sale - $399,900 for a Salmon Arm home right in the heart of the city! 3,029 sf 5 bedroom, 3 bath, 2 kitchen, 2 laundry room home. This attractively improved home is on a 50x105 lot with...

March 10, 2008
Housing starts top expectations - In an echo of Friday's much stronger than expected jobs report for February, Canadian housing starts also blew the roof off Bay Street forecasts last month, boosted by a...

March 11, 2008
Single family housing starts continue to plunge - Housing starts for the single-family home market in the Calgary area continued to plunge in February compared with a year ago, but at the same time...

March 11, 2008
Tougher rental rules in effect - B.C. landlords and tenants will face tough new penalties for breaking the province's rental laws, Housing Minister Rich Coleman announced Monday. Effective immediately,...

March 11, 2008
Housing starts on the rise - B.C. posted Canada's largest increase in urban housing starts last month as hunger for condos in the Lower Mainland lit a fire under the homebuilding sector. B.C. posted an...

March 11, 2008
Housing strarts outpace expectations - In an echo of Friday's much stronger than expected jobs report for February, Canadian housing starts also blew the roof off Bay Street forecasts last month,...

March 11, 2008
Rising house prices - Canadian housing prices surged for a second consecutive month in January, dovetailing with unexpectedly strong housing starts data released earlier in the week and underlining the disparity...

March 12, 2008
BC growth expected to be strong at 3.1% - Western provinces are expected to weather the effects of the U.S. economic storm, while Ontario and Quebec are likely to suffer fallout from the gloomy outlook...

March 12, 2008
Home prices increasing - Prices for new homes in Vancouver rose at the national average of 6.5 per cent between January and the same month last year, Statistics Canada says. New home prices for the city...

March 12, 2008
Shuswap Revelstoke real estate market activity slows down - The Shuswap Zone of the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) reported total sales dollars of all property types sold on the...

March 12, 2008
Canadian housing prices surged - Canadian housing prices surged for a second consecutive month in January, dovetailing with unexpectedly strong housing starts data released earlier in the week and...

March 13, 2008
Buyers options rise in the Lower Mainland as well as the Shuswap - The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential attached, detached and apartment property...

March 13, 2008
Shuswap real estate activity for first two months of 2008 - New inventory selection was down in Feb compared to Jan as well as same time last year. Number of properties sold is less this year...

March 14, 2008
Housing woes may move into Canada - With the subprime contagion spreading around the world, Canadians who hoped their homes would be immune from the carnage are wrong. The disease is here and coming...

March 14, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate - Salmon Arm generally tends to have most of its residential sale activity in the concentrated family neighbourhoods of SE and NE sector of Salmon Arm. First two months of 2008 saw the...

March 15, 2008
House prices out of reach for most - got even harder to afford a home in Metro Vancouver at the end of 2007. RBC Economics confirmed Friday what any home shopper here knows -- buying a house will eat...

March 15, 2008
Home affordability: A new oxymoron? - Housing affordability across Canada has dropped to its lowest level since the country slid into a recession in 1990, with the standard two-storey home eating up...

March 15, 2008
Blind Bay real estate - Sale activity in Blind Bay first couple months of 2008 is down 53% compared to same period in 2007. Check out what has been happening in Blind Bay this Jan/Feb: Blind Bay 4...

March 16, 2008
STRATA: Smoking bylaws - Dear Condo Smarts: Our 111- unit condo building in Vancouver is at war over the issue of smoking. We have been unsuccessful in the past years on passing a bylaw that would restrict...

March 16, 2008
Added expenses in addition to your mortgage when you purchase a home - When buying a new home, it is important to remember there are added expenses besides the mortgage. While most...

March 17, 2008
Bank of Canada has room to cut rates - Inflation figures being released this coming week are widely expected to show that the Bank of Canada has a lot of room to cut interest rates to stimulate what...

March 17, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate - Salmon Arm property price range varies like any other city. It is determined by current market value for location, size, age, lot size and condition. Have a look at the range today...

March 17, 2008
How long will the housing boom last? - Garth Turner has some unsettling news for Canadians who've tied their financial future to their homes – every real estate bubble in history has burst, and...

March 18, 2008
Housing market.....tough to quantify any effect on - It is too soon to say whether the rising turmoil in world financial markets will shake the confidence of British Columbians and scare them out...

March 18, 2008
BC housing woes as prices set to soar.....Credit Union warns - They are not on the endangered species list yet, but first-time home buyers are disappearing in urban B.C., victims of...

March 19, 2008
Homeowners gain from falling rates - For B.C. homeowners struggling with huge mortgages, falling interest rates could be the silver lining to the cloud cast by the deepening economic slump in the U.S....

March 19, 2008
Salmon Arm lenders to help you with your home purchase or refinancing - The following list of local lenders come highly recommended when you are thinking about a home purchase in the...

March 19, 2008
Homebuyers rush to pay down mortgages - Canadians who have recently bought a home intend to pay off their mortgages as quickly as possible, with many already taking steps towards that goal, according to...

March 20, 2008
What is a REIT? - REITs are like those books that everybody quotes but nobody has read. So, let's just say that a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) is like a mutual fund that deals only in real estate...

March 20, 2008
Home owners rush to pay down mortgages - Canadians who have recently purchased, renewed or refinanced a mortgage want to quickly pay off their debt, a survey by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing...

March 20, 2008
BC is a haven for multi-millionaires - British Columbia's unprecedented housing market expansion will continue into 2009, as economic fundamentals and market conditions remain conducive to high sales...

March 20, 2008
House prices in Salmon Arm, Shuswap area compared to the Vancouver area - Salmon Arm, Shuswap area median house prices ytd (Jan -Feb 2008) continue be more affordable than the Vancouver...

March 21, 2008
Renovations with best home-sale returns - As much as 100 per cent of the cost of a fully renovated kitchen or bathroom, often done with the help of a contractor, can be recovered when it comes time to...

March 22, 2008
Creative solutions to purchase first home - Today's young adults aren't about to let lingering student loans, uncertain career tracks and stratospheric housing prices stop them from finding their...

March 23, 2008
STRATA: Who is responsible for windows? dryer vents? - Who's responsible for dryer vents? Who's responsible for windows? These are the two most common questions we field every day and share a...

March 26, 2008
Condominium sales to slow in 2008 - A slowdown in the condominium market this year could help open the door to home ownership for buyers previously sidelined by soaring real estate prices, according to a...

March 28, 2008
Salmon Arm home for sale - Great 119.5 x 50 ft corner lot in quiet location just above Salmon Arm's townsite. Two level home built approx 1978 has 960 sf on each level. Total of 4 bedrooms, 2 full baths, 2...

March 29, 2008
Cool down in 2008 - The consensus seems to be in: The United States is either in a recession or soon will be. And British Columbia's economy will be partially sheltered and suffer less than other provinces....

March 29, 2008
Salmon Arm home for sale - Spacious level entry 5 bedroom, 3 full bath, 2768 sf family home. Built in 2007. Main floor has 3 bedrooms (ensuited master bedroom) and full bathroom and "great room"...

April 2, 2008
Buyers warm up to green living - Given the ever-present threat of climate change, homebuyers are warming up to the idea of energy-efficient housing. It's not only beneficial to the environment, but it...

April 2, 2008
Mortage rates on the way down - Canada's mortgage rates are heading down. At a time when stock markets are volatile and with the economy and income growth slowing, the positive news for those planning to...

April 2, 2008
Investment properties financing rules change - Budding real estate moguls will welcome the news that Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) has relaxed the rules for would-be Donald Trumps to...

April 2, 2008
Odds favour variable mortgage rates - Nearly every decision when buying a new home hinges on money. The price of the property, the regularity of the payment, the mortgage term and the amortization period...

April 2, 2008
Mortgage 101 for first time buyers - Sixty-four per cent of Canadian adults own their home, but that number could drop because significantly fewer people intend to buy a home in the next two years due to...

April 2, 2008
Doors open to home buyers - House hunting this spring? You've never had it so good. Interest rates are heading down and choices abound on the mortgage front, with new lenders competing with the banks and...

April 2, 2008
Whooping 82% of Canadians warm to green homes - Given the ever-present threat of climate change, homebuyers are warming up to the idea of energy-efficient housing. It's not only beneficial to the...

April 2, 2008
Potential homebuyers shy away from taking plunge - Sixty-four per cent of Canadian adults own their home, but that number could drop because significantly fewer people intend to buy a home in the...

April 2, 2008
Some homebuyers can take a gamble - Nearly every decision when buying a new home hinges on money. The price of the property, the regularity of the payment, the mortgage term and the amortization period...

April 2, 2008
Just how low will interest rates go - Canada's mortgage rates are heading down. At a time when stock markets are volatile and with the economy and income growth slowing, the positive news for those...

April 3, 2008
Housing market cools with sales dropping - Alberta's resale housing market is cooling in the same manner as Calgary's, with sales dropping and new listings rising dramatically in February, according...

April 3, 2008
Salmon Arm, Shuswap area market activity - 2008 real estate market pace is cooling in contrast to same months in 2007. Each month of single family sale activity in 2008 to date is considerably less...

April 3, 2008
Housing hunting - Buying a home is an exciting prospect. But before you take that step, there are many things you need to know to make a wise choice. The Canadian Bankers Association advises that most importantly,...

April 3, 2008
Interest rate cut necessary: official - More interest rate cuts may be necessary to buffer Canada from the impact of the U.S. economic slowdown, according to the senior deputy governor of the Bank of...

April 3, 2008
Housing sales slow to 2001 levels - Greater Vancouver closed March with its slowest first-quarter for sales since 2001, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. analyst Robyn Adamache said Wednesday in an...

April 3, 2008
Flipper or investor? Find your comfort zone. - Yes, affordability is a real issue...it takes 67 per cent of our income in Vancouver to buy the average priced property. Clearly and substantially out...

April 3, 2008
Save money by larger down payment - To obtain a conventional mortgage, home buyers are required to put down at least 20 per cent of the purchase price or appraised value (whichever is less) as a down...

April 3, 2008
Shuswap, Salmon Arm market activity compare to Vancouver's Lower Mainland - 'Balance' is the buzzword analysts use when market supply comes closer to meeting market demand in the...

April 4, 2008
Prices up everywhere except.... - Homeowners and homebuyers can expect prices to keep on rising in the months ahead, but at a slower pace, the head of Royal LePage Real Estate Services says. Phil Soper,...

April 4, 2008
Housing market to sink - A housing expert figures the Vancouver housing bubble will burst after the 2010 Olympics. Steve Pomeroy said people are buying properties, hoping to flip them before the Games,...

April 4, 2008
Smallest cities experiencing biggest gains - Strong local economies, high immigration levels and low interest rates helped the Canadian real-estate market post a first quarter of moderating price...

April 4, 2008
Sustainable real estate - Cash in, turn out, drop off.....Over the next four years, Ron Taylor plans to drop off the grid. The oil-fired furnace is already gone, replaced by electric heat, and Mr. Taylor is...

April 4, 2008
Push to greener housing - Everyone is green today. Environmental responsibility is our mantra. But are homeowners interested only when there is a financial payback, or are they truly committed to saving the...

April 6, 2008
STRATA: Conversion of titled property to divided-strata-titled property - A conversion of property from one-titled to divided-strata-titled property is basically the same as creating a...

April 7, 2008
Salmon Arm, Shuswap area home prices compared to Northern BC - Salmon Arm, Shuswap area home prices are considerably stronger than other areas of BC. March 2008 average price (median price)...

April 8, 2008
Housing starts brisk - Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. reports the annual rate of housing starts was 254,700 units in March, down slightly from 255,600 units in February. For the first quarter of 2008,...

April 8, 2008
Niche markets being planned for those seeking a place to retire - Like many other people her age, Joan Ford, 65, is getting her head wrapped around the idea of an eventual move into...

April 9, 2008
Shuswap area: whats selling & whats not - March 2008 sale activity of homes with acreage, mobile homes, residential, residential waterfront, townhomes and farms is down compared to same month last...

April 10, 2008
Housing markets on shaky ground - There's no shortage of housing markets that look like bubbles waiting to burst, but economists say Canada has become one of the safer places in the developed world to own...

April 11, 2008
ECO: EPIC change - Mike Holmes has gone green. No, he doesn't have a new pair of overalls. The 44-year-old reno expert has taken up the environmental cause and is as enthusiastic about energy efficiency and...

April 11, 2008
Don't panic on house prices - Homeowners of B.C. -- welcome to the little chill. B.C. householders fearing that the U.S. recession will hammer real-estate prices can relax -- the provincial market will...

April 12, 2008
Salmon Arm new home for sale - Sought-after traditional floor plan with spacious, open, contemporary main floor living with four bedrooms up with laundryroom. Lots of high ceilings on both levels and lots...

April 12, 2008
New home price gains cool slightly nationally - Growth in the cost of new housing slowed slightly in February, Statistics Canada said yesterday. The new house price index rose 0.3 per cent in...

April 12, 2008
Options to paying off your mortgage faster - Good intentions can fall by the wayside when new homeowners pledge to pay down the mortgage as quickly as possible. Unexpected expenses crop up -- and...

April 13, 2008
House prices hold up - The price of new housing edged up 0.3 per cent from January to February 2008, said Statistics Canada. The rate slowed down after two months of accelerated growth but followed a...

April 13, 2008
STRATA: Amending rules and bylaws seek legal advise - Dear Condo Smarts: We are in a divided strata of a highrise and a commercial division. Several years ago, we voted to create sections so that...

April 15, 2008
BC vacant land sale activity - British Columbia experienced a residential land rush in 2007 with buyers snapping up more than 12,000 vacant properties over the year worth more than $3 billion, according to...

April 15, 2008
BC non-residential building activity - Non-residential building activity in B.C. declined in the first quarter of 2008 from the last quarter of 2007, Statistics Canada reported on Monday. And B.C.'s...

April 18, 2008
Housing sales tumble across Canada - The biggest housing boom in more than 50 years appears to be out of steam as sales tumbled in all major cities this winter and listings surged in Western Canada....

April 18, 2008
Housing market cools - Canada's once-hot housing market is clearly cooling with sales falling and the number of unsold homes on the market hitting record highs in the first quarter of the year. Despite an...

April 18, 2008
Housing market softens - Canada's once-hot housing market is clearly cooling, with sales falling and the number of unsold homes on the market hitting record highs in the first quarter of the year. Despite...

April 18, 2008
Getting your house ready to sell - Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board listing and selling stats are not unlike......A recent report by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) indicates that...

April 19, 2008
ADAMS RIVER: Development comes to legendary river - A development would run through it. It is difficult to stand at the mouth of North America's greatest salmon spawning habitat -- the Adams...

April 19, 2008
BC housing sales dips below 2007 levels - B.C. housing sales lost ground during the first three months of this year -- dipping 13.5 per cent below last year's pace for a total of 18,635 Multiple...

April 19, 2008
The firm foundation of local housing market lets it weather boom-bust cycles - The declaration this week by economist Douglas Porter of BMO Nesbitt Burns that Canada's six-year...

April 21, 2008
Expect further cuts in interest rates - The focus this week will be on how far the Bank of Canada is willing to cut interest rates to cushion the Canadian economy from the slump in the U.S., the strong...

April 22, 2008
Lending rate expected to be slashed - The Bank of Canada is expected to cut its trendsetting lending rate by as much as half of a percentage point today, but the credit crunch that has hit consumers in...

April 22, 2008
Salmon Arm condominium for sale - Just listed a 1,320 sf two bedroom, two full bath condominium at "Lakeside Villas", Salmon Arm. Approximately 10 years old this attractive, top floor corner...

April 22, 2008
Rising house values and lack of inventory challenge first-time buyers, says RE/MAX - While higher housing values and tight inventory levels have hampered home-buying activity so...

April 23, 2008
Bank cuts lending rate - The Bank of Canada cut its benchmark lending rate to three per cent yesterday as the central bank moved to defend against a sharply slowing U.S. economy and its spillover into Canada....

April 23, 2008
BC real estate market still healthy - Despite continuously rising prices, first-time homebuyers are still finding ways to get into the market, real estate firm Re/Max said in a report Tuesday. Even if...

April 23, 2008
Salmon Arm, Blind Bay affordable homes - Salmon Arm and Blind Bay home prices today start at $219,000, $249,900, $259,000 and $329,000, $339,000 $349,900 respectively. Re/Max has looked for...

April 23, 2008
ADAMS RIVER: Development backs off marina - The developer of a controversial resort community on Shuswap Lake withdrew the marina component of the plan just as a packed public hearing into the project...

April 23, 2008
ADAMS RIVER: Development marina shelved - Controversial plans for a large marina and residential development along the Adams River at the mouth of the world-famous salmon-spawning habitat have been...

April 23, 2008
Home debt lasts a lifetime - First-time homebuyers are using 40-year mortgages and low or no down payments to cope with soaring home-ownership costs in B.C., said a report released yesterday by real-estate...

April 23, 2008
Rate cuts herald deeper financial downturn - Canadian banks cut interest rates dramatically yesterday after the Bank of Canada slashed its main rate by half a percentage point and warned that a...

April 23, 2008
ADAMS RIVER: Developer drops marina from controversial plans - Opponents of a controversial resort project are claiming victory after the revelation that plans for an expansive marina at the...

April 23, 2008
Stretched buyers fuel boom in housing - Canada may not have the sizable subprime market of the U.S., but the engine behind the country's housing boom has been increasingly leveraged first-time buyers....

April 24, 2008
Bargain homes in BC - The B.C. Northern Real Estate Board has a suggestion for Vancouver-area homeowners staggering under gut-busting mortgages. Buy a detached house in Kitimat. The community at the head of...

April 24, 2008
Salmon Arm, Shuswap home prices compared to Vancouver Island - Single family residence March 2008 average price (*median price) for Vancouver Island communities are comparable or less than...

April 25, 2008
ECO: Better alternatives exist than vinyl - The other day I came across a plastic house. Not the futuristic World's Fair variety -- this was just an ordinary old house that had been...

April 25, 2008
Salmon Arm home for sale - Spacious 3,670 sf one year old just listed. Built in 2007. Gracious level entry with full walk-out basement. Three bedrooms, den, 2 full baths, laundry room, great room (open...

April 26, 2008
ECO: Spring cleaning your green garage - GARAGE SAFETY If you have to keep hazardous materials in the garage, follow these rules: - Store products in original containers with their labels -...

April 26, 2008
ECO:Furnishings - You've upgraded the windows, super-insulated the attic, scrapped the old bar fridge. What's next on your green list? If your bank account is flush, it's eco-furnishings. The market is...

April 26, 2008
Real estate 15 myths and realities - Spring has sprung and Lower Mainland residents' fancy has turned to real estate. Is it time to buy or time to sell? What room should you renovate? What needs to be...

April 26, 2008
Real estate 15 myths and realities: the List - 1. Albertans are buying up B.C's recreational property. Reality While 94 per cent of all property sales in 2007 involved British Columbians...

April 27, 2008
STRATA: Contingency reserve fund - Dear Condo Smarts: My boyfriend and I have been looking around for an older, affordable condo that will be our first home purchase. We've had several potential...

April 28, 2008
Interest rates - ....."Renewing my mortgage and comparing all of the various options I can find. After the Bank of Canada lowered its trend-setting rate, why didn't the mortgage rates come down as well?...

April 29, 2008
Good housing signs - The U.S. housing industry is showing signs of improvement, easing concern about the biggest threat to the economy, said Robert Steel, the U.S. Treasury's undersecretary for domestic finance....

April 29, 2008
Mortgages move into unchartered waters - Liberalization of the Canadian mortgage-insurance market and the advent of 40-year amortizations are driving the housing market into "uncharted...

May 1, 2008
BC real estate weak spots - The city of Prince George, in the grips of a forestry downturn, was the weak spot in a major realtor's semi-annual survey of real estate prices. Century 21's 2008 spring...

May 1, 2008
Salmon Arm - The lumber market collapse claimed another company Wednesday when a major manufacturer of high-tech sawmilling equipment for the Interior forest industry went under court-ordered creditor protection....

May 1, 2008
RENOVATIONS: look at warm colours and natural materials - The stainless steel revolution of the early 90s led to a move away from white or black kitchen appliances to stainless steel,...

May 1, 2008
Buy real estate - Received tons of email...Not - all favorable. Some people wish to bet me money - some a case of beer, that real estate is going to go down...just wait and see. Likely they are all the people who...

May 1, 2008
House prices stay robust - A few neighbourhoods across B.C. number among Canada's strongest housing markets, according to a new Century 21 survey. The spring survey released yesterday pinpoints...

May 1, 2008
Salmnn Arm, Shuswap area market activity - 2008 real estate sale activity of Salmon Arm, Shuswap area single family homes is less each month compared to same months in 2007. Take a look: Shuswap...

May 1, 2008
Home prices soar - Saskatchewan has the hottest neighbourhoods in Canada when it comes to house price increases. A national spring survey conducted by broker Century 21 Canada shows that several areas in...

May 2, 2008
Shuswap area, Salmon Arm market activity - Some pockets of the Shuswap area, Salmon Arm are sheltered in their own hothouse micro-climates, others are seeing tepid price increases or — in some cases...

May 5, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate - You have passed through Salmon Arm* many times over the years. You always have enjoyed driving into the small city noticing its pleasant setting along Shuswap Lake. Now you are...

May 6, 2008
Shuswap area: what real estate is selling & what's not - Shuswap area real estate April 2008 sale activity is down 41% compared to same month last year; -YTD 34%. Take a closer peak at what...

May 7, 2008
RENOVATIONS: and your insurance broker - Canadians are forgetting to tell their insurance companies when renovating their homes, a new survey suggests. About 40 per cent of Canadians renovated their...

May 7, 2008
Construction activity slowing down - Construction intentions in British Columbia declined over the first-quarter of 2008 with builders taking out $230 million less in building permits, a drop of more...

May 7, 2008
BC homes sales forecast to decline - BC home sales are forecast to decline almost 10 per cent this year, and decline a further two per cent in 2009, according to the British Columbia Real Estate...

May 7, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate: what is selling and what's not - 37.5% decrease in Salmon Arm real estate sale activity for April this year compared to same month in 2007; -29% YTD in contrast to 2007....

May 7, 2008
Home sales loose some sizzle - For six years B.C.'s residential real-estate market has been sizzling hot for sellers, but a dip in demand has created balance between supply and demand and buyers and...

May 8, 2008
RENOVATIONS: Homeowner beware - B.C.'s home-renovation business is going strong this year -- and that means the home-reno ripoff business is going strong. Homeowners who deal in the cash-only...

May 8, 2008
Canadians more interested than ever in buying a condo - Condos are increasingly becoming urban Canadians' residence of choice, as the lure of low maintenance and affordability boosts the number...

May 8, 2008
Real estate activity, Salmon Arm, Shuswap area in contrast to Greater Vancouver - Each month of this year Salmon Arm, Shuswap area has experienced an increase in new single family...

May 8, 2008
Why I will always buy real estate - The new consumer is you and I. How everyone can be motivated is what has to be analyzed. Because that analysis is what will tell us how the new consumer is likely to...

May 9, 2008
Construction expected to continue its boom in BC - Signs of an extension to B.C.'s construction boom continue to mount, even though first-quarter building permits have waned. Canada Mortgage...

May 9, 2008
Housing growth to wane - could see shift to Buyer's market - The heat draining out of Canada's housing landscape is expected to continue for the remainder of this decade, with growth in...

May 10, 2008
Housing market cooling not crashing - The week was full of indications that the Canadian housing boom has truly come to an end, but also replete with assurances from analysts that the slowing activity is...

May 10, 2008
Shuswap area real estate activity - Shuswap area listings are up 83.19% and sales down -39.77% this past April in contrast to same month last year. Listing sales increased 21.18% in April compared to...

May 11, 2008
STRATA: Bare-land strata and a building-type strata - In basic terms, there is no operational difference between a bare-land strata and a building-type strata, commonly referred to as townhouses...

May 11, 2008
Housing dreams clash with realities - We look at the choices and compromises people must make in order to own a home today. It is increasingly common to see children raised in condos, married couples...

May 11, 2008
What $750,000 will buy you in Salmon Arm and across North America - Salmon Arm April 2008 median price for a single family residence is $398,450 according to the Okanagan Mainline Real...

May 12, 2008
Salmon Arm, Shuswap area recreatonal properties: lenders are making it easier to buy - Taking on a second mortgage is not a step most homeowners take lightly. But with more...

May 13, 2008
Moderate rise in home prices - The price of new homes in Vancouver edged up 0.6 per cent between February and March -- slightly ahead of the national pace, Statistics Canada says. On a year-over-year...

May 13, 2008
Canadian new prices slow in March - Prices for new homes in Canada edged up just 0.2% in March, Statistics Canada said yesterday, as a weakening Alberta market tempered strong growth in other parts of...

May 15, 2008
RENOVATIONS: consider the needs of your home - Before making firm plans to put in a new kitchen or add the sunroom you have always dreamed of, it's a good idea to take a close look at the condition...

May 15, 2008
Record number of homes for sale - There were a record number of homes for sale last month, resulting in the smallest year-to-year gain in prices in more than six years, the real-estate industry reported...

May 15, 2008
Red hot housing market loses its heat - As a flood of sellers sent home listings to their highest level on record last month, at the same time sales slowed as wary buyers remained on the sidelines....

May 16, 2008
ADAMS RIVER: development turned down - Regional politicians on Thursday turned down three Shuswap Lake developments worth more than $100 million, including an already-built $20-million project. There...

May 16, 2008
Housing market cools but major meltdown not expected - The housing market is cooling, the only question is by how much, according to government and private-sector forecasts released Thursday....

May 17, 2008
ADAMS RIVER: homes can be built despite rezoning denial - Developer Mike Rink dismissed speculation Friday he is stuck with about $20 million worth of Shuswap Lake housing he cannot sell....

May 17, 2008
Resilient Canada safe from US-like crisis - It's difficult to imagine what lenders and brokers were thinking when they dreamed up the shaky mortgage products that set off the U.S. housing meltdown....

May 18, 2008
STRATA: unit owner's insurance policy is smart protection - Dear Condo Smarts: In recent years our strata building has suffered a number of water leaks. Bottom line: The owners are not willing...

May 20, 2008
North American and Internation economic highlights - What can we learn from the most recent numbers coming from the US? From the housing starts statistics we learn that housing starts of...

May 21, 2008
Interest rate cut imminent - The Bank of Canada will have to cut interest rates further than expected to cushion the economy against a deepening slump in its key export market and to rein in a currency that...

May 22, 2008
Balanced view of real estate market - Canadians overall have not changed their opinions about the housing market. They are knowledgeable, but not influenced by the speculation that the Canadian economy...

May 22, 2008
Timing wins over location - In my 1999 book Forget About Location, Location, Location, I argued that we are too enamoured with that time-worn phrase. Imagine, I said, that you bought a single family house in...

May 22, 2008
Ways to pass the cottage to the kids - If I could change anything about statutory holidays I would make it so that, on Groundhog Day, if you were to see your shadow, you'd be entitled to a long weekend...

May 22, 2008
Vacation homes in the sunbelt - Faced with seven months of winter each year, buying a property in the southern U.S. has always been an alluring notion for Canadians. It's even more enticing when you do the...

May 22, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate - Salmon Arm real estate market is softening not unlike most other communities across BC and Canada. What does this mean? More homes for sale and less sale acitivity. For Buyers it is...

May 23, 2008
Boomers lead pack in residential housing - People have been cashing out of the Lower Mainland and seeking the good life on Vancouver Island, the Okanagan or the Sunshine Coast for decades. The trend...

May 23, 2008
Housing market slowing down - Canada's long-running housing boom has ended, with the formerly bubbling markets of Calgary and Edmonton already having gone from hot to not, and with the current hot spots of...

May 24, 2008
The era of making homes perfect not homely - When, exactly, did we decide our worlds had to be perfectly designed? Why this craving for brushed steel double-doored refrigerators with matching...

May 24, 2008
Land prices outstrip the economics of farming - The story of Aldergrove farmer Ravi Cheema's home property -- 20 acres of blueberries surrounding a tidy two-storey home, a shop and outbuildings --...

May 24, 2008
Want to own a marina? Now's your chance - Want a good deal on a marina? Now could be the time, with the "for sale" list stretching from the southern Gulf Islands to fishing resorts up the...

May 24, 2008
Record number of residential listings - The number of new listings of homes for sale on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) of real estate boards in Canada reached its highest level ever in April...

May 25, 2008
STRATA: Rental pool property - A rental pool in definition implies that all the expenses are applied to all the revenues of every unit in the pool. Then the funds are distributed to the rental-pool...

May 25, 2008
RENOVATIONS: Avoid home reno disaster - Here's some fail-safe advice for smart homeowners who want to do a renovation fast and cheap. Strike a verbal deal with the lowest-cost builder who comes...

May 25, 2008
RENOVATIONS: Popular 2007 renos - Homeowner households in the Vancouver area expect to pour an average of $14,000 into renovations in 2008 -- the country's second highest reno budget following Toronto's,...

May 25, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate - Salmon Arm real estate offers an attractive, contemporary style family home for sale the community's new family subdivision of Lakeside Meadows. One year old home has lots of...

May 26, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate - Salmon Arm real estate offers a desireable level entry home with fully finished walk-out basement is offered for $479,000. One year old. Spacious entrance foyer open to a "great...

May 27, 2008
BC's high cost of housing - While British Columbia's economy has boomed, a growing minority of its young residents have come to expect they'll have to move away to start lives on their own, according to a...

May 27, 2008
Western and Atlantic Canada real estate markets - Western prosperity is helping boost prospects for Atlantic Canada's real estate markets, a major national realtor reported Monday. Re/Max, in...

May 27, 2008
Pay down your mortgage - If you bought a home in the past while, there's a no-brainer answer to the question of what to do with this year's tax refund. Pay down your mortgage. It's the smart move at a time...

May 27, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate - Salmon Arm real estate offers for sale a gracious level entry home with 1755 sf on the main with a almost fully finished walkout basement, 1422 sf finished + 360 sf unfinished. 3177...

May 28, 2008
Housing boom comes to rural prairie province - For decades, generations even, rural Saskatchewan has been emptying out. There have been a few notable exceptions, but up until the past couple of...

May 28, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate - Salmon Arm real estate offers a contemporary style family home originally priced at $489,900 a month ago and JUST ADJUSTED to $469,900. It is found in the community's new family...

May 29, 2008
Canadian considering Florida vacation rental purchase - Buying real estate in Florida by Canadians is tricky, since full-time residents are treated differently than vacationers, according to the...

May 29, 2008
Canadian considering Scottsdale vacation home purchase - We are thinking of buying a vacation home in Scottsdale and rent it out until we retire in 7 years. The prices have come down and the...

May 30, 2008
Investors cool to apartment market - Sales of rental apartment buildings have plummeted in the Lower Mainland this year, but not their price tags. Commercial realtor CB Richard Ellis counted 24...

June 1, 2008
STRATA: "Grandfathering" - There is a common misunderstanding that grandfathering exempts an owner from the new bylaw for as long as they own their suite. However, that is not the intent of the Act. The...

June 1, 2008
Staged home easier to sell - “All the world’s a stage,” Shakespeare once wisely mused, and that timeless maxim applies especially when it comes to homes for sale. According to statistics compiled by...

June 2, 2008
Homeowners paying for pricier homes - Mario Tomsich is one of thousands of single-family Vancouver homeowners whose property taxes have surged an average of 14.2 per cent, seven times the rate of...

June 3, 2008
Housing starts up, but sales have softened - B.C. has recorded Canada's biggest increases in residential construction investment this year despite indications that home sales are levelling off....

June 3, 2008
BC leads the way in residential investment - B.C. posted Canada's largest increase in residential-construction investment between the first quarter of 2008 and the same period a year earlier,...

June 3, 2008
BC market outlook strong for "homes away-from-home" - Self-contained suites, condos and cabins are the fastest-growing accommodation choice for visitors to B.C. A study of short-term rentals...

June 4, 2008
Normal market conditions returning to real estate sales - Real estate sales in Greater Vancouver and in the Fraser Valley dipped more than 25 per cent in May compared to the same month a year...

June 5, 2008
How best to structure property sale to your kids - Some people inherit things the rest of us can only dream of. A friend of mine had a father who was a collector of all things weird. When his dad...

June 5, 2008
Boomers own more homes and owe more than ever - Baby boomers are bucking the tradition of Canadians paying off their mortgages by their 60th birthdays, instead finding themselves with two mortgages...

June 5, 2008
Single homeownership a trend - For Robert Lenarcic, the best and worst things about living alone are the same: no company. The Ottawa homeowner makes whatever social plans he wants and no one complains...

June 5, 2008
Homeownership highest since 1971 - The dream of home ownership is a reality for more Canadians than in a generation, but so is the increasingly sober reality of soaring debt levels. And we are...

June 5, 2008
Real estate is a hard asset and hard assets do well - Real estate is a hard asset and hard assets do well in inflationary periods. And we have been in highly inflationary periods for decades. We...

June 5, 2008
High real estate prices won't stop the buying - It may cost them a whopping chunk of income, but B.C. residents are more interested in buying real estate than renting someone else's, a Statistics...

June 6, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate - Salmon Arm real estate offers a selection of homes for sale. Best value for $449,000 is a level entry home with a fully finished walk-out basement. Only 1 year old. As soon as you...

June 8, 2008
Foreclosures heat as market cools - Lower Mainland foreclosures have doubled in the last two years as affordability has decreased along with the promise of quick profits. Kap Hiroti, who tracks Lower...

June 8, 2008
Shuswap area, Salmon Arm, Blind Bay and Sicamous real estate market - Getting mixed messages as to what is happening to the Shuswap area, Salmon Arm, Blind Bay and Sicamous real estate...

June 9, 2008
Interest rate cut anticipated - Canadian consumers and businesses should get another quarter-point injection of interest-rate relief this week. That assumes the Bank of Canada still sees the weakness in...

June 10, 2008
Salmon Arm, Shuswap area real estate - Salmon Arm, Shuswap area real estate home prices over the past few years have doubled. Thinking of a move to the area here are the real facts of year-to-date...

June 11, 2008
The pressure's off recreational property - The B.C. recreational property market has shifted to more balanced conditions, with fewer buyers creating less upward pressure on prices, according to a...

June 11, 2008
Cottage properties market sees surge in listings - Cabin fever has roiled the recreational property market for years, but it is finally returning to more balanced conditions as supply increases...

June 11, 2008
Modest increase foreseen for interest rates - Canadians should be prepared for a modest hike in mortgage rates as the Bank of Canada turns its attention away from stimulating the economy and toward...

June 11, 2008
Shuswap, Salmon Arm, Sicamous and Blind Bay home prices - Review of home prices over the years of the Shuswap, Salmon Arm, Sicamous and Blind Bay realized significant gains in recent years....

June 12, 2008
New home prices weaken - Prices for new homes in Canada rose by 5.2 per cent in April from a year earlier, the slowest pace in more than two and a half years as a weakening Alberta market continued to pull...

June 12, 2008
Growing supply helps stablize market conditions - The Greater Vancouver housing market continued its re-balance between sales and listings last month. The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver...

June 12, 2008
Housing prices still rising - Prices for new homes in B.C. rose by about five per cent in April from a year earlier -- almost on par with the national average, Statistics Canada says. Vancouver saw...

June 12, 2008
Average new home prices weaken - Prices for new homes in Canada rose by 5.2% in April from a year earlier, the slowest pace in more than 2½ years as a weakening Alberta market continued to pull down the...

June 12, 2008
New home price surges cooling - Prices for new homes increased just 5.2 per cent in April from a year earlier, marking the slowest pace in more than 2½ years, according to Statistics Canada. It was the...

June 13, 2008
Mortgage rates start to increase - Mortgage rates are rising, a trend that's likely to continue as the Bank of Canada shifts its focus from stimulating the economy to taming inflation. A five-year...

June 14, 2008
Resale housing listings jump, but sales, prices cool - A fresh flood of homes on the market sent resale listings to their second consecutive record level in May, while sales activity and price...

June 15, 2008
Prices keep climbing, but resale home market cools off - Canada's residential resale market cooled slightly in May, and while house prices continued to climb they did so at a more moderate...

June 16, 2008
No "ninga" mortgages, but Canada gets more options - It's difficult to imagine what lenders and brokers were thinking when they dreamed up the shaky mortgage products that set off the U.S....

June 16, 2008
Mortgage professionals in the Shuswap, Salmon Arm area - Shuswap, Salmon Arm financing professionals who work exclusively with mortgage customers...from the first time home buyer to the...

June 17, 2008
Mortgage rates have soared - Even the big boys are stumped by the question of what to do about mortgage rates right now. Fixed-rate mortgages at the big banks soared late last week by as much as 0.85 of a...

June 17, 2008
BC housing sales slow - Potential homebuyers are becoming worn down by rising fuel and food prices, wary about economic uncertainty, and less flush with equity to take on second-home purchases, the B.C. Real...

June 18, 2008
BC housing market - News that housing sales in British Columbia are slowing down should not come as a surprise. For the past six years there's been a remarkable boom in the residential real estate market....

June 20, 2008
ECO: Bathrooms - Homeowners can save significant money by conserving water in their bathrooms with these easy, energy-saving tips: Take shorter showers. By cutting shower time from ten minutes to five, based...

June 21, 2008
BC housing sales slow - British Columbia Real Estate Association… reports residential sales dollar volume on the Multiple Listing Service in B.C. declined 27 per cent to $3.85 billion in May, compared to May...

June 21, 2008
Okanagan real estate was as hot as a forest fire but appears expectations may have to be adjusted - ‘‘I would say to the premier, it’s just about time to look at more...

June 23, 2008
Home ownership structure is critical - An increasing number of young people are entering the housing market by buying jointly with a friend or relative. Families banding together to buy a cottage or...

June 23, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate - Affordable Salmon Arm real estate "$53,500". All furnishings included. Mindless move for the right Buyer. 720 sf single wide mobile home with two bedrooms, 1 bath being...

June 24, 2008
BC homeowners urged to check their property title - British Columbia homeowners are being warned to check their property title to ensure their property hasn't been transferred to con artists who...

June 27, 2008
Growth, sales slow for recreational properties - British Columbia's recreational property markets, mirroring primary-residence markets, are experiencing moderation with fewer sales, more listings...

June 28, 2008
BC real estate market correction - Real estate sales are down in the provincial capital. The number of sales and the total value are lower, and the real estate industry is seeing signs that Victoria's...

June 29, 2008
Once sizzling BC home prices cooling - After years of listening to customers vent about soaring housing prices, says North Vancouver realtor Jackie Reid, it's nice to see a return to days where buyers...

June 30, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate - Searching for affordable Salmon Arm real estate. Take a look at this half acre parcel in Salmon Arm's desireable South Canoe location. One level three bedroom, one bath spacious home...

July 4, 2008
BC real estate prices eases - Lower Mainland house hunters are now in a buyer's market with prices that have eased slightly off of earlier-year highs, according to the latest report from the Real Estate...

July 6, 2008
Shuswap real estate - Compared to the past three years, 2008 Shuswap real estate, that is Shuswap properties for sale has increased substantially. As a result, prices have adjusted over the past six months....

July 7, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate - Return to more normal real conditions is real in Salmon Arm. Amount of active single family residential listings are up, at least double and sale activity down. Take a look at...

July 8, 2008
Sicamous real estate - Not unlike other areas of the Shuswap, Sicamous real estate this year is experiencing a increase of homes for sale and reduced sale activity in contrast to last year. Take a look at the...

July 9, 2008
Mortgage rules tighten to avoid "bubble" - The federal government is cracking down on the mortgage industry in a move that could help protect against a U.S.-style housing bubble, but will also make it...

July 10, 2008
Surge in home sales? - The real estate industry is bracing for a surge in home purchases, betting buyers will rush to get ahead of tighter federal government standards for the mortgage industry. The Finance...

July 10, 2008
Real estate and new mortage rules - Government aims to avoid housing meltdown like the one that hit U.S. The federal government will no longer guarantee 40-year or zero-down mortgages in an effort to...

July 10, 2008
Shuswap, Salmon Arm area mortgage lenders - Local Shuswap, Salmon Arm area mortgage lenders who always continue to provide creative and aggressive solutions to better serve financing needs include:...

July 10, 2008
Detached homes lead decline in housing starts - Provincial housing starts dropped almost 11 per cent in June from the same month last year, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. reported Wednesday....

July 10, 2008
House inspection - Make sure the real estate purchase contract includes an inspection clause. Typically, contracts allow home-buyers seven or so days after signing to have the property inspected. But that's not...

July 10, 2008
Salmon Arm, Shuswap area home and property inspectors - To narrow down the list of Salmon Arm, Shuswap area home and property inspectors check out which house inspectors make the time and...

July 10, 2008
New government rules put a crimp on mortgage borrowing - The federal government has cracked down on the mortgage industry with new rules that will make it more difficult for consumers to...

July 10, 2008
Mortage rules revamped - The federal government says it will no longer guarantee 40-year mortgages, one of a handful of measures aimed at guarding against a U.S.-style housing bubble. The Finance Department...

July 11, 2008
Investment in homeownership is not for everyone - I feel for young people trying to get their toe in the door of today's overpriced housing market. But the feds are right to pull the plug by...

July 11, 2008
Housing market could turn ugly: economist - While Canada's housing market has so far avoided a meltdown such as has occurred in the U.S., the market here could turn ugly too as more houses are being...

July 11, 2008
Housing and trade vulnerable - Housing markets in most of the major industrial countries, and especially in the United States, are in a tailspin that will act as a drag on the global economy through next...

July 12, 2008
New home prices dropping as real estate market softens - Prices for new homes in Vancouver dipped slightly between April and May but still remain higher than a year ago, Statistics Canada...

July 12, 2008
Salmon Arm home prices - Salmon Arm is not unlike other areas of BC where builders and developers have to sharpen their pencils, as [resale] home sellers are doing, in order to have their product priced to...

July 15, 2008
First time buyers - Aspiring first-time home buyers, it's time to discover the lost art of saving up to buy a house. It'll be tough. You may not be able to get the house you want as quickly as you want. But in...

July 15, 2008
Bank of Canada expected to keep interest rates stable - Among metropolitan areas, 21 of 34 saw declines in the value of construction with the steepest being in Vancouver. A report by Reed...

July 15, 2008
Central bank expected to keep interest rates at standstill - The Bank of Canada faces a critical interest rate decision on today as concerns grow over the country's ability to avoid a major...

July 16, 2008
Central Bank holds course - The Canadian dollar soared back above parity with the U.S. currency yesterday and the stock market plunged after the Bank of Canada warned that inflation will rise a lot more than...

July 16, 2008
Home prices start to slide - Canadian home prices have started to fall for the first time this decade. The average selling price of a home in June was down 0.4 per cent from a year earlier to $341,096,...

July 16, 2008
Real estate markets have realigned - While British Columbia bucked a trend that saw Canadian home prices fall for the first time this decade, the province's real estate market is squarely in the buyer's...

July 16, 2008
BC housings sales slow - Potential homebuyers are becoming worn down by rising fuel and food prices, wary about economic uncertainty, and less flush with equity to take on second-home purchases, the B.C. Real...

July 17, 2008
Real estate: to sell/buy/rent OR not to sell/buy/rent? - Lots of questions in the last two weeks. I thank you and beg your indulgence. I am not directly answering any questions till the end of...

July 17, 2008
No housing bubble - Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty shrugged off housing worries in Canada Wednesday, saying there is no bubble and that the subprime-mortgage woes crippling financial institutions in the...

July 17, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate - Take a look at this Salmon Arm real estate: great family home in Salmon Arm's Sherwood Park! Tudor style home has large living areas on the main floor: kitchen, familyroom, open...

July 18, 2008
Market woes mean more renos - The slowdown of home sales in the real world has not hurt the growth of property-related programming. If anything, the housing slump has reduced the genre to two simple choices:...

July 18, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate - Seldom offered in Salmon Arm real estate is large acreage properties. Not unlike this home and 9.97 acre parcel has been lovingly enjoyed by the same family for 37 years. Though not...

July 19, 2008
Real estate market dipping in favour of Buyers - When Moshe Cohen-Ravid listed his west-side Vancouver house for sale a couple of months ago, more than 100 people viewed the property and seven even...

July 23, 2008
Home prices slip - Canadian home prices fell in June for the first time since January, 1999, as the number of houses for sale remained at record levels. The average price of an existing home fell 0.4 per cent...

July 23, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate - Salmon Arm real estate offers great choices. One of these is a one year old Lakeview Meadows home. Both levels have 9 ft high ceiling, open, large living spaces. 4 bdrms up (plus...

July 24, 2008
Finding the right tenant - Every landlord wants to find the ideal tenant -- the person who always pays rent on time, never disturbs others, doesn't complain or cause conflicts and keeps the premises in better...

July 25, 2008
What renovations have the biggest payback? - "Amid today's competitive real estate market, renovations offer a relatively affordable means to boost the value of a home. There are some...

July 25, 2008
ECO: Technology makes green innovations in the home - A decade of quantum technological leaps means today's designers have in their hands a virtually bottomless toy box of new materials and...

July 26, 2008
Pitfalls of rental properties - Buying rental property in a down market can be a lucrative investment. But before you jump in, consider these tips from Consumer Reports: - Location, location, location takes...

July 29, 2008
Listings up, sales down, in first half of 2008 - Canada's red-hot housing market cooled considerably in the first half of this year, with sales recorded by the Canadian Real Estate Association...

July 29, 2008
Housing slowdown spreads across Canada - First it was Canada's top 25 markets that were feeling that pain from a slowdown in housing. Now it's clear the malaise has hit the entire country. Two weeks...

August 2, 2008
Time to plunge into US housing market? - Just four years ago, with the Canadian dollar at a lowly 85 cents against the American dollar, Canadians winced at even shopping across the border. But with...

August 5, 2008
ECO: Kitchen - A little butter with your kitchen cabinets? The ingredient lists of a growing number of engineered sheet lumber materials, including medium density fibreboard and oriented strand board, seem to read...

August 5, 2008
BC Agricultural Land Reserve - British Columbia's Agricultural Land Reserve experienced its biggest net loss of land in the last 10 years in 2007, with property carved off to satisfy needs for industrial...

August 6, 2008
Red hot real estate market cooling - Slowing sales and rising inventory in Greater Victoria last month suggest the once red-hot real-estate market is cooling. At this time last year, the market was...

August 6, 2008
Real estate prices fall as home sales cool - Real-estate prices in Greater Vancouver are dropping and the number of listings is increasing, the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver said yesterday....

August 6, 2008
Real estate price for all properties have dipped - Month-over-month declines in real estate prices across many Lower Mainland property markets are another sign the overall market cycle has run its...

August 6, 2008
Salmon residential sale activity - Salmon Arm real estate market activity overall is back to normal in contrast to 2005-2007 which realized phenomenal double digit value increases each year for all types...

August 8, 2008
Housing market sputtering - Real estate agents are often accused of being congenital optimists. In the case of Dave Watt, that looks to be literally true. Mr. Watt's grandparents got into the real estate...

August 8, 2008
Housing market exits the boom phase - As Canada's housing market shows fresh signs it has exited the boom phase, Merrill Lynch economists are cautioning homeowners to expect a “sustained downturn” in...

August 8, 2008
Sustained downtown in housing market prices - As Canada's housing market shows fresh signs it has exited the boom phase, Merrill Lynch economists are cautioning homeowners to expect a “sustained...

August 8, 2008
Housing market - An outright decline in commodity prices could spell disaster for Canada's housing market, which already appears to have entered a "sustained downturn," David Wolf, an economist at...

August 8, 2008
Residential construction slowing - It is a story of a slowing in residential construction planning compared with 2007, and also reflects how the industry overheated last year. The value of building...

August 9, 2008
Real estate market future - The future of the real estate market -- that was, until spring, on what seemed like an endless trajectory beyond the stratosphere -- is this month's subject for ponder. Just as...

August 12, 2008
Housing market continuing to cool - A little more steam seeped out of the Canadian housing market last month, adding to evidence that the nation's economic boilers are continuing to cool. Figures from...

August 12, 2008
Should you buy that house? Don't sleep on it! - Don't just blink, think. That's the message of a new study that challenges the wisdom of snap decisions and the power of "unconscious...

August 12, 2008
Housing starts fall again - New-home construction, fuelled by a major drop in Ontario, continued to decline last month, confounding economists who now say the housing market is falling faster than expected....

August 12, 2008
Value of new homes edges up - The value of new homes in Canada barely grew in June, with many regions posting annual declines once adjusted for inflation, new figures show. But despite forecasts for more...

August 12, 2008
ECO: Carbon neutral construction - British Columbia is escalating its war on greenhouse gases, examining a measure that will require some new buildings to be carbon neutral as early as 2016 - and every...

August 13, 2008
Residential construction staying robust - The Lower Mainland homebuilding industry has taken heart from new figures showing the pace of residential construction staying robust so far this year....

August 14, 2008
Getting that house ready for the market - Here are some helpful tips to help you get your house ready for the market….. 1.) Think of your home as a product and merchandise it. 2.) Pay attention...

August 15, 2008
Real estate market ups & downs - There were few exceptions in the cooling of Canadian housing markets in July, the Canadian Real Estate Association reported Thursday, with its major markets showing an...

August 15, 2008
Real estate market doing fast fade - The Canadian housing market got another dose of bad news with new statistics showing home prices are falling fast, led by a pullback in Alberta. The Canada Real...

August 15, 2008
Housing market fuels concern - Ontario will likely follow major cities in Western Canada into a decline in house prices, and while its slide should be shallower it will be more worrisome due to the...

August 16, 2008
Housing market slowing down, not collapsing - Ever since last year, forecasters have been predicting that Canada's hot housing market was about to slow to a much more sedate pace. Well, it's...

August 16, 2008
Cautious real estate consumers - Cautious consumers across the province caused real estate sales to drop to their lowest level in July since the start of the decade, the B.C. Real Estate Association...

August 17, 2008
Weaker demand puts pressure on home prices - Home sales in B.C. have slowed to a pace unseen since the decade started, the B.C. Real Estate Association says Residential sales volume on the...

August 19, 2008
Household debt on the rise - The debt of Canadian households is now rising faster than their wealth in the wake of the stock-market correction and a housing-market slowdown, a major financial institution...

August 19, 2008
Housing market cooling - Housing-sector misery will continue for sometime in the U.S., while the Canadian market is showing signs of a cool-down, according to the Scotia Economics real estate trends report...

August 19, 2008
Salmon Arm, Shuswap homes sales down not unlike other areas across Canada - A report this week from the Canadian Real Estate Association found that July home sales in Canada's major...

August 19, 2008
Salmon Arm, Blind Bay/Eagle Bay, Sicamous, Shuswap area homes sales activity not unlike other major markets - A report this week from the Canadian Real Estate...

August 21, 2008
Good news in declining housing market - There is some good news in the declining housing market: Affordability is improving. Desjardins Economic Studies says that after eight years of rising prices,...

August 21, 2008
Weakness in economy helps homebuyers - The Canadian economy may have escaped a recession so far but it exited the spring and entered the summer with a whimper not a bang, the latest reports on consumer...

August 21, 2008
Salmon Arm home offers excellent value - 2007 custom built home with an attractive main floor open plan: spacious entrance foyer, huge livingroom, large bright kitchen, stunning diningroom adjacent to...

August 21, 2008
Housing grows cheaper - There is some good news in the declining housing market: Affordability is improving. Desjardins Economic Studies says that after eight years of rising prices, housing costs are going...

August 22, 2008
Salmon Arm home at a very affordable price - $359,000 for this Salmon Arm home on a quiet avenue close to schools and townsite! Has great street appeal and a drive-by gives you a sense that the home...

August 23, 2008
Salmon Arm home is a great opportunity - This Salmon Arm home is a great opportunity for someone who looks beyond the cover so-to-speak. Super price of $359,000 gives you large family home: 1216 sf...

August 26, 2008
Real estate agents get personal - Real estate agents are going to get to know their customers that much better thanks to new federal laws and regulations dealing with money laundering and anti-terrorist...

August 26, 2008
Home buyer tips - Buying a home for the first time need not be a daunting task. While the risk and commitment are real considerations, the leap is manageable. Here are some tips to keep in mind from B.C. Real...

August 27, 2008
Interest rate may fall - The Bank of Canada has set the stage to cut interest rates this fall, analysts said yesterday, after it suggested economic growth in Canada has fallen below expectations. Evidence...

September 4, 2008
Home prices decline - The turn of the Lower Mainland real estate market's cycle has been more dramatic than expected, with real estate boards reporting another drop in sales and slide in prices at the end of...

September 4, 2008
Bank of Canada holds firm on interest rates - Bay Street stocks suffered another triple-digit loss but the dollar rebounded after the Bank of Canada decided against cutting interest rates on...

September 5, 2008
Buyers home market - It's a buyer's market in real estate around British Columbia, according to a new Landcor Data Corp. report, although company president Rudy Nielsen reckons buyers are just sitting on their...

September 6, 2008
ECO: Trim home energy costs - There are numerous ways smart consumers can save money on their energy costs, and the smartest choices can result in hundreds of dollars in annual savings. So says Consumer...

September 9, 2008
Homes prices to drop - With Metro Vancouver past the peak of its current real-estate market cycle, more discussion is emerging about what the cycle's downside will look like. The latest discussion points...

September 10, 2008
Time to rethink real estate - 'Real estate is always good, as far as I'm concerned," Donald Trump once said. "It's tangible, it's solid, it's beautiful. It's artistic, from my standpoint, and I...

September 10, 2008
Housing market defies slump predictions - Despite a lot of huffing and puffing, Canada's housing market seemingly refuses to be blown down by the slumping domestic economy. Housing construction...

September 10, 2008
Salmon Arm hobby farm - 9.97 acres with hay fields, orchard, pool, unique agricultural water license plus a private, charming 4 bdrm, 2 bath Edwardian-like 2,240 residence. Home recently updated but done to...

September 11, 2008
Getting the most out of tax deductions re real estate - Judge Denning of the British House of Lords said it, our own Judge Bora Laskin said it and US Judge Learned Hand said it a very long time...

September 11, 2008
Home buying costs guide - PROPERTY TRANSFER TAX When a residence is purchased a Property Transfer Tax (PTT) is applied. The tax is calculated at one per cent on the first $200,000 and two per cent on the...

September 11, 2008
Home buying guide - You've finally found the perfect home and are ready to make an offer. You and your REALTOR® will need to determine what price to offer and fill out a standard form called the Contract of...

September 12, 2008
House prices - Canadian housing prices need to fall nearly 10 per cent further to bring them back into line with incomes, a bank economist warned yesterday. And that assumes continued moderate growth in incomes,...

September 12, 2008
Salmon Arm waterfront real estate - You do not have to pay a million + for waterfront! Outstanding waterfront property in Salmon Arm city limits (serviced by city water and sewer). No need to spend an...

September 13, 2008
New homes sale listings - New homes sale listings in August suffered their second-largest monthly drop in 25 years on the Multiple Listing Service, the B.C. Real Estate Association said Friday. Association...

September 13, 2008
Opportunity beckons for home buyers - And now the news. You likely saw this banner screaming from the front page of The Vancouver Sun on Sept. 4 -- BUYERS SEE HOPE AS HOME PRICES DECLINE. Home sales...

September 13, 2008
Real estate among the rich - At first blush, the top end of British Columbia's real estate market seems to follow that old observation about the rich being different from the rest of us. Agents recorded...

September 13, 2008
Salmon Arm, Shuswap most expensive residential sales compared to the rest of BC - Year-to-date Salmon Arm, Shuswap most expensive residential sales include: 1. Tappen/Sunnybrae,...

September 15, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate - Overall ytd Salmon Arm residential real estate sale activity has been less each month compared to last year. August was an exception! August +7.14% July -31.25% Jun...

September 16, 2008
Real estate sales fall - The Canadian Real Estate Association on Monday reported declines in unit sales and prices for the housing market in August, with buyers taking a pass on the country's most expensive...

September 18, 2008
Mortgage rules change for potential home owners - Becoming a homeowner is an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming! There are professionals to consult, new information to learn and budgets...

September 19, 2008
Prediction Bank of Canada will cut interest rate - One of the leading economists on Bay Street predicted yesterday that the Bank of Canada will begin cutting interest rates next month or perhaps...

September 19, 2008
Home builders feeling pinch - Rising labour and material costs as well as a continued cooling in the housing sector will rip into profits of Canadian home builders for a second consecutive year, according to...

September 19, 2008
Salmon Arm home is outstanding value! - $429,000 (no gst) for a 1 year old home in Salmon Arm. This is an amazing price for this modern, bright, fantastic layout, custom-design 4 bedroom, 3 bath...

September 24, 2008
Canada could face housing woes - Merrill Lynch Canada Inc. is challenging the prevailing view that Canada's housing and mortgage markets are more stable than their U.S. counterparts, warning that...

September 25, 2008
Housing bubble - Canadian households are nearing the financial tipping point that Americans reached two years ago, which plunged their housing market into the deepest recession since the Great Depression, a senior...

September 25, 2008
Housing markets at risk - As home prices finally stop rising, the vulnerability of the housing market and overleveraged households could make Canada vulnerable to a U.S.-style crash, according to one of the...

September 26, 2008
Luxury home market defies residential trend - The market for high-end homes continues to be robust in most parts of British Columbia at a time when the housing market in general is slowing down. But...

September 26, 2008
Luxury market still hot - Luxury-home sales in Canada have been surprisingly strong given the uncertain economic climate and growing weakness in the general housing market, says a report released yesterday....

September 28, 2008
Mortgage rates climb - The housing market is cooling, the stock market is reeling and to top it all off, consumers are now facing rising mortgage rates. The increase means Canadian home owners are taking a...

September 30, 2008
Housing market could soften but not crash - A deep, protracted U.S. recession would drag Canada's housing market lower and push back its recovery, but would not spark a crash, a senior economist at...

September 30, 2008
Experts urge real estate buying for the long haul - The housing crisis has put the U. S. economy into a tailspin, but what about Canada's situation? Experts agree our conservatism has prevented a...

October 1, 2008
House prices still falling - The Canadian housing market is close to becoming a buyer's market for the first time in more than a decade, but it won't be a bust, according to a report by CIBC World Markets....

October 2, 2008
Canada housing susceptible to U.S. - style bust - The Canadian housing market could face a similar housing bust to the United States, particularly in more bubbly markets such as Vancouver and...

October 2, 2008
Housing bust looms - The Canadian housing market could face a housing bust similar to the United States', particularly in more bubbly markets like Vancouver and Calgary, said Robert Shiller, the Yale University...

October 3, 2008
Canada won't experience U.S.-style housing collapse - There was an awkward moment on the Business News Network the other day when an interviewer asked eminent Yale University economist Robert...

October 3, 2008
House prices slide - House prices, which began slipping in May, have now erased all gains made in the past year in most markets across the Lower Mainland, the region's real estate boards reported Thursday....

October 3, 2008
Bank of Canada predicted to lower rate - The Bank of Canada will cut its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point at each of its next meetings, scheduled for Oct. 21 and Dec. 9, said...

October 3, 2008
House prices drop - Detached homes and apartment prices in most Metro Vancouver municipalities have dipped below 2007 levels as inventories rise and sales fall. The benchmark price for a detached home in Metro...

October 3, 2008
Salmon Arm area real estate - Undulating 4.68 acres totally fenced only 22 km from Salmon Arm's townsite. The 1920's home was built by one of the original Finnish homesteaders to the White Lake area. The...

October 3, 2008
Where's the Trigger for a Canadian House Price Crash? - Every dollar drop in the value of Canadian real estate elevates the level of anxiety about a US-style housing meltdown in Canada. To be...

October 8, 2008
Homes over valued - Some Canadian homeowners should be prepared for a fall in housing prices, warns a study that estimates homes in most cities are overvalued, and by as much as 25%. With the exception of...

October 8, 2008
Major central banks slash rates in extraordinary move to ease crisis - Major central banks took the extraordinary step of deeply cutting interest rates in an emergency co-ordinated move...

October 8, 2008
Homes prices likely to drop - The economic downturn brought on by the crisis in global financial markets will likely send the average price of a home in Canada lower by another 5 to 10 per cent over the next...

October 8, 2008
Great real estate market in Salmon Arm - Yes Salmon Arm's real estate market has changed and yes Salmon Arm residential listings are higher and sales are down 30% as of the end of September 30, 2008....

October 11, 2008
Banks cut rates - Royal Bank of Canada's Barbara Stymiest paused at midday yesterday in the midst of explaining the balancing act that's required to fund a major financial institution during a credit crisis....

October 11, 2008
World's 10 best places to invest in real estate - With each passing day of bad market news, it's easy to see why there's so much skepticism about real estate investing. Despite banks' shareholders...

October 12, 2008
Housing prices continue to cool off - New housing prices continued to cool in August, posting no increase from July and leaving them just 2.3 per cent higher than a year earlier, down from 2.7 per cent a...

October 16, 2008
Average home prices drop - Falling sales and declining prices in British Columbia's high-priced Vancouver, Kelowna and Fraser Valley markets helped cut the national average home price by 6.2 per cent in...

October 16, 2008
Salmon Arm , Shuswap area real estate - Salmon Arm real estate trend is not unlike the rest of BC. Real estate prices in September slipped in most markets. Below are some examples, compared with the...

October 20, 2008
Interest rates are coming down - With the plunge in energy prices and a rapidly weakening economy, inflation shouldn't pose any obstacle to further interest-rate cuts this coming week, and for some time to...

October 22, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate: stunning executive home - Salmon Arm real estate offs a custom built executive home found in Salmon Arm's prestigious "Uplands" gated residential enclave. New...

October 22, 2008
Canadian real estate vulnerable - U.S. real estate markets will bottom out next year and then founder for much of 2010, negatively affecting Canadian markets along the way, an Urban Land Institute report...

October 23, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate: spacious family home - Found in Salmon Arm real estate today is a tudor style family home offered at $336,000. Outstanding address for kids to walk to schools only a couple...

October 24, 2008
Housing may dip until.... - Your home may still be your castle, but it's not worth what it was yesterday. The latest housing outlook from Central 1 Credit Union economist Helmut Pastrick will not please...

October 24, 2008
Housing market - British Columbia's housing market has plunged into its worst recession in a quarter century and is not expected to begin to recover until 2010, according to Central 1 Credit Union's B.C. region....

October 24, 2008
Canada's economy - Canada's economy is within spitting distance of a recession, with every single engine of activity either sputtering or stalling out completely, the Bank of Canada says. The country is...

October 27, 2008
BC real estate and personal bankruptcies - Dropping real estate values are sending more British Columbians into financial crisis and causing a spike in personal bankruptcies, according to professional...

October 27, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate: buy and sell with June Conway - Salmon Arm real estate selling pattern past couple of months has changed compared to previous months. Looking good! 2008 Residential...

October 28, 2008
Real estate market gets reality check - It seems like only yesterday the favourite parlour game of British Columbians was guessing the obscene sum of money the shack at the end of the block was going to...

October 28, 2008
Shuswap area real estate: caution re homes used for illegal drug trade - PART 2/2: Homes used to grow pot pose serious mould risk Houses that have been used as marijuana-growing...

October 28, 2008
Year-round recreation-based communities - Year-round recreation-based communities have started a slow but certain rise across Canada. And it's not just places for big-city folk to own a weekend getaway...

October 30, 2008
Home buying versus renovations - Home-buying intentions of Canadians have remained steady despite the financial-market turmoil and cooling of the housing market, according to results of a survey conducted...

October 30, 2008
British Columbia real estate - British Columbia real estate sales will fall substantially by the end of this year, but will stage a modest recovery in 2009, according to the latest forecast of the B.C. Real...

October 30, 2008
House listings begin to slow down - The supply side of the housing market is waking up to the reality of cooling demand, with resale listings easing and new home construction expected to fall by 16 per...

October 30, 2008
Residential homes sales will continue to slide - Residential sales will continue to slide this year, declining 28 per cent to only 73,700 units this year, according to the B.C. Real Estate...

October 30, 2008
Blind Bay real estate - Year-to-date (Jan 1-Oct 31) Blind Bay residential real estate sale activity down 38.46%. Single family residence average price down 11.89% and median price up 1.27%. Take a look at...

October 31, 2008
Real estate correction - The correction in Greater Vancouver and British Columbia real estate markets should be shallow, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., provided the province maintains...

October 31, 2008
Real estate market for first time home buyers - Sliding house prices in B.C. are filing the sharp edge off the market for first-time homebuyers, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says. B.C.'s...

October 31, 2008
Real estate market - In the midst of the economic storm, Bob Rennie is one cool real estate marketer. His message to consumers is the same he recently gave to his office staff — to calm down, withstand the...

November 1, 2008
Shuswap real estate - Year-to-date (Jan 1-Oct 31) Shuswap area* residential real estate sale activity down 32.69%. Single family residence average price down 1.35% and median price up 7.16%. Take a look at...

November 2, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate - Year-to-date (Jan 1-Oct 31) Salmon Arm residential real estate sale activity down 29.29%. Single family residence average price up 6.58% and median price up 7.25%. Take a look at...

November 4, 2008
Home equity takes a plunge - The decline of the Lower Mainland's real estate market continued in October with the fall in prices erasing any equity gains homeowners saw in the first part of 2008, the...

November 8, 2008
Signs point to end of housing down cycle - A U.S. economist said Monday the U.S. housing bust may be "closer to the end than the beginning." Forest economist Henry Spelter reported in a...

November 9, 2008
BC housing has been humbled - BC housing has been humbled, the forest industry battered and tourism besieged but B.C. is sitting relatively pretty, Scotiabank chief economist Warren Jestin says. B.C.,...

November 9, 2008
Slowdown in housing construction - More bad economic news -- a further slowdown in housing construction, falling factory shipments, and a shrinking trade surplus -- likely await Canadians in the coming...

November 9, 2008
Sign of housing-price stability bright spot - It is certain that U.S. gross domestic product will be down sharply in the fourth quarter, but hard-hit housing prices may start to stabilize in the...

November 9, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate - Salmon Arm real estate today has 220 homes to choose from! # of active listings in the price range..... 12 <$199,999 33 in the $200,000-299,999 64 in the $300,000-399,999 45...

November 10, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate - Salmon Arm real estate at this time offers 73 strata homes for sale. Strata can be a condominium, an apartment in a building (common party walls can be above, beside and/or below you)...

November 10, 2008
Price of new homes in Canada - The price of new homes in Canada increased by 2.1 per cent in September on a year-over-year basis, a slower pace than the 2.3 per cent advance in August but still slightly...

November 10, 2008
Housing sales to drop 12% this year, CREA forecasts - We might as well be in a recession because the current economic environment is having the same effect on the housing market, according to the...

November 11, 2008
Recession? Might as well be. - We might as well be in a recession because the current economic environment is having the same effect on the housing market, according to the Canadian Real Estate...

November 11, 2008
Homeowners reality - When Pat Webb moved to Vancouver a year ago, she didn't think twice about buying a condo in tony Kitsilano, among the hottest neighbourhoods in the city's booming real estate market. But...

November 11, 2008
Mortgages: No-money-down mortgages - The federal government officially closed the door on no-money-down mortgages Oct. 15, but exceptions remain that allow buyers to effectively finance 100 per cent of a...

November 11, 2008
Average house price to drop most in BC - B.C. will see the nation's steepest 2009 drop in the average residential home sales price, the Canadian Real Estate Association predicted Monday in its updated...

November 11, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate - Salmon Arm residential real estate selling activity overall has cooled compared to last year. As the year progressed each month showed less sale activity however there was a blip in...

November 11, 2008
Housing starts and new home prices - Housing starts and new home prices in Metro Vancouver are beginning to head south at a time when speculative activity in the market is declining significantly,...

November 12, 2008
Housing depreciation - Condo owners in downtown Vancouver are at greater risk for price depreciation than single-family homeowners in the suburbs, a BMO Capital Markets economic analyst said Tuesday....

November 12, 2008
Property Assessment Freeze - The province's plan to freeze property value assessments is sowing confusion while offering few benefits. The plan announced recently by Premier Gordon Campbell at the annual...

November 12, 2008
Housing market will bounce back - President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in his 1933 inaugural address, told a financially downtrodden America: "Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to...

November 12, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate offers choices - Residential real estate in Salmon Arm offers a good selection in most ranges. If you have an interest in Salmon Arm real estate this is a great time with 220...

November 13, 2008
BC Assessment Authority - BC Assessment Authority fixes assessments every year as of July 2nd. The 2008 Assessment you've received last January was based on values assessed July 2, 2007. BC's Premier has...

November 15, 2008
BC real estate - To ad lib a phrase, with apologies to T.S. Eliot, October has been the cruellest month for British Columbia real estate so far in 2008 with sales drying up in the face of brutal news in financial...

November 15, 2008
Housing slump deepens - In the six weeks since Vicky and Mike Plover put their Kelowna home up for sale, a healthy housing correction has morphed into the worst decline in a generation. Prices in the B.C....

November 16, 2008
Housing boon turning to bust - The Canadian economy has taken a sudden turn for the worse, with the housing boom finally turning to bust as sales of existing homes plunged 14 per cent to a six-year low...

November 17, 2008
STRATA: Councils and reserve funds - Owners of two B.C. condo complexes have lost substantial amounts from their reserve funds after making risky investments. The strata councils -- one in Vancouver...

November 18, 2008
MORTGAGE: Options for mortgage holders during conservative times - In today’s slower markets, anyone with variable income (some of your clients perhaps) should be aware of the options...

November 19, 2008
BC resigned to real estate price declines - British Columbians have largely resigned themselves to the reality of declining real estate prices, according to two new polls. And while they have come...

November 19, 2008
Canada's mortgage consumers remarkably positive - Canadians are still in a mood to mortgage. Nearly four in 10 still think that now is a good time to buy a house, even though the proportion who...

November 20, 2008
House prices - Canadian housing prices have not fallen nearly as steeply as conventional measures indicate, Toronto-Dominion Bank said Thursday. According to a new TD Home Price Index, which the bank unveiled...

November 21, 2008
Real estate prices expected to drop more - Canada's housing boom is over, but a growing body of forecasts is leaning to the downside of the real estate cycle being shallow rather than deep. The...

November 21, 2008
Housing boom isn't a bust - Canada's housing boom has ended, but the shift to a buyer's market is no reason for alarm, according to an analysis by one major bank yesterday. Another big bank contended that...

November 21, 2008
Bank calls slide in housing market overstated - Canada's housing boom has ended, but the shift to a buyer's market is no reason for alarm, according to an analysis by one major bank Thursday....

November 21, 2008
Bleak view on house prices - B.C. residents have Canada's bleakest expectations about the outlook for house prices, a new survey says. Forty-eight per cent of those surveyed in B.C. believe house prices...

November 22, 2008
MORTGAGE: Fixed or closed? - When it comes to ranking some of my biggest financial blunders, getting a fixed-rate mortgage when I purchased my first home is right near the top. "Don't lock in, mate,...

November 22, 2008
Declining residential real estate market but prices will not stay low for long - For every challenge there is an opportunity. If a vacation is in your plans, or you are considering...

November 22, 2008
End of housing boom isn't a bust - Canada's housing boom has ended, but the shift to a buyer's market is no reason for alarm, according to an analysis by one major bank yesterday. Another big bank...

November 23, 2008
MORTGAGE: Banking on interest cut - The steepest one-month drop in consumer prices in nearly half a century has opened the door to more interest rate cuts from the Bank of Canada to stimulate the...

November 26, 2008
Real estate window of opportunity narrows - Renowed investor Warren Buffet says "I've been waiting for this day for 10 years." What Buffet is referring to is the recent US real estate...

November 28, 2008
Salmon Arm average home prices compared to Whistler - Average prices for detached homes in Salmon Arm (Whistler) shows greatest average price increase in Salmon Arm was 2005 in contrast to 2004...

November 28, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate: average home prices - Not unlike the rest of the province and across Canada, Salmon Arm home sales are down, number of homes for sale are up, sales prices are less yet average...

November 29, 2008
BC to see steep house sales price drop in 2009 - B.C. will see the nation's steepest 2009 drop in the average residential home sales price, the Canadian Real Estate Association predicted Monday in...

December 2, 2008
House prices in BC will drop more than national average - Canada is in the grip of a recession that will see housing prices deflate about 10 per cent nationally and perh a p s u p to 20 p e r...

December 2, 2008
Salmon arm real estate: gracious custom built residence - Make Salmon Arm your retirement destination and enjoy all that the Shuswap, North Okanagan offers from your new home: elegant custom...

December 3, 2008
Sale activity drops - November blew a deepening chill into the Lower Mainland real-estate market, figures released yesterday show. Year-over-year home sales in Greater Vancouver plunged by 69.7 per cent in...

December 3, 2008
Real estate sales grind to a standstill - The correction in Lower Mainland real estate markets deepened in November, in another month of turbulent economic news that continued to hold buyers at bay....

December 3, 2008
Sharp drop in home sales - The housing market slowed dramatically in Greater Vancouver last month, with the number of existing homes sold falling by 70 per cent from the year before. Last month, 874 resale...

December 3, 2008
Salmon Arm real estate market realities not unlike the rest of BC - The correction in Salmon Arm residential real estate markets deepened in November. Various market analyst say...

December 3, 2008
Homebuilders sweeten deals - For every challenge there is an opportunity. If a vacation is in your plans, or you are considering purchasing a vehicle or home, there are some sweet deals out there. Because...

December 3, 2008
Real estate in 2009 - Real estate markets in 2009 will be mired in the economic slowdown and their performance will depend on how government stimulus affects consumer confidence, the realty firm Re/Max said...

December 4, 2008
Home sale stability to return in 2009 - Victoria and Montreal will share the dubious honour of posting the sharpest decline in home sales next year, at 11 per cent, a national real-estate firm predicts....

December 5, 2008
Residential building permits plunge - Home builder Norm Couttie is busy putting up 200 condo and townhouse units in four projects around the Lower Mainland right now, but isn’t so sure what 2009 will...

December 5, 2008
Making sense out of todays real estate market - In recent months, economists have had the unenviable task of trying to calculate the direction the housing market is likely to take, factoring in...

December 7, 2008
Sales to stabalize next year, prices to slip - Canadian home sales will stabilize in 2009 after a double- digit drop this year, while prices will edge down slightly following this year's...

December 9, 2008
INTEREST RATES: Interest rates are falling - The Bank of Canada is expected to slash its key interest rate today by 50 basis points to 1.75 per cent, the lowest since 1960, joining a chorus of...

December 9, 2008
Housing slump eases - Housing has become slightly more affordable in Metro Vancouver, according to the latest quarterly measure of banker RBC. Metro Vancouver has long been Canada's most expensive place to...

December 9, 2008
House prices starting to slide - Housing is starting to become more affordable across Canada, the country's largest bank said yesterday. RBC's third-quarter housing report was issued amid news from...

December 10, 2008
INTEREST RATES: Lowest in 50 years - Bay Street's profit margins are starting to come under pressure as official interest rates creep closer to zero, prompting retail banks to change the rules of the...

December 10, 2008
INTEREST RATES: More slashing likely - The Canadian economy is going down hard and so are interest rates, to their lowest levels in half a century, and for one key rate for consumers and businesses, the...

December 10, 2008
INTEREST RATES: bank slashes to 1958 level - (The Bank of Canada has joined the global campaign to prevent a broad recession from spiralling into an economic disaster, cutting interest rates to a...

December 12, 2008
New home prices slide nationally - Led by cooling markets in Alberta and British Columbia, national prices for new homes declined month-over-month in October for the first time in more than a decade,...

December 29, 2008
Rebound in 2009 - It may not feel this way for everyone but, by and large, Canadian families will finish 2008 in much better financial shape than families in many other parts of the world, including the United...

January 6, 2009
Real estate sales slide more than one-third in 2008 - Prices on the rise for seven years before peaking in first half of 2008, statistics show. Lower Mainland real estate markets got off to a...

January 7, 2009
Real estate downturn - Figures released by the Greater Vancouver and Fraser Valley real estate boards on Monday confirm what everyone knows: The housing market is in a slump. Sales dropped 35 per cent last...

January 7, 2009
Real estate downturn - Figures released by the Greater Vancouver and Fraser Valley real estate boards on Monday confirm what everyone knows: The housing market is in a slump. Sales dropped 35 per cent last...

January 7, 2009
Real estate downturn no big deal for homeowners - Prices may be down this year, but they're up over the past five Figures released by the Greater Vancouver and Fraser Valley real estate boards...

January 7, 2009
Home prices predictions: 9% drop in 2009 - Metro Vancouver's home prices rose the highest in Canada's property boom and will fall the furthest in its correction, real estate firm Royal LePage forecast...

January 9, 2009
RENOVATIONS: Having a style that suits your budget - OK, so our economic future is uncertain, energy costs keep rising and the credit card bills reflect all that holiday spending. Add to that the...

January 10, 2009
Fewer building starts take a bite out of construction employment - Figures released Friday showing lower housing starts, fewer building permit applications and job losses in construction...

January 12, 2009
Provincial real estate in 2008 - The decline in real estate markets wasn't just a Lower Mainland phenomenon in 2008 as the province as a whole saw sales drop by one-third, the British Columbia Real Estate...

January 12, 2009
Salmon Arm real estate: volume of residential activity - Volume of residential sale activity in Salmon Arm was down 31% in 2008 compared to 2007 but comparable to 2002 and stronger than each...

January 13, 2009
World's real estate rut - Shenzhen in Southern China has been a potent symbol of the country's rapid economic growth over the past three decades. Now it is also home to some of the sharpest effects of the...

January 13, 2009
Provincial real estate sales drop by a third in 2008 - British Columbia consumers started re-examining their priorities and pulling back on major purchases last March, just as home prices peaked...

January 13, 2009
Salmon Arm 2008 real estate and the rest of BC - Real estate prices were down across almost all of B.C. in December. Below are some of the figures, with their change from a year ago: B.C....

January 13, 2009
Many thanks for your readership re Shuswap Salmon Arm real estate - Interest in my homepage is strong by the evidence of your clicks. In a matter of days I will be caught up with real...

January 13, 2009
Your interest in my Salmon Arm Shuswap real estate info is evident! - Past month I have been vacationing and not unlike you like to be informed. In a matter of days I will be caught up...

January 15, 2009
Real estate industry seeks jumpstart - The real estate industry wants the federal government to bolster the housing market, as it bids goodbye to a bleak 2008 and braces for an even tougher year ahead....

January 15, 2009
Salmon Arm real estate - It’s true! The market has changed compared to 2007 but still better than the years before 2002. Yes, the 2008 trend of Salmon Arm availability of residential active listings was...

January 16, 2009
INTEREST RATES: Central Bank urged to cut rates - The Bank of Canada should cut interest rates to a record low next week to stimulate the economy, a panel of private-sector economists said Thursday...

January 17, 2009
MORTGAGES: get rid of the uncertainty of home ownership - The Canadian-mortgage drama needs a Greek chorus, those Athenians the ancient playwrights used to comment and explain and emend the...

January 17, 2009
Limited window of opportunity re today offers more affordable real estate and low mortgage rates - As a first-time homebuyer Cynthia Barros is excited about owning her own...

January 19, 2009
INTEREST RATES: lowering likely this week - Recession-wary consumers can probably expect a further cut in interest rates and news of another drop in the inflation rate this week, but with both at or...

January 21, 2009
INTEREST RATES: rate cuts - Canada's big banks, amid warnings of further economic deterioration and below-zero inflation, wasted little time yesterday in passing on the full measure of the latest...

January 22, 2009
In today's market making your home appealing to home buyers - I know Kevin in Hamilton, Ont. is not the only one gripped by indecision. He wrote to say he and his girlfriend are hoping to...

January 22, 2009
Salmon Arm Shuswap real estate - Shuswap Salmon Arm real estate oportunities exist like never before . Today we have lower interest rates, greater inventory levels, adjusted prices and the luxury of time...

January 23, 2009
BC ASSESSEMENTS: determine whether you should be appealing - Win, lose or draw? Until now, there was no way to figure out how this year's property assessment roulette will end when your tax...

January 23, 2009
Salmon Arm assessments: how you compare - The table on this page may be enough to let you figure out if you'll fare well or be hammered by the change to property assessment practices this year....

January 23, 2009
What is it - economic and phychological real estate market low point? - It may seem like a paradox, but while the cost of new condos continues to slowly tick upwards, the prices of...

January 23, 2009
New realities change the condoscape - Making New Year's predictions about the future of the housing market is always a mug's game. But I'll go out on a limb and suggest that 2009 will forever be known as...

January 23, 2009
RENOVATIONS: Back to basics in home style - With the housing market in a slump and the economy teetering on a recession, experts predict 2009 will be a year marked by cautious spending, with smaller...

January 24, 2009
ASSESSMENT: Should you appeal your property assessment in light of this year's "freeze"? - In a normal year, homeowners whose property went up in value faster than others in...

January 24, 2009
Home sweet spending - Typically, buying a home is just the first step in opening up the purse strings, albeit the biggest. Home buying generally generates a wave of activity as the new owners spend money on...

January 25, 2009
Real estate and consumer confidence - 'Now is time to buy undervalued property as financial blowout will be done by next September' The city's (Vancouver) most famous realtor is predicting that the...

January 26, 2009
Home prices, sales decline - The economic slump and a drop in consumer confidence caused house prices to dip during fourth quarter, according to the latest figures from Royal LePage. It says the real...

January 27, 2009
Real estate: flint flicker of optimism - On the eve of what might be the biggest-ever injection of fiscal stimulus into the Canadian economy, and amid projections of trillions of dollars worth of...

January 27, 2009
Planning to renovate or buy a home? - The federal budget offers several measures of interest to people who plan to renovate or buy a home. Here's how they could theoretically work in unison for a...

January 28, 2009
West coast cities on global most unaffordable list - The cost of buying a home in Canada contrasts significantly from coast to coast, with some of the world’s least affordable cities on the...

January 28, 2009
Affordable housing market - The Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey uses the "median multiple" (median house price divided by median household income) to assess housing...

January 28, 2009
Serverly unaffordable housing markets - The Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey uses the "median multiple" (median house price divided by median household income) to assess...

January 28, 2009
Real estate and Federal Budget announcement - The federal budget released yesterday contains a few items of interest to those in the residential construction industry. In summary, they are as...

January 28, 2009
Tax credit for home renovation - A tax credit for home renovations worth up to $1,350 included in Tuesday's federal budget is expected to be a boost to both British Columbia's residential construction...

January 28, 2009
The heart of the budget is at home - This federal budget is a study in home economics. Encourage people to spend money on fixing up or buying homes and you stimulate the economy. That's the theory...

January 28, 2009
Renovations seen as key to saving housing market - One of the showpieces of yesterday's budget is a new home-renovation credit program, which comes with an estimated price tag of $2.5-billion over...

January 29, 2009
World's least-affordable cities - The cost of buying a home in Canada contrasts significantly from coast to coast, with some of the world's least-affordable cities on the West Coast, while some markets in...

January 29, 2009
Salmon Arm, Shuswap real estate: affordable? - You've been thinking about purchasing Salmon Arm, Shuswap real estate this year but uncertain about what you are prepared to invest can buy you what...

January 30, 2009
Housing recovery - Home prices will drop at least 25% from 2008’ s high, economist predicts. Stock and house prices will continue to tumble, but a general recovery could be underway in the United States as...

February 2, 2009
Housing market in a deep freeze - Ward McAllister has been through five housing-market crashes since he finished university in 1982 and started working in development. But he and other B.C. developers have...

February 3, 2009
BC home prices - British Columbia is tipping into a recession that will see average house prices fall by 13 per cent this year, rather than the nine per cent initially forecast, the B. C. Real Estate Association...

February 4, 2009
Housing sales lowest since early 1980's - Real estate sales across the Lower Mainland crawled along in January, real estate boards reported Tuesday, with consumers reluctant to buy in recessionary...

February 4, 2009
Home sales drop lowest in three decades - Homes sales in Greater Vancouver hit their lowest point in nearly three decades last month. Home sales dropped by 58.1 per cent to 762, down from 1,819...

February 5, 2009
Home inspectors - It's been a long strange trip for British Columbia's trained and qualified home inspectors and the consumers who depend on them, but last week the B.C. government finally announced it will take...

February 6, 2009
Licensing of home inspectors welcomed - When Vancouver builder Phil Van Drunen went to give an estimate on a renovation this week, he says he couldn't believe the house had been inspected....

February 7, 2009
Federal budget a Pboost for new buyers - ''The best things in life are free. But you can keep 'em for the birds and bees. Now give me money, that's what I want, that's what I want.'' -- Berry Gordy,...

February 7, 2009
Real estate opportunities can disappear quickly - It is often said that the best lessons are learned during the toughest times. Well, during this, the fourth cyclical downtown in housing prices and...

February 8, 2009
RENOVATIONS: Paint gives best bang for the buck - Admit it. With holiday decorations long gone and daylight hours still too short, our houses feel dark and joyless. We're suffering from a bad case...

February 10, 2009
Forecasts home sales to drop - It is a sign of the times, but the few people interested in buying a home these days are refusing to do so unless they get some type of ironclad agreement that they can sell...

February 10, 2009
Housing starts halved - January saw Metro Vancouver builders start work on fewer than half the number of new homes they started in January 2008, a sign of things to come in 2009, according to Canada Mortgage...

February 10, 2009
Home sales forecast to slide back to 2000 levels - Housing sales this year are expected to drop back to 2000 levels, according to a new report from the Canadian Real Estate Association. The...

February 10, 2009
New year new home starts trend across BC - Most urban B.C. areas saw dramatic declines in new-home starts in January. Below are starts by census metropolitan area, with the change from the same month...

February 10, 2009
BC to take another big home sales hit - B.C. is expected to post the country's steepest drop in house sales in 2009, the Canadian Real Estate Association says. Home sales in B.C. will tumble 19.2 per...

February 11, 2009
Salmon Arm real estate - Affordable Salmon Arm real estate found in this convenient level entry two bedroom condominium that because of the lay of land, actually becomes a level above the landscape on the...

February 12, 2009
Salmon Arm real estate - Salmon Arm real estate new offering is a spacious two bedroom with work/hobbie nook and two full bathroom one level suite that opens onto an attractive south facing mountain view deck....

February 12, 2009
More people thinking about buying real estate - A growing number of British Columbians think this is a good time to buy a home, though most say it isn't a good time to sell, a new Ipsos Reid poll...

February 12, 2009
Housing prices in decline - Vancouver and Victoria posted year-over-year declines in new housing prices in December, marking their third-consecutive month of erosion. Prices in Vancouver dropped 2.3 per...

February 13, 2009
Housing market recalibrating - According to the Canadian Real Estate Association "BC home sales will tumble 19.1% in 2009 in contrast to 33% tumble in 2008. Average house in BC likely to drop 10.6%...

February 16, 2009
Is this a good time to buy real estate? - With home sales — and prices — dropping in B.C., is now a good time to invest in real estate? The B.C. Real Estate Association says it just might be,...

February 17, 2009
Cost of home-buying takes a tumble - With home sales -- and prices -- dropping in B.C., is now a good time to invest in real estate? The B.C. Real Estate Association says it just might be, pointing to...

February 17, 2009
BC home sales - The economic downturn delivered an enormous hit to B.C.'s housing market as the year began, figures released yesterday show. Residential sales volume across the province tumbled 61.2 per cent to...

February 18, 2009
Construction costs drop - Declining construction costs have piqued the interest of potential apartment developers, but has not yet pushed many into taking on new projects in Vancouver, according to market...

February 19, 2009
Apartment developers paying close attention to lower building costs - Declining construction costs have piqued the interest of potential apartment developers, but have not yet pushed many...

February 19, 2009
Home building to fall by 25% - Home building is expected to scale back considerably in Canada this year, with housing starts falling 24 per cent in 2009, followed by a barely discernible increase in 2010,...

February 19, 2009
Investment properties: condo or corner store? - With real estate prices sinking, it might be time to snap up an investment property. In Vancouver, the burst bubble is yielding some bargains. But as...

February 19, 2009
Why this may be the best time to start buying real estate - Great fortunes have been made in real estate. Look at Donald Trump, Robert Campeau and the Reichmanns. Great fortunes have also been...

February 20, 2009
Setting the stage to sell your home in today's real estate market - Selling a home in a slow real estate market is no easy feat. But with a little elbow grease and a modest budget, your...

February 20, 2009
New home building to take a dive - The balancing of supply and demand in British Columbia housing markets should result in a 34-per-cent decline in housing starts and a further 10-per-cent slide in home...

February 20, 2009
Investors bet housing downturn will last longer - Initial investors in a new financial derivative market created by National Bank Financial in December are betting Canada's correction in housing...

February 20, 2009
Building boom goes silent - Lynn Harrison has lost her job twice now in the boom-bust home building industry. This time, she's getting out for good. The former marketing manager at British Columbia's Vesta...

February 20, 2009
Grim forecast for housing - Don't let it bring you down -- it's only more grim news about B.C.'s housing market. Not only will B.C. post Canada's largest drop in resale house prices this year, it will be...

February 22, 2009
ECO: Building up to a green homes future - By the year 2030, all new homes in B.C. could be producing as much energy as they consume, if the Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation meets its goal of...

February 25, 2009
Home sales, prices continue to slide: economist - Homeowners should brace for another year of sliding real estate sales and prices across Canada, warns Bank of Nova Scotia senior economist Adrienne...

February 25, 2009
Housing market pins hope of new buyers - Lower home prices and shifting demographics mean first-time buyers could lead a rebound in Canada's real estate market, experts said Wednesday at a real estate...

February 26, 2009
Homeowners to use reno tax credit for practical projects - Homeowners will likely spend more money to improve energy efficiency and less on high-design esthetic renovations under the new...

February 27, 2009
Do's and don'ts of Home Renovation Tax Credit - The Home Renovation Tax Credit plan is part of the federal government's aim to inject $3-billion to stimulate the economy. It has met with a lot of...

February 27, 2009
RENOVATIONS: What a little paint can do - The trend reports are in and we're in store for some pretty bold colour choices. Think bright cranberry and vibrant lime shades. According to Para Paints'...

February 28, 2009
Expect rebound - There's light at the end of the tunnel. So say reports from two major banks forecasting the Canadian economy will begin to rebound in the second half of this year from the worst global decline...

February 28, 2009
Talking about the future of Metro real estate - Our panel: Michael Audain, chairman, Polygon Homes Ltd., Patsy Hui with Re/Max Westcoast, and Tsur Somerville, director of the centre for urban...

February 28, 2009
Talking real estate - Metro Vancouver's real estate markets turned in 2008, which has meant falling sales and declining prices since late last spring. Now, with gloomy economic developments dominating the...

February 28, 2009
Further 10% slide in home prices: CMHC - The balancing of supply and demand in British Columbia housing markets should result in a 34-per-cent decline in housing starts and a further 10-per-cent slide...

March 2, 2009
Banks see bounce in economy - There's light at the end of the tunnel. So say reports from two major banks forecasting the Canadian economy will begin to rebound in the second half of this year from the worst...

March 2, 2009
INTEREST RATES: Further cut anticipated - Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney is approaching uncharted territory. Widely expected to reduce the benchmark lending rate to 0.5 per cent this week, Mr....

March 3, 2009
Sharp drop in recession suggests pain will be short - Canada's recession is brutal. It could also turn out to be mercifully short. Gross Domestic Product contracted at an annual rate of 3.4...

March 3, 2009
Salmon Arm real estate - $159,000 is the lowest priced two bedroom condominium in today's Salmon Arm real estate market! Price just adjusted from $164,000. Convenient downtown Salmon Arm location means an...

March 4, 2009
Canada home resales rise in February, prices drop - Sales of existing homes in Canada rose in February from January, the first month-on-month rise since September, but prices dropped sharply, the...

March 4, 2009
INTEREST RATES: Variable mortgages see the benefit - In Canada, most banks have reset their prime rates at 2.5 per cent, following the Bank of Canada's half-point cut in its key overnight lending...

March 4, 2009
Real estate sales numbers take a trip to the 1980's - A few more buyers are dipping into the real estate market, but analyst predicts continued slide in prices. As of February, Lower Mainland...

March 5, 2009
Downturn in home construction leads to BC's economic suffering - The Conference Board of Canada says a sudden correction in British Columbia’s housing sector is a key factor in an...

March 5, 2009
Its a buyer's real estate market - Falling home prices have a growing number of Canadians thinking about buying a home, according to a new poll done for RBC by Ipsos Reid. The 16th annual RBC/Ipsos...

March 5, 2009
Buyers ready to spend big - Seventy-eight per cent of B.C. residents -- the highest percentage in Canada -- believe they're in the midst of a buyer's market, according to a new Royal Bank of Canada survey....

March 6, 2009
MORTGAGES: Time to rethink your mortgage? - Have a fixed-rate mortgage at 4.5 per cent or higher? Then you should be refinancing, says Steve Moffitt, senior mortgage consultant with Equimac Mortgage...

March 6, 2009
Contractors await boost from government spending - British Columbia saw the value of residential building permits tick up a bit in January from December, though overall, permits continued their...

March 6, 2009
RENOVATIONS: Stretching your design dollars - The Canadian government has just announced a sweet incentive to renovate your home. Through Feb. 1, 2010, every homeowner is eligible to receive a tax...

March 7, 2009
RENOVATONS: Cook up a luxurious kitchen - When lucky homeowners with gourmet tastes and champagne budgets update their kitchens, they are cooking up some innovative features and designs....

March 7, 2009
ECO: Plenty of ways to laundry greener - Last column I sermonized on the fine, though often forgotten, attributes of low-tech sustainability. Truth be told, though, if a nifty gadget saves energy and...

March 7, 2009
Buyers looking for longevity, luxury log home maker says - At Durfeld Log & Timber, owner Ric Durfeld says his focus on value is keeping the company strong during hard times. Durfeld is...

March 7, 2009
RENOVATIONS: Where the plumbing becomes electric - The bathroom may be one of the smallest rooms in the household but it packs a lot of punch. In fact, bathrooms rank with kitchens when it...

March 7, 2009
RENOVATIONS: Penny-pleasing kitchen makeovers - It can be argued a recession is the perfect opportunity to make over your kitchen. It's a time when people are opting to stay home and save their...

March 8, 2009
ECO: Eco-friendly paint - Painting is one of the cheapest ways to transform the look of a room. Just choosing the paint can be the most difficult part of the job. Which is where Benjamin Moore's Aura paint...

March 10, 2009
Housing starts drop off steeply in February - Housing starts in February were down 70 per cent in Vancouver, and as much as 98 per cent in other parts of the province compared to a year ago, the...

March 10, 2009
Calgary home starts slide 76% - Total housing starts in the Calgary census metropolitan area fell by a staggering 76.5 per cent in February compared with a year ago, according to preliminary figures...

March 10, 2009
Sharp fall in housing starts - Housing starts in the Vancouver area in February plunged 71.3 per cent from a year earlier, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. said yesterday. The sharpness of the decline...

March 10, 2009
Home builders proceed with caution - After a deadly quiet November and December, British Columbia condominium developer Gary Friend is starting to feel a little more optimistic about sales prospects....

March 11, 2009
Canada housing prices dip; builder profits to fall - * New house prices slide 0.6 pct * Big drops in western cities * Residential construction profits to fall: report (Adds details, changes...

March 11, 2009
Homebuyers win - More evidence of a buyer's market for residential real estate emerged Wednesday in reports relating to new-home prices, builders' profits and improved opportunities for those looking to jump into...

March 11, 2009
Commercial real estate in 2009 - There will be fewer big buyers in Metro Vancouver's commercial real estate market in 2009, less leverage as banks require buyers to put in more equity as part of the credit...

March 11, 2009
First-time buyers driving force in Canada's residential real estate market, says RE/MAX - Entry-level purchasers are now the engine driving home-buying activity in almost every...

March 12, 2009
New home prices fall as builders burn off inventory - When Alberta's housing market abruptly switched from white hot to cold late last year, Calgary home builder Don Doolan decided the best way...

March 12, 2009
New-house prices fall - Prices of new houses in Metro Vancouver continued their slide between December and January, Statistics Canada reported Wednesday. But the agency's measure does not include...

March 12, 2009
Best spots to buy property - Despite a recession, declining home prices and slowing real estate sales, there are still towns in British Columbia that have the fundamentals in place for future growth,...

March 12, 2009
Falling prices and interest rates attract first-time homeowners - First-time buyers are now the driving force behind a Metro Vancouver real estate market that's showing increasing signs of...

March 13, 2009
BC economy - B.C.'s economy is heading toward its first annual contraction in more than 25 years, with economic growth expected to decline by 1.5 per cent in 2009, according to a provincial forecast released...

March 13, 2009
Fewer foreigners buying BC properties - Seattle resident Steven Thompson admits he's probably an anomaly as an American looking to buy a condominium in downtown Vancouver. About 30 per cent fewer...

March 14, 2009
This has never happened before - During a quarter of a century building and selling homes Dale Barron has never been able to say, I can sell you a new home for less money than you can buy a comparable used...

March 14, 2009
Housing starts over the past 25 years - A reminder for builders and their customers: It was worse at the start of the decade In the 25 years before this one, metropolitan Vancouver builders started...

March 14, 2009
Opportunities have arrived - Many times I have commented to colleagues, friends and Vancouver Sun readers that there is opportunity to be found in every challenge. Indeed, these are challenging times for...

March 14, 2009
BC property sales half of what they were a year ago - Sales in British Columbia's real estate market so far in 2009 are about half of what they were a year ago, although the pace has risen from a...

March 14, 2009
MLS sales activity - Alberta and B. C. are expected to lead the rebound in MLS sales activity in 2010, says the Canadian Real Estate Association. But first, the industry has to get through this year, in which...

March 16, 2009
Increase in foreclosure rates increases buying opportunities - There may be an upside to Canada's emerging subprime-mortgage problem as lenders increasingly move in to foreclose on...

March 16, 2009
Prices down, but housing market shows signs of life - Canada's housing industry showed signs of life in February after several months of declines, with resales rising 8.6 per cent from January...

March 16, 2009
Free-falling property markets - Just a few years ago, a home purchased in the Ballsbridge section of Dublin could have appreciated at a double-digit yearly clip. Not anymore. Prices countrywide were...

March 17, 2009
US housing starts rebound - Housing starts in the U.S. unexpectedly snapped the longest streak of declines in 18 years in February, adding to signs that the pace of the economy's decline may be easing....

March 18, 2009
US housing construction surprises - U.S. housing construction posted a surprisingly large increase in February, bolstered by strength in all parts of the country except the West. While the surge in...

March 18, 2009
Rebound in housing - U.S. housing starts and permits rebounded in February from record lows, rising for the first time in 10 months, according to data yesterday that gave a glimmer of hope for the recession-hit...

March 18, 2009
Real estate slump - The number of developers suing pre-sale condo buyers for attempting to back out of their contracts is mounting in the fallout from British Columbia's slumping real estate market. At least...

March 18, 2009
Subprime mess comes to home to BC - Port Alberni's Matt Pirillo and his family are victims of an epidemic of foreclosures taking place in B.C. "We got our foreclosure letter dropped on our...

March 18, 2009
Alberta comes back to earth - he farmers who run the seed-cleaning co-op in Clandonald, Alta., went looking for a new assistant manager this past winter – and they were surprised by the bumper crop of...

March 19, 2009
Canadian real estate is beginning to show signs of life - Using my new recession-era rule for good news -- the absence of new bad news -- Canadian homeowners had some reason for optimism...

March 21, 2009
ALBERTA: Show home traffic spells "good news" - Maybe the suburban streets aren't jammed like Deerfoot Trail at rush hour, but there are more cars pulling up in front of builders' show homes these...

March 21, 2009
Home building lowest in four years - Spending on residential construction in British Columbia in January fell to its lowest level in a single month in at least four years, figures released Friday by...

March 21, 2009
Buyers could use "pre-sale" advise - When British Columbia's real estate cycle was on the upswing, many condominium buyers reaped the rewards of buying so-called pre-sale condominiums which, in many...

March 22, 2009
ECO: Geothermal? - A geothermal heating and cooling system just might be the solution to contend with a brutal economy and accelerating climate change. The system, say proponents, not only slashes energy costs...

March 23, 2009
MORTGAGES: No mortgages on a plate - Six months ago, before the credit crunch bit and risk became a cutting four-letter word, obtaining or renegotiating a mortgage was pretty much a formality. It's...

March 23, 2009
Salmon Arm, Shuswap area real estate lenders - Salmon Arm, Shuswap area highly recommended mortgage brokers who promptly are availalble to answer any questions re mortgage needs. Take your pick and...

March 24, 2009
Existing home sales jump - One month does not a recovery make. But a surprising leap in existing-home sales in February was a welcome, if tentative, sign of hope that the real estate market may be...

March 25, 2009
MORTGAGES: Variable or fixed? - Variable or fixed? It's the question homeowners and homebuyers ask most often and inevitably elicits an unsatisfying answer. Whether it's worth paying the penalty to...

March 25, 2009
House prices - Metro Vancouver housing prices declined for the seventh straight month in January, falling 8.3 per cent from peak levels reached last June on the Teranet National Bank of Canada House-Price Index....

March 26, 2009
MORTGAGE: Tune up - If you're thinking of getting your first mortgage or you have to renew one, you may be looking forward to the all-time-low mortgage rates now available. But beware, those mortgages -- and any...

March 26, 2009
Home prices: The slide goes on - Canadian home prices continued to slide in January, falling at an annual pace of 2.4 per cent and continuing a retreat in value that started in February 2008, the...

March 27, 2009
Economic stabilization is in the air - It's paradoxical, but encouraging, nevertheless. Even as the U.S. economy suffers what is probably the most painful part of this severe downturn, signs of life are...

March 27, 2009
MORTGAGE: Thousands risk losing their homes - As many as 25,000 Canadian homeowners who consistently met their mortgage payments could lose their homes unless Ottawa or other financial players help...

March 31, 2009
BC recreational properties take a hit - Invermere realtor Wende Brash surmises that what's happening on the streets of Calgary has a lot to do with the slow sales of vacation property on the East...

March 31, 2009
Shuswap, Salmon Arm area recreational properties adjustments - Sales the Shuswap, Salmon Arm area and many BC resort-oriented markets have slowed considerably from 2008 (comparing same early...

April 1, 2009
Finding the upside of the home market - Jim Stirr, a 48-year-old brewery worker, had rented in Edmonton for seven years and suddenly found himself facing a monthly increase that would nearly double his...

April 1, 2009
MORTGAGE: Insurance? Don't leave home without it - June Jell will never forget the time she and her husband John sat down with their agent and turned mortgage insurance down flat. Six months...

April 1, 2009
MORTGAGE: Short amortization period pays off in the end - One of the least-known secrets among new homebuyers in particular is the huge effect the amortization period of your mortgage has on...

April 1, 2009
MORTGAGE: Fixed vs flexible - Traditionally, the most important consideration in choosing a fixed or variable mortgage has traditionally been which strategy would save the most money. But that might no...

April 3, 2009
Ditch the clutter to earn a sale - Given the odds in this down market, we asked some experts in real estate, interior design and home staging for their tips on giving your home a selling edge. Here are...

April 3, 2009
Real estate sales jump back - Real estate sales showed a bit of life in March compared with February, up 53 per cent in Metro Vancouver, 48 per cent in the Fraser Valley and 34 per cent on Vancouver Island....

April 3, 2009
Shuswap area sales jump back - Shuswap real estate sales sparked in March compared with February, up 85 per cent . The numbers are still down significantly from last March; -50.67%. Interest rates are...

April 4, 2009
RENOVATIONS: Cheap chic can bring life to your home - There's no stopping style -- not even during a recession. Homeowners may not be out shopping for expensive high-end furniture and...

April 4, 2009
Salmon Arm sales jump back - Salmon Arm real estate sales increased in March compared with February, up 28.57 per cent . The numbers are still down significantly from last March; -14.29%. Interest...

April 5, 2009
Salmon Arm real estate - Salmon Arm real estate outstanding opportunity - build to suit your needs. 0.20 acre lot at the foot of Salmon Arm's Bird Sanctuary Walk - a 4 km walk from Salmon Arm's towniste along...

April 6, 2009
Rising number of condo developers feel the pinch - The number of real estate sales may have bounced back in March compared to February, but they are still well below levels of a year ago, and so...

April 7, 2009
Building permits surge in BC - British Columbia saw a surprising 86-per-cent surge in the value of building permits issued in February, a month when the indicator of construction activity was heading...

April 9, 2009
BC fall in new construction follows drop in home sales - Housing starts across British Columbia remained depressed in the first quarter of 2009, falling almost 70 per cent from the same quarter...

April 9, 2009
House prices continue to decline - Housing prices continued to decline in the first quarter of 2009 in areas of Metro Vancouver, though some sectors saw stabilization, according to the realty firm Royal...

April 9, 2009
House prices still in a dive - Vancouver's real-estate market continues to dive, with year-over-year price declines of as much as 17 per cent in some sectors, according to Royal LePage's latest quarterly...

April 12, 2009
Great time to buy - When Peter Simpson sent out invites to this year’s annual FirstTime Home Buyer Seminar, he expected the housing slump to leave a fair number of seats empty at the March 24 event. Instead, to...

April 13, 2009
MORTGAGE: Banking on a mortgage broker - More than a decade ago, Bob Alexander was working as a professional accountant when he walked into a bank to get a mortgage. When he got turned down, he was...

April 16, 2009
Real estate sales up - British Columbia real estate sales in March paled in comparison with the same month a year ago, but continued to creep higher from the depths of January, the B.C. Real Estate Association...

April 17, 2009
Home buying improves - Falling prices and mortgage rates lessened the burden of home ownership in Metro Vancouver at the end of 2008, but detached houses remain out of reach for most buyers in what remains...

April 18, 2009
Buyers are popping up here and there - Seasonally adjusted homes sales were up 7% in March compared with the previous month. Numbers released this week by the Canadian Real Estate Association indicated...

April 18, 2009
Real estate market: Parade of New Homes - The Greater Vancouver Home Builders' Association isn't going to let a real estate market slowdown rain on its parade. Whatever the weather, the 7th annual...

April 20, 2009
INTEREST RATES: How low can Bank of Canada rate go? - Will they or won't they? With the Bank of Canada's key lending rate already a historic low 0.5 per cent, the country's central monetary...

April 21, 2009
Salmon Arm real estate: single family residential inventory - 200 Salmon Arm homes (single family residential) are actively listed for sale. 29% of the homes are relatively new - built 2000...

April 22, 2009
MORTGAGE: Rates as low as 3% - The latest rate cut means consumers buying a house can borrow for as little as 3% interest on their loan if they are willing to buy into the Bank of Canada's statement...

April 22, 2009
INTEREST RATES: As low as it will go - Canada's central bank cut its overnight target rate to 25 basis points -- 0.25 per cent -- Tuesday, the lowest rate since the bank's creation in 1934, and the...

April 22, 2009
INTEREST RATES: Bank of Canada rate cut - Consumers in a position to spend should get a quick boost from the Bank of Canada's record-setting interest-rate cut Tuesday as commercial banks respond with...

April 22, 2009
MORTGAGE: What the rate cut means for mortgages - The latest rate cut means consumers buying a house can borrow for as little as 3% interest on their loan if they are willing to buy into the Bank...

April 22, 2009
INTEREST RATES: Cental Bank promises year of rock-bottom rates - The Bank of Canada is trying a new weapon in its struggle against the recession: transparency. In an uncommon display of...

April 22, 2009
Salmon Arm real estate: Great time to buy a home - Salmon Arm's average house price climbed from $148,678 to $363,658 over the last 13 years; approx. 144% increase. 2009 first quarter average...

April 23, 2009
MORTGAGE: Refinancing home loans - Real estate sales may be below last year's levels, but rock-bottom mortgage rates have kept mortgage brokers just as busy as they were in 2008, with clients racing to...

April 23, 2009
Rental-apartment real estate sales rise - A combination of low interest rates and easing of prices has breathed some life into Metro Vancouver's rental-apartment real estate market, according to the...

April 23, 2009
US home sales stabalize - Once the U.S. housing market recovers – there are signs it has hit bottom – huge swaths of the economy, ranging from building products and home improvement retailers to banks...

April 23, 2009
MORTGAGE: Sweet time to be arranging a mortgage - What a sweet time to be arranging a mortgage - we've got the lowest rates anyone can remember and they'll be around for months to come. So don't...

April 23, 2009
Real estate fraud and title insurance - The Spagnuolo Group of Real Estate Law Firms wrote last week, the British Columbia Court of Appeal has recently rendered two decisions dealing with real estate...

April 23, 2009
Shuswap area real estate: waterfront homes availability - Shuswap area real estate offers 43 waterfront homes - freehold title - for sale. Waterfront home asking prices vary from $479,000 to...

April 24, 2009
Salmon Arm real estate: Strata selection strong - Great time to conside strata living. Salmon Arm strata real estate selection totals 76 (as of April 21st): 0 <$99,000 14 in the...

April 25, 2009
Salmon Arm real estate: Lots & acreage - Salmon Arm real estate offers a choice of 71 lots & acreage to choose from. Selection is great - strongest in Salmon Arm's NE and SW sector and...

April 26, 2009
Salmon Arm real estate: Good selection of mobile homes for sale - Selection of mobile homes for sale in Salmon Arm is greater than previous years: 31 as of April 26th. Excellent time to...

April 27, 2009
Salmon Arm real estate: Pretty good availability of new homes - Salmon Arm real estate today has 390 properties actively listed for sale. 53.5% are single family residential, 19.5% are...

April 28, 2009
Buying a home may be cheaper - Local realtors say that there's never been a better time to buy a house because of dropping prices and extremely low mortgage rates. While that may be true, buying a home...

April 28, 2009
Salmon Arm real estate: Single family residential sale activity - Salmon Arm real estate sales activity is increasing each month as the year progresses. The numbers overall are still down...

April 29, 2009
INTEREST RATES: With interest rates at zero, Feds look at going negative - Can U.S. interest rates effectively fall below zero? Economists and traders expect the Federal Reserve to...

April 29, 2009
Key U.S. housing index shows slight improvement - Home prices in the U.S. fell sharply in February, but for the first time in 16 months the annual pace of deterioration slowed. The Standard...

May 1, 2009
Salmon Arm real estate: view lot - No need to rush and build. Invest now in Salmon Arm real estate: view lot and build when you are ready. Build in an established, desireable family subdivision at the...

May 2, 2009
Salmon Arm real estate: condominium - Look no further for sought after Salmon Arm real estate strata location. The two bedroom, two full bath condominium boasts 960 sf. Open floor plan includes a small...

May 3, 2009
Salmon Arm real estate: estate-like acreage - Estate-like 9.97 acres found in Salmon Arm real estate. Quiet, private setting is in the city limits of Salmon Arm. So not only does this acreage have...

May 4, 2009
Residential property sales increase - Residential property sales in the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver’s region totalled 2,963 in April, a 31-per-cent increase over March, according to figures...

May 4, 2009
Conditions right for economy recovery - Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney says the elements are in place for an economic recovery to begin later this year, and develop in "full force" in...

May 4, 2009
Salmon Arm real estate: custom built 2008 residence - One of the finest 2008 built homes actively listed for you to own - Salmon Arm real estate! Endless extras to make this home not like any...

May 5, 2009
Affordablity top reason to buy - More people are seeing condominiums as an attractive investment opportunity than was the case a year ago, according to a survey released Monday. TD Canada Trust said 44...

May 5, 2009
Home sales climb - The Greater Vancouver housing market "has entered a more moderate and balanced state," with sales and benchmark prices both up in April compared to March, says the Real Estate Board...

May 5, 2009
Salmon Arm home sales climb - Good news Salmon Arm home sales climb as the year progresses. Up 50% in February compared to January. Up 66.7% in March compared to February. Salmon Arm real estate sales...

May 5, 2009
BC housing prices still under pressure to fall: Scotia economics - While British Columbia real estate sales have lifted from dismal lows of last fall, market oversupply and deteriorating...

May 6, 2009
Real estate prices - Canadian homeowners will likely have to wait until next year to see a solid rebound in real estate prices, the heads of two of Canada's largest real estate firms said yesterday. The brief...

May 7, 2009
Financial good news! - To prepare a report that gives good news is invigorating and exciting, bringing prospects of a return to a stable market place in the near future! However with this improvement in...

May 7, 2009
Salmon Arm, Shuswap area real estate lenders - To take advantage of today's historically low intererts rates touch base with local Salmon Arm, Shuswap area real estate lenders: Rod Minnes...

May 9, 2009
Salmon Arm, Shuswap area real estate - Salmon Arm, Shuswap area supply of residential real estate is higher than the past few years - up 79.32%! Yes it is a well supplied real estate market. Caution...

May 9, 2009
Real estate points to ponder - Readers are pulled into newspaper stories by the headlines, particularly if they are provocative. There is no way you could resist reading the story below this gem from the...

May 9, 2009
Next show to drop? The other real estate market - So it turns out that after sucking in billions upon billions of public dollars, the U.S. banking system is more or less a going concern. At least...

May 10, 2009
Shuswap, Salmon Arm residential real estate - Pricing is critical on today's real estate market. Shuswap, Salmon Arm residential sales are down 65.52% compared to same period last year - Jan 1 to...

May 11, 2009
New home prices edge lower - Prices for new homes fell 0.5 per cent in March from a month earlier, with the biggest dips in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria, says Statistics Canada. The decline...

May 12, 2009
New home prices take a hit in BC - New home prices in Vancouver posted Canada's second-sharpest decline in March, Statistics Canada says. Prices in Vancouver fell 1.1 per cent in March, just behind a...

May 12, 2009
New home prices still falling - Homebuilder Dale Barron says major price reductions earlier this year have translated into his Coquitlam-based company's best sales months on record. But now the owner of...

May 13, 2009
Personal bankruptcies soar in BC - Personal bankruptcies in British Columbia were 78-per-cent higher in March than in March 2008 -- far more than the national average increase of 57 per cent, according to...

May 13, 2009
Developers trim prices to keep baby boom buyers in the market - As home prices and retirement investments take a dive across North America, housing developers are changing strategies just to...

May 14, 2009
Salmon Arm real estate - Salmon Arm real estate offers a spacious 5 (and easily could be 6) bedroom, 3 full bath family home in quiet, family neighbhourhood priced at $439,000. Two level home boasts near 2,400...

May 14, 2009
Affordability, lower rates, prices lift home sales - Existing-home sales surged in April, a third consecutive monthly increase, which forced the Canadian Real Estate Association on Thursday to...

May 14, 2009
Real estate home sales soared - Home sales soared in April for the third month in a row, but the real estate market has not yet made up for all the lost momentum of the past year, the Canadian Real Estate...

May 15, 2009
Home sales surge as prices dip - Existing-home sales surged in April, a third consecutive monthly increase, which forced the Canadian Real Estate Association yesterday to revise its forecast for a housing...

May 15, 2009
Expectations for real estate price drops in BC - A recent surge in real estate sales has caused the Canadian Real Estate Association to sharply revise its expectations for price drops in British...

May 15, 2009
Salmon Arm real estate - Salmon Arm real estate offers a flat-out fantastic 2006 built home offered at $379,900. Shows like new. Main floor all hardwood except slate tile in the bathrooms. Grade level floor...

May 18, 2009
RENOVATIONS: Return on investment (ROI) - One reason so many people renovate is to improve the comfort or style of their home. People want to make their home look fresh and modern.Another is to improve...

May 20, 2009
Doors open wide for home buyers - Homebuyers take heart. Vancouver's housing market will be kind to buyers in 2009 and into early next year, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. said yesterday. Sluggish...

May 20, 2009
A better story for real estate transactions - sales - Real estate transactions are beginning to pick up throughout B.C., according to researchers Landcor Data. TOTAL SALES IN GREATER VANCOUVER...

May 20, 2009
Real estate expectations fall - British Columbia's real estate markets have reached a point where it is difficult to predict if they'll go down any further or begin a recovery -- or even when either might...

May 20, 2009
Recession resets housing expectations - The market for new homes won't return to pre-recession levels even when the economy picks up again, marking a sharply lower reset from the construction that...

May 21, 2009
How your home sweet home can shelter you from tax - You've got to love home ownership. I remember buying my first home. The real estate agent asked me how much I could afford, we both had a good...

May 21, 2009
Why the real estate market won't be the same - Vancouver's real-estate market is coming back to life. But it's not the one that existed before the crash, because the investments and property...

May 21, 2009
RENOVATIONS: 15% tax rebate on home renovations - In an effort to stimulate the sagging economy, the Government of Canada recently introduced a new Tax Rebate on home renovations done in 2009....

May 22, 2009
INTEREST RATES: Today's historically low interest rates - Today's low interest rates may be frustrating for investors in fixed income but if you're in debt--especially a homeowner -- it's an...

May 22, 2009
Salmon Arm, Shuswap area real estate - Good news: Salmon Arm, Shuswap area real estate sale activity has increased each month this year as the weather warms up. February sale activity was up 40%...

May 22, 2009
Younger buyers are key - Metro Vancouver's real-estate market was wallowing in quicksand a few weeks ago, but the ground is firmer now and consumers are beginning to buy again. That was the good news...



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