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

Showing posts from April 9, 2009 to June 10, 2013

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...

May 22, 2009
Real estate gloom slowly lifts - It was a mere seven months ago that economists and newspaper headlines had declared a real estate downturn tantamount to the sky falling in on Vancouver homeowners. But...

May 27, 2009
GLOBAL: Dubaii - Home of world's biggest property slump - Dubai, once the location of the world's biggest construction boom, is now the scene of the world's biggest property slump, according to...

May 27, 2009
Women buying in - new BC homebuyers - Women in British Columbia are leading a trend that sees new homebuyers taking advantage of falling home prices and low interest rates, Royal LePage Real Estate...

May 27, 2009
BC housing prices stablizing - Housing market conditions are improving more rapidly than expected, with the average price for a home in B.C. now predicted to decline five percentage points less in 2009 than...

May 28, 2009
House price declines - The Vancouver area appears determined to do its bit for the Canadian housing slump as the region leads the country in year-over-year price declines, a national price index released...

May 28, 2009
Woman lead first time buyers - Women led the charge of first-time buyers jumping back into British Columbia's real estate markets, according to a recent report from real-estate firm Royal LePage. Royal...

May 28, 2009
House prices in further decline - On the question of where house prices are going compared with where they've come from, the measure National Bank Financial has devised, hints at continuing declines in...

May 28, 2009
RENOVATIONS: Doing home reno's? Check your insurance. - The new federal home renovation tax credit has highlighted what the insurance industry considers to be a chronic problem of homeowners not...

May 29, 2009
RENOVATIONS: Spruce up your home on a budget - You want to renovate, but cash is scarce? No problem. You've got a number of "recessionary renos" to choose from to make your living space...

June 3, 2009
Drop in home sales levels out - The decline of Lower Mainland real estate markets, which started with falling sales more than a year ago and saw prices drop as the global recession developed, levelled out...

June 6, 2009
Real estate is not a religion - Right now the topic of real estate is right up there with religion and politics: just don't go there with extended family and co-workers. -- A comment on the Greater Fool...

June 6, 2009
MORTGAGE: The perfect mortgage - The perfect mortgage is, of course, no mortgage at all. So, the next best thing is to have one flexible enough to pay off the principal as fast as possible. All...

June 8, 2009
RENOVATIONS: Are you eligible? - The new temporary federal Home Renovation Tax Credit allows taxpayers a one-time claim of a maximum $1,350 for certain home-renovation work completed before Feb. 1, 2010....

June 9, 2009
Housing starts shrink - New-housing starts are at near-record lows as B.C. became the only province in the country to record a decline in urban housing starts last month. Figures released yesterday by the...

June 10, 2009
Home buyers show confidence in real estate market - Despite a stream of negative economic news, most Canadians who've recently bought a home have confidence in their decision, according to a poll...

June 11, 2009
Housing prices down - Vancouver posted Canada's sharpest drop in new home prices in April, Statistics Canada said yesterday. The federal agency said its housing price index for Vancouver fell 1.2 per cent...

June 11, 2009
INTEREST RATES: New bank rate hikes - For the second time in as many weeks, Canada's big banks have hiked rates on fixed-term mortgages. Most increased their three-, four- and five-year rates by 0.4...

June 12, 2009
Bucking housing trends - Three Lower Mainland neighbourhoods appear to be recession proof in the current tough housing market. The three neighbourhoods — in Langley, Richmond and Vancouver — experienced...

June 14, 2009
RENOVATIONS: Retrofit programs means big savings for renos - If you could do a renovation on your home that cost you a fraction of what it’s worth, and that continued to save you money as...

June 16, 2009
House sales up but not prices - Greater Vancouver posted Canada's second-highest increase in house sales last month. Sales in the area jumped 16.4 per cent between May and the same month last year, just...

June 16, 2009
Property tax and how to deal with it - Just when you get one set of taxes all squared away for the year, it's time for another. This time it's property tax. But unlike income taxes, there is no...

June 18, 2009
How to minimize cottage tax hassles - Assuming our political leaders won't drag us into a snap election, many Canadians can look forward to leisurely weeks and weekends at their cottages for the rest of...

June 19, 2009
MORTGAGE: Breaking a mortgage can be costly - Homeowners looking to break their mortgages to save money should beware: It can be expensive. Whether it is an attempt to take advantage of lower...

June 20, 2009
MORTGAGE: Think hard about easy money - What a difference a year makes when it comes to real estate in B.C. where declining housing prices and historically low interest rates turned a seller's market...

June 20, 2009
MORTGAGE: Mortgages are a product, and they demand consumer acuity - What a difference a year makes when it comes to real estate in B.C. where declining housing prices and historically...

June 21, 2009
Sell it with a great impression - During the housing boom, home staging was all about vaulting your property into the stratosphere above the asking price. Today, it's about getting your house sold....

June 21, 2009
MORTGAGE: Tax deductible mortgages are worth the hassle in Canada - Unlike Americans, who enjoy a sweetheart deal with the tax authorities in that their mortgage interest can be deducted...

June 23, 2009
Existing home sales rise - Sales of previously owned homes in the United States rose at a slower-than-expected pace in May, an industry survey showed Tuesday, pointing to a sluggish recovery from the severe...

June 24, 2009
MORTGAGE: Mortgages in arrears double in past year - Business Mortgages in arrears double over past year Canwest News ServiceJune 24, 2009 The number of B.C. and Yukon residential...

June 24, 2009
Home is where their heart is - Vancouverites are head-over-heels for homes. Lower Mainland residents believe more fervently in the idea of home ownership than do people in four other Canadian centres, a...

June 24, 2009
Commercial market has survived worst of recession - British Columbia's commercial real estate markets started their downturn long before the current recession began and have likely passed through...

June 25, 2009
Falling home prices - Whether the change is measured month-to-month or year-to-year, home prices in Canada continue to fall, though two cities are starting to claw their way back, according to a report issued...

June 25, 2009
INTEREST RATES: Irresistible rates drive Canada's recovery - It looks like a miraculous resurrection. In the midst of recession, the average national price of Canadian resale homes hit a...

June 26, 2009
RENOVATIONS: The family cottage can qualify for renovation tax credits - You've just bought a recreation property and the house could use some serious updating, or perhaps the family...

June 30, 2009
Home prices decline in many places - Prices of single-family homes declined in April from March in many areas, but the pace of the decline slowed, suggesting stability is emerging, according to the...

July 3, 2009
Real estate levels rebound - Real estate sales on Vancouver Island in June bounced back from the lower levels of 2008, although prices remain below those achieved a year ago, the Vancouver Island Real Estate...

July 3, 2009
Record real estate sales - Greater Vancouver realtors had their second busiest June on record this year as buyers jumped at lower property prices and near record low mortgage rates, the Real Estate Board of...

July 4, 2009
Housing sales near record high - Lower Mainland real estate markets saw big gains in June sales, with the Metro Vancouver real estate board posting its second busiest and the Fraser Valley its...

July 4, 2009
One hot real estate month - Though overall economic conditions remain dicey, Buyers were attracted by lower prices and mortgage rates in June bring sales back to numbers last seen at the height of the market....

July 5, 2009
Presale contracts - Dear Condo Smarts: A word of warning for anyone who is considering or has entered into a presales agreement. In 2005, I was doing business in Vancouver and fell in love with a proposed...

July 5, 2009
Price reductions and low interest rates have created an improvement in affordability - The combination of low interest rates and more affordable pricing helped propel Greater...

July 5, 2009
RENOVATIONS: Key incentive programs - - ecoENERGY Retrofit-Homes: This federal program helps homeowners pick up the tab for a variety of improvements. Only homes that have undergone a residential energy...

July 5, 2009
ECO: Cashing in on energy savings - Couple will foot only $1,930 of $4,400 bill for new furnace thanks to ecoEnergy Retrofit program and other incentives. David and Linda Malcolm weren't surprised when...

July 5, 2009
Housing sales up as prices drop - Lower prices are triggering more real-estate sales in some B.C. communities. The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver reports that June 2009 saw 75 per cent more...

July 8, 2009
Households hit hardest by downturn - Consumer bankruptcies jumped more than 34 per cent in May from a year early as household finances continued to take the brunt of the economic downturn. There were...

July 8, 2009
Building boom won't last - The value of building permits issued in B.C. jumped 26.4 per cent between April and May, driven by a 69.8-per-cent increase in the non-residential sector, Statistics Canada says....

July 8, 2009
Backruptcies up, but worse may be over - The number of Canadians tossed into bankruptcy by the economic downturn rose sharply in May, yet a rebound in construction and higher levels of business...

July 8, 2009
Building permits up - The value of building permits issued in southwestern British Columbia soared by more than 36 per cent in May, helping to lead the country to what one analyst called a "whopping"...

July 8, 2009
Resale home prices begin to edge upwards - Resale home prices in the Vancouver area inched higher in the second quarter and are likely to continue going up, but they still remain well below what they...

July 8, 2009
Real estate prices - Vancouver house prices have hit bottom and should eke out a tiny increase by the end of the year, Royal LePage Real Estate Services says. Vancouver area house prices, which have averaged...

July 9, 2009
Housing in BC becoming more affordable - Housing affordability has improved significantly in British Columbia during the first three months of the year but it's still well above the national average,...

July 9, 2009
More people can afford to buy BC homes - Housing affordability in B.C. over the past year has improved the most since 1991, RBC Economics says. The percentage of income required for various housing...

July 9, 2009
Shuswap area real estate - To sell in today' Shuswap area real estate market......correct pricing is critical. Total number of sales which includes, single family residential, strata, mobile homes and lots...

July 10, 2009
Heat returns to housing sector - Home building in urban B.C. jumped 25 per cent last month as low mortgage rates, a growing population and fewer existing homes for sale began to reheat demand for new...

July 10, 2009
Housing starts jump - Housing starts in British Columbia jumped 25 per cent in June after reaching near record lows in May, a sign the worst may be over. The seasonally adjusted annual rate of starts in urban...

July 11, 2009
New home prices - New homes prices rose in Metro Vancouver in May, the first time the region has registered an increase since April 2008, Statistics Canada announced Friday. The prices Metro-area contractors...

July 12, 2009
MORTGAGE: How to get the best mortgage - hot tips for buyers - Valerie Rasmussen, assistant vice-president, credit services, for First Calgary Savings, offers the following advice to home...

July 14, 2009
Housing market on an upswing - A new report suggests a housing recovery is underway in key Canadian markets, with Metro Vancouver and Toronto leading the way. "Growing consumer confidence levels...

July 14, 2009
Housing sector shifted into recovery mode - Another real-estate organization is declaring an end to Canada's housing-market downturn. Re/Max said yesterday a recent surge in housing sales,...

July 14, 2009
Housing rebound "nothing short of amazing" - Canada’s housing market has become so much more grounded since the ugly property bust of the last recession that this time around it is one of the most...

July 15, 2009
A lukewarm recovery coming soon to an economy near you - After a reading of the entrails of the economy, the Conference Board of Canada has concluded that the slump is just about over. The...

July 15, 2009
Rising BC real estate sales puts bounce back in housing - Rising sales in British Columbia's real estate sector helped put the bounce in Canada's overall property market, according to new...

July 15, 2009
Canadas housing market recovery amazing - Canada’s housing market has become so much more grounded since the ugly property bust of the last recession that this time around it is one of the most...

July 15, 2009
Shuswap real estate - Shuswap real estate activity in June was comparable to the same month a year ago. As 2009 progressed, each month's sale activity was approx 50% less than the same month in 2008 however not...

July 17, 2009
RENOVATIONS: Home renovation tax credit - There’s never been a better time to do a major landscape project such as building a new deck, installing a patio, lawn or pond, or erecting a stone retaining...

July 17, 2009
Strong housing market explains unflagging consumer confidence - Crisis? What crisis? Canada is facing its highest unemployment levels in 11 years and bankruptcies are soaring, but that’s...

July 21, 2009
Fractional interest properties - Two years ago, when Toronto resident Marion Goertz inquired about buying a quarter-share fractional ownership in a Radium Springs resort where her son and daughter-in-law...

July 21, 2009
Buying a pub - If you are considering buying a pub in British Columbia this year, you will likely find a healthy selection to choose from, capitalization rates that are among the best in commercial real estate–...

July 21, 2009
Waterfront price deals - The average price of an oceanfront lot on Salt Spring Island has dropped dramatically this year, according to the annual recreational real estate survey from Re/Max, to $890,000 this...

July 21, 2009
Best priced Shuswap waterfront property - Look no further for your waterfront slice. Titled, freehold property right in the city limits of Salmon Arm with 75 ft water frontage and 126 ft deep....

July 27, 2009
HST: and purchase of a new home - Builders and consumer groups say B.C.'s new harmonized sales tax is a "disaster" that will add $36,000 to the cost of a new $800,000 home. Opposition is...

July 28, 2009
HST: Harmonized sales tax and new home buyers - Homebuilders are worried that B.C.'s proposed harmonized sales tax will add significantly to the price of a new home, and perhaps slow down the real...

July 28, 2009
INTEREST RATES: Dollar rise hints at central bank interest rate hike sooner than later - The Canadian dollar hit a 10-month high Monday amid growing risk appetite and rising...

July 29, 2009
Salmon Arm real estate - In spite of Salmon Arm real estate sale activity being down the first ½ year by 22.5% compared to 2008, down 54% compared to 2007 this July has seen to date a 50% increase in single...

July 30, 2009
House prices rise - Canadian housing prices rose in May by 0.7 per cent — the first time since October that they didn’t decline month-overmonth, according to a national index released Wednesday. However,...

July 30, 2009
Salmon Arm real estate - First half of this year Salmon Arm real estate accounted for 51% of Shuswap area real estate sale activity. Salmon Arm real estate sale activity has increased in contrast to...

July 31, 2009
BC housing market rebound around the corner - Sludge will cling to B.C.'s supernaturally beautiful face next year as the province thrashes its way out of an economic mud puddle, new studies suggest....

July 31, 2009
Shuswap area real estate - Shuswap area residential real estate today offers Buyers twice the selection of properties to choose from compared to availability markets prior to 2008. Lots of waterfront and...

August 6, 2009
Real estate marking cooking once again - Lower Mainland - The real-estate market in the Lower Mainland is cooking once again. Despite the gloomy economy, 4,114 residential properties were...

August 6, 2009
Harmonized sales tax will raise prices, home builders say - Homebuilders are worried that B.C.'s proposed harmonized sales tax will add significantly to the price of a new home, and perhaps...

August 7, 2009
HOME FINISHINGS: Decorative concrete - It's humble enough to start. Concrete, made from a mixture of cement, sand, crushed rocks and water, performs many basic functions all around us, as sidewalks,...

August 7, 2009
BC building permits jump up 30% in July - British Columbia recorded an upswing in applications for building permits in June, according to Statistics Canada, giving the construction sector hope that it...

August 7, 2009
New building market likely to remain volatile - B.C. posted Canada's largest jump in the value of building permits in June, but a local player warns it's too early to say the construction sector has...

August 9, 2009
HST: Builders, buyers hammered - For the Record (Aug. 10/09): A quote attributed to Peter Simpson of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association in this story may have left the impression that...

August 9, 2009
HST: $20,000 rebate barely softens soaring levies - Come July of next year, John and Mary Homebuyer could be feeling hosed rather than harmonized by the province's new tax. In Vancouver, where...

August 14, 2009
Staging can mean a buyer for slow sellers - Like many in the fragile spring housing market, Barb and Luc Bouchard crossed their fingers and hoped for the best when a For Sale sign was hammered into...

August 15, 2009
Housing resales rocket in July - Canada's housing market boomed in July as low interest rates and improving economic confidence sent sales of existing homes to a record for the month, despite generally...

August 15, 2009
Real estate sales reach record volumes for July - Record sales volumes in Metro Vancouver and Victoria helped lift B.C.'s real estate market in July, the B.C. Real Estate Association reported...

August 16, 2009
Bright July for home sales - July housing sales across Canada were the best on record for the month -- and Vancouver was no exception, the B.C. Real Estate Association says. Six consecutive months of...

August 18, 2009
Commercial real estate market faces 'very trying times,' analysts' report warns - Canada's commercial real estate sector faces "very trying times" that will send owners...

August 21, 2009
HST: HST to hike maintenance fees for condo owners - British Columbia's condominium owners can expect their building maintenance fees to rise up to seven per cent when the Harmonized Sales Tax...

August 26, 2009
Worst of housing prices decline behind us, say economists - The worst is over for North America's beleaguered housing markets, with a steady stream of data out of Canada and the U.S....

August 27, 2009
CREA revises home sales forecast upwards after strong Q2 - Much stronger than expected MLS sales throughout the country in the second quarter of this year has forced the Canadian Real Estate...

August 27, 2009
Home resales rebound dramatically: real estate body - The Canadian Real Estate Association has dramatically increased its forecast for sales of existing homes this year, to about where they stood...

August 27, 2009
Economic signals turning green as consumer confidence, home sales rise - Canadians are starting to believe that better times are just around the corner, and that's good news for the...

August 27, 2009
Worst of housing downturn behind us: National Bank - Metro Vancouver saw house prices tick higher in June after 11 straight months of decline on one bank's index measure of property values....

August 28, 2009
High hopes for housing market upswing in 2010 - The B.C. Real Estate Association is forecasting a better sales season this fall than last, hoping to see the last of the housing recession. In its...

August 28, 2009
BC real estate sales should continue to rise: economist - Spurred by record-low mortgage rates, provincial real estate sales should continue to rise through the remainder of 2009 from last...

August 28, 2009
Housing market, led by west, shows better-than-expected performance - Canada's housing market will perform better than expected in 2009, the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) said...

August 28, 2009
Shuswap area real estate - 288 Shuswap area residential sales since the beginning of the year has been predominately under ½ mil; 86.6%. The strongest selling range is between $200,000-$400,000 as the table...

August 29, 2009
HOME MAINTENANCE: Keeping your home running smoothly - It's human nature to attempt to save a few dollars by tackling common maintenance work around the house. But some, such as Victoria...

September 3, 2009
Housing market to rebound, CMHC says - Canada's housing market is expected to see a strong rebound in the second half of this year and into 2010, the federal housing agency said Thursday. Housing...

September 4, 2009
Forget the house, treat yourself! - It's amazing how profoundly the “wealth effect” works on the psyches of homeowners. When people saw the value of their houses climbing at a dizzying pace, they...

September 8, 2009
HST: Buy a home now - The new harmonized sales tax being proposed in British Columbia and Ontario may end up being an overall wash for some consumers but anyone buying a new house is about to get dinged. The...

September 8, 2009
The sparkle returns to luxury real estate - Thane Stenner is managing director, private client, and founder of Stenner Investment Partners of GMP Private Client LP and author of True Wealth: An Expert...

September 9, 2009
Residential home building permits saw a boost - The value of building permits taken out by contractors in southwestern British Columbia shot up 40 per cent from June to July to $427.5 million,...

September 9, 2009
Prices for new homes in Canada rebound - Prices for new homes increased in July from a month earlier, marking the first monthly rise in prices nationally since last September in yet another sign of the...

September 9, 2009
Affordable Canadian homes slipping away? - The cost of owning a home, as measured against household income, has fallen for the fifth consecutive quarter, Royal Bank of Canada economist Robert Hogue...

September 9, 2009
New normal for home sales: Buyers have the power - The American dream of homeownership is still attainable. Buyers just have to deal with a new set of realities. A year after the collapse of...

September 9, 2009
Home affordability improves, but recovery threatens trend - Owning a home in Canada is getting more affordable but that trend could soon end as the real estate market continues to recover,...

September 9, 2009
Canada housing - Home construction increased by a great-than-expected 12.1% in August, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., as the country's housing market continued to rebound. The federal agency...

September 10, 2009
Housing more affordable than a year ago - An RBC Economics report on home ownership released Wednesday indicates housing is more affordable than it was a year ago. But the report, which spans the...

September 10, 2009
Housing starts bounce - Residential housing construction activity in Metro Vancouver jumped in August from July's dismal lows, indicating a continuing trend toward a gradual recovery, Canada Mortgage and...

September 10, 2009
House starts signal reviving economy - Canada's home builders gave this country's recovery an unexpected boost in August, laying foundations for new homes at a surprisingly vigorous annual pace of...

September 11, 2009
BC posts strong housing sales for Augusst - By the end of August home sales recorded through the Multiple Listing Service across British Columbia had more than equalled the number of sales recorded...

September 12, 2009
New home prices reduced to finalize sales - Metro Vancouver new-home prices have posted their biggest month-to-month gain in more than a year. Contracted home prices for Metro Vancouver on...

September 12, 2009
Home sale results uneven throughout BC - B.C. home sales recorded through the Multiple Listing Service in the first eight months of the year exceeded the number of sales recorded during the same period...

September 12, 2009
Even Canada's real estate industry questions housing turnaround - Even the real estate industry in Canada is having a hard time swallowing the complete turnaround in the housing market....

September 12, 2009
Real estate across Canada - Of all home purchases across the country over the past census period (2001-2006), 6% were newly built homes. Six out of 10 buyers of those new homes were under the age of 45,...

September 12, 2009
Crisis timeline - 2006 U.S. real-estate market begins shrinking as homeowners across the country default on their loans once mortgages reset to higher rates. 2007 July Two Bear Stearns hedge funds with...

September 13, 2009
BC average house price climb - B.C.'s average house price climbed 11.7 per cent to $471,078 in August from the same month last year, the B.C. Real Estate Association said. "Home prices edged higher...

September 15, 2009
117% increase in home sales - Vancouver led the nation with a whopping 117 per cent increase in home sales in August compared to August a year ago. According to statistics released by The Canadian Real...

September 15, 2009
RENOVATIONS: Home Reno Tax Credit likely to pass; time to at least get quotes - From all indications on the political front this week, it appears extremely likely that the Home...

September 15, 2009
Handing down the family cottage - The question of cottages has risen in importance lately because of the effect the recession is having on values, according to Elaine Blades, senior product manager of...

September 16, 2009
Home resales surge - Canada's resale home sales sizzled in August, led by Greater Vancouver's 117-per-cent gain from a year ago, the Canadian Real Estate Association said yesterday. Across the country, 42,483...

September 16, 2009
Home resales surge - Canada's resale home sales sizzled in August, led by Greater Vancouver's 117-per-cent gain from a year ago, the Canadian Real Estate Association said yesterday. Across the country, 42,483...

September 16, 2009
Rebound in real estate market - Metro Vancouver's dramatic 117-per-cent increase in home resales in August compared to August 2008 led a national rebound in the real estate market. According to...

September 16, 2009
Real estate turnaround after last year's disaster - Transplanted Winnipegger Richard Partridge can't believe he didn't make a deal for a condominium in downtown Toronto last fall, when he had the...

September 17, 2009
RENOVATIONS: Don't delay if you plan to use reno tax credit - From all indications on the political front this week, it's likely the Home renovation Tax Credit [HrTC] announced in the January...

September 19, 2009
Real estate sales and prices - Sales and prices of existing homes in Canada rose in August from a year ago, but broke their monthly streak of gains, the Canadian Real Estate Association said this week. A...

September 19, 2009
Banks reaching out to help new Canadians buy a home - In the past, many immigrants to Canada came by sea--often landing at Pier 21 in Halifax. Nowadays, as a new Canadian, you are more than...

September 22, 2009
Canadians confident in economy growing - Canadian economic optimism is hitting levels not seen in nearly two years, according to a poll released Monday that suggests an increasing number think the...

September 23, 2009
2mil gap in North American housing market for "aspirational homes": report - There's a $2-million gap between the most and least expensive housing markets in North America when it...

September 23, 2009
Finding an affordable place to live - Vancouver is growing steadily, yet the number of children, especially in east Vancouver, is plunging -- one school has lost half its enrolment -- because families...

September 24, 2009
Real estate "bounce-back' seen in rising sales, housing prices - The worst is over in the Canadian residential housing market, according to a new industry report that forecasts growth in...

September 24, 2009
Vancouver sole exception across country - Easy to buy anywhere but here - Canadian real estate remains a bargain compared to the rest of the world, but Vancouver's red-hot market is...

September 25, 2009
REAL ESTATE: Recession ‘one of the shortest on record,’ report says - The worst is over in the Canadian residential-housing market, according to a new industry report that forecasts...

September 26, 2009
HST: Tax harmonization a blow to builders and customers, but especially our children - The older I get the more concerned I am about the home ownership prospects of younger...

September 26, 2009
Canada housing markets bucks recesssion - With the worst of the recession over, residential real estate markets in major Canadian centres are poised for growth in the final quarter of 2009, according...

September 27, 2009
New home sales up - Government data released Friday says sales of newly built U.S. single-family homes rose 0.7 per cent in August to a 429,000 annual pace, the highest since September last year, from a...

September 28, 2009
When is the right time to buy a house? - Q: Mortgage rates are still low and house prices keep going up. Is now the time to buy? And is it better to buy as big as you can? A: It's best to determine...

October 1, 2009
Home buyers happy to fork out more green for greening - Homeowners may be thinking about the earth's future when choosing to go green, but incentives for the self-interested consumer are a...

October 2, 2009
Homes prices up in some areas but sale levels flunctuate - Low mortgage rates continue to entice first-time buyers into the real estate market, pushing up prices in the Lower Mainland and...

October 2, 2009
Housing prices show signs of stabilzing - The housing market was the leading edge of the economic meltdown, and now signs that the global market is stabilizing could signal a broader economic recovery,...

October 2, 2009
BC returning to 'seller's market', report says - Rising sales and fewer listings have returned Canada to a "seller's market," with total B.C. home sales this year up nearly seven per cent...

October 3, 2009
Low mortgage rates lure first-time buyers into housing market - Low mortgage rates continue to entice first-time buyers into the real estate market, pushing up prices in the Lower Mainland...

October 3, 2009
Salmon Arm house prices compared to Vancouver's Lower Mainland - Home prices keep edging up month over month but compared to a year ago, how house prices have fared depends on the area....

October 6, 2009
BC home prices expected to rise - The recovery of British Columbia's residential housing market has raised expectations that home prices will continue to increase, a survey has found. Ipsos Reid...

October 6, 2009
Canadian buying property in the US - Canadians are still heading south of the border to snap up warm-weather vacation homes, but, unlike other foreign buyers, many snowbirds are now skipping the mortgage...

October 7, 2009
INTEREST RATES: Interest rates might be forced to rise - The Reserve Bank of Australia has become the first major central bank to raise interest rates since the financial crisis, highlighting...

October 7, 2009
INTEREST RATES: The recent history of interest rate hikes - Australia's interest rate hike yesterday was said to be the first by a G20 country since the financial crisis began. When was the...

October 7, 2009
Hot housing market could trigger interest rate hikes, TD bank says - The possibility exists that the Bank of Canada might raise its key interest rate before inflation hits its preferred...

October 8, 2009
Housing sales roar to recovery - After plummeting by nearly one-third in the second half of last year, Canadian housing sales rebounded by 61% as of August -- barrelling past pre-recession levels to...

October 8, 2009
'Pent-up' demand drives home sales past 2008 levels - The recent whipsaw rebound in Metro Vancouver's resale housing markets was likely "too much, too fast," according to the estimate...

October 8, 2009
Home markets surge - Greater Vancouver's housing market has stormed back to life but is getting way ahead of itself, a new report by TD Economics warns. Resurgent prices in the Lower Mainland have risen too...

October 8, 2009
Home sales top pre-crisis levels - Existing home sales haven't just recovered this year – Toronto-Dominion Bank says they are better than they were going into the economic crisis. "No other...

October 16, 2009
Busy BC housing market - Consumer-driven momentum in British Columbia’s real estate markets rolled through September and into October, but analysts think sales may slow to the pace of the province’s...

October 17, 2009
BC non-residential construction dropped 3/4 compared to 2/4 - The most recent figures on investment in non-residential construction for the third-quarter of 2009 cloud the picture of recovery...

October 18, 2009
Shuswap real estate sales - Shuswap area residential sale activity for the month of September was stronger than the same month last year. Looking back over the years 2005 saw the greatest number of...

October 19, 2009
INTEREST RATES: Renewed interest in rate decision - Chances are next to nil the Bank of Canada will alter its record-low interest rate of 0.25 per cent when it issues an official decision Tuesday....

October 21, 2009
INTEREST RATES: Bank "dovish" on key rate - The Bank of Canada said Tuesday that the “heightened volatility” and “persistent strength” in the dollar are subduing inflationary pressures and...

October 21, 2009
Going through the roof - .C.’s born-again real-estate market will see house prices hit record levels in 2010 and 2011, a new report predicts. Low mortgage rates and economic recovery are driving the...

October 21, 2009
ECO: Who's working lots, and green on top? - In everything he builds, Kevin Simoes thinks green. “Our clients come to us with a green mindset and that’s how we started,” the 29-year-old founder...

October 21, 2009
BC real estate recovery - The sharpest rebound ever in real estate sales following a downturn will help push BC's average property price to a new high, Central 1 Credit Union reported Tuesday. Below are the...

October 21, 2009
Home prices could hit new highs in 2010 - The rebound in B.C. housing sales from the recession is the strongest on record, Central 1 Credit Union said Tuesday, predicting that property prices will...

October 23, 2009
INTEREST RATES: Housing market a central facet to country’s comeback - Canadian consumers appear to have their “mojo” back, and if all goes according Bank of Canada governor Mark...

October 24, 2009
Canada's housing market booms while foreclosures still drag on the U.S.; Canada vs. U.S. - Yasmin Denner thinks back to when she bought her first house in Toronto in the 1990s....

October 24, 2009
Size matters: apartments getting bigger, houses getting smaller - Recently, I overheard a prominent Vancouver art dealer questioning the wisdom of Vancouver city council's decision to...

November 3, 2009
Home prices ready to rise - Housing markets across the Lower Mainland are headed higher next year, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. predicts. A combination of more sales and fewer active listings will...

November 3, 2009
BC residential construction to pick up - A tight housing resale market is good news for B.C.'s new residential construction sector in 2010, according to a report released Monday by the Canada Mortgage...

November 4, 2009
Real estate continues to soar - Lower Mainland home sales continued riding high in October, with prices continuing to rise, according to reports from the region's major real estate boards Tuesday. In...

November 4, 2009
Real estate sales activity riding high - Low interest rates continue to help drive Lower Mainland real estate sales higher and put pressure on prices to rise. The following are October benchmark...

November 6, 2009
Home renovations tax credit and condo owners - With just under three months left for the Home Renovation Tax Credit, the Canada Revenue Agency has released specific details on how condo dwellers may...

November 6, 2009
BC building permits fall 27% - After posting a noticeable lift in August, the building intentions of British Columbia contractors fell back down in September, figures in Statistics Canada's latest report on...

November 6, 2009
Non-residential building permits drop - After posting a noticeable lift in August, the building intentions of British Columbia contractors fell back down in September, figures in Statistics Canada's...

November 10, 2009
Housing starts increase - Single-family housing starts in October continued to be a relative bright spot for British Columbia's residential construction industry. Housing start numbers released by Canada...

November 11, 2009
RECYLING: Cellphones - province wide drop off locations - Recycling your old cellphone just got a lot easier. Government and industry announced Tuesday the launch of a new Recycle My Cell...

November 12, 2009
Real estate's recovery to come in 2010 - While the Canadian housing market has put the past year's recession and market crisis behind, other real-estate segments are still struggling to get back on...

November 12, 2009
Investors dive back into commercial property - Canada's commercial real estate market is rebounding faster than many in the industry projected just a few months ago. A survey by...

November 14, 2009
BC real estate market "A bounce-back, but no boom" - British Columbia’s real estate market should be seen as bouncing back but not booming, according to the B.C. Real Estate Association’s...

November 17, 2009
BC leads Canada in residential home sales - B.C. led Canada in new monthly records for residential sales in October, according to a report released Monday by the Canadian Real Estate Association....

November 18, 2009
JUNE CONWAY is buying & selling real estate in Kelowna, BC - Past 21 years I, June Conway have had the pleasure assisting folks buying and selling real estate as a licensed realtor. What is...

November 18, 2009
BC home sales rise - British Columbians racked up the highest number of home sales for the month of October since 2003, the B.C. Real Estate Association reported Tuesday, with Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley...

November 18, 2009
Real estate market has quickly and sharply rebounded - Mike Averbach says he has never been busier. The Vancouver mortgage planner has been doing brisk business lately as would-be homeowners...

November 18, 2009
INTEREST RATES: Higher rates and you - Here's an example of how rising mortgage rates could cause a big increase in costs for someone buying a home today. PARTICULARS: A $250,000 a five-year variable...

November 18, 2009
Kelowna and area real estate activity - Currently 1,627 homes actively listed for sale in Kelowna and area*. Asking prices ranges from $59,900 - $18mil. $59,900 offers a 1970's 475 home on a lake...

November 19, 2009
What real estate is selling in Kelowna and surrounding area - Year-to-date residential sales in Kelowna and surrounding area total 1939. Here is a glance where the residential activity is...

November 19, 2009
BC is proposing to increase the threshold for BC HST new housing rebate - The Province is proposing to increase the threshold for the B.C. HST new housing rebate from $400,000 to...

November 20, 2009
HST: BC government to raise rebate threshold for HST on new homes - After weeks of hot political debate, public protest and industry lobbying, a crack appeared Thursday in the provincial...

November 20, 2009
INTEREST RATES: Banks cut mortgage rates - Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Desjardins Group and Laurentian Bank are cutting their mortgage rates, the banks announced Thursday. Five-year closed...

November 20, 2009
HST: Victoria throws construction sector an HST break - The provincial government is throwing the home-construction sector a Harmonized Sales Tax break, raising the threshold for its maximum tax...

November 20, 2009
HST: BC eases off on HST for consumer - with a cost - British Columbia is following Ontario's retreat on the HST, rolling out fresh rebates for new housing that will cushion the tax blow to...

November 20, 2009
Home prices on a tear - Vancouver house buyers might feel like the real estate crash last winter never happened. Price-wise, the market has felt more like it did 18 months ago, with some houses being sold far...

November 20, 2009
Residential sale activity in Kelowna and area - 61% of the ytd Kelowna and area residential sale activity is in the $300,000-$499,999 price range. In contrast 2.5% of the residential sales is...

November 21, 2009
MORTGAGE: Mortgage interest deduction bad policy - It has been referred to as an American birthright, the most sacred tax break, something so sacrosanct that the mere thought of tampering with it...

November 21, 2009
ECO: BC sustainability at home tool kit - Building on the hugely successful Sustainability at Home tool kit they created for Alberta, The Natural Step Canada, in partnership with the David Suzuki...

November 21, 2009
Great selection of residential homes in Kelowna and area - 1627 homes for sale in Kelowna and surrounding area*. Greatest selection of homes in the $400,000 range and >$1mil! # of...

November 22, 2009
FINANCE: Bankruptcies are up 47% over 2008 - The recession continues to exact a heavy toll on financially strapped Canadians, sending 12,305 more individuals over the brink of bankruptcy in...

November 22, 2009
Real estate numbers on the way up - Realtor Darryl Sjerven knew the area around Main Street and East 24th Avenue in Vancouver was a hot housing market -- but not red-hot. After listing a home on East...

November 22, 2009
Kelowna and area residential real estate activity now and then - Kelowna and area* residential real estate activity is surpassing last years total number of sales and we still have a month...

November 23, 2009
Trend of median residential sale prices in Kelowna & area - Kelowna and surrounding area* median** residential sale prices ytd are down compared to 2008 and 2007. Good news still stronger...

November 23, 2009
Investors find solid foundation in apartments - Apartments on Isabella Street in Toronto, Ont. Apartment buildings generally held their value through the recession. Brett Gundlock/National Post...

November 24, 2009
Is Canada's housing rebound forming a bubble? - Canadians are a cautious people, so it isn't surprising that after resale homes posted an astonishing rebound of more than 60 per cent since January,...

November 24, 2009
Average house prices in Kelowna and area - Trend of Kelowna and surrounding area* average home prices, strength-wise peaked in 2008 as shown below. YTD average homes prices are down 10% compared to...

November 25, 2009
Comparing median and average sale price of Kelowna and area homes - Kelowna and surrounding area average and median prices over the years shows real estate is a great investment - up, up...

November 26, 2009
B.C. home affordability takes a hit as prices rise in tightened, hot market - It's getting harder to buy a home in B.C. as an increasingly hot real estate market pushes prices higher,...

November 26, 2009
Decline in (Canada)home resale prices continues to slow - The days of bargain home ownership may soon be over in Canada. Mortgage rates are edging higher, there are fewer homes to choose...

November 26, 2009
Home bargains on their way out - The days of bargain home ownership may soon be over in Canada. Mortgage rates are edging higher, there are fewer homes to choose from, and prices are rebounding from...

November 26, 2009
Affordability takes a hit - The golden age of cheap home ownership is over. The costs of owning a home in Canada have become more expensive for the first time in six quarters and affordability will...

November 26, 2009
Kelowna and area actively listed properties for sale - Great selection of properties for sale in the Kelowna and surrounding area. # of properties actively listed 2009 (2008) 4,861 (5,466)...

November 27, 2009
HOME STYLES: Rancher revival - The rancher – that archetypal housing type that came of age in post-Second World War, West Coast America – has enjoyed a mini renaissance of late in one of its early...

November 27, 2009
Kelowna real estate market activity - Glenmore neighbhourhood - Glenmore is a small Kelowna established neighbhourhood adjacent to Kelowna's downtown core - can't beat the convenient...

November 28, 2009
RENOVATIONS: Holiday projects refresh your home - Perry Como said it best when he sang "there's no place like home for the holidays." After all, family get-togethers and friendly dinners...

November 28, 2009
Kelowna real estate market activity - Dilworth Mountain neighbhourhood - Real estate activity in Kelowna's Dilworth Mountain area is predominately single family dwellings and strata...

November 28, 2009
INTEREST RATES: Central bank may keep rates low - The Bank of Canada could keep its benchmark interest rate accommodative through 2015 to offset fiscal restraint by the government, which must...

November 28, 2009
Home ownership costs rise - Bidding wars and higher interest costs have led to the inevitable -- an increase in the cost of owning a home for the first time in five quarters, says a new index produced by...

November 28, 2009
Alberta resale market readies for rebound - When the real estate dust settles this year, Alberta will likely be the only province with a decline in average resale selling prices--until 2010, says a...

November 29, 2009
RENOVATIONS: Thermal imaging can be the way to go - Q: There is a small wet area in the corner of our main floor living room and we are trying to figure out where the water is coming from. The wet...

November 29, 2009
Condo lineups return - The buzz is back. In scenes rarely seen since the Vancouver real-estate market peaked in early 2008, a horde of hungry investors lined up for hours in a downpour Saturday to get first...

November 29, 2009
Kelowna real estate market activity - Springfield/Spall neighbhourhood - Real estate market activity is strata strong in Kelowna's Springfield/Spall neighbhourhood. Springfield/Spall...

November 30, 2009
Commercial real estate - boom or bust - By most standard methods of measurement, real estate professionals gathered in Toronto this week have plenty of reasons for optimism. The residential market is...

November 30, 2009
Kelowna real estate market activity -Kelowna North neighbhourhood - Real estate market activity of Kelowna's Kelowna North neighbhourhood totals 240 properties actively listed for sale....

December 1, 2009
Kelowna real estate market activity - Kelowna South neighbhourhood - Real estate market activity of Kelowna's Kelowna South neighbhourhood totals 127 properties actively listed for sale....

December 1, 2009
Recession is over - barely but official - The end to the recession didn't come with a bang but with a whimper. Nevertheless, the news Monday that the Canadian economy eked a slim gain in the last...

December 1, 2009
Real estate surge no "blip", TD says - A recovery in the Canadian housing market, which was “as V-shaped as you can be,” has been based on fundamentals, although TD Economics warns that things could...

December 2, 2009
Canada housing boom is going to slow down, TD report says - The housing-market boom currently enjoyed in Canada will not last, warns a report released Tuesday by TD Economics. The result...

December 2, 2009
House boom set to falter - The housing-market boom currently enjoyed in Canada will not last, warns a report released Tuesday by TD Economics, and the result will likely be some stagnation of property values...

December 2, 2009
A slump's legacy: Empty offices, falling rent - Office rents around the globe are falling at an unprecedented pace as recession-battered tenants abandon space just as construction wraps up on new...

December 2, 2009
Kelowna real estate market activity - Kelowna Southeast neighbourhood - Real estate market activity of Kelowna's Kelowna Southeast neighbhourhood totals 119 properties actively listed...

December 2, 2009
Canadian real estate: Gains made, but are they sustainable? - Residential, commercial, industrial, retail – every aspect of Canadian real estate showed tentative signs of recovery in the...

December 3, 2009
Low interest rates fuel home sales - Continuing low mortgage rates led to an unseasonably high number of home purchases across the region in November, pushing prices close to their previous peak, Lower...

December 3, 2009
Kelowna real estate market activity - Lower Mission neighbhourhood - Real estate market activity in Kelowna's Lower Mission neighborhood covers the area between KLO Road and Barnaby Road,...

December 3, 2009
Housing performance expected to accelerate in 2010, - In the midst of one of the most tumultuous economic periods in recent history, residential real estate has proven to be a safe harbour, with...

December 4, 2009
House prices to hit a national high - Greater Vancouver's house prices are going through the roof. The market shook off a dismal first quarter of 2009, when horror stories of the U.S....

December 4, 2009
Housing records to fall - November housing sales across the country are set to reach new highs based on fresh data from the country's two most expensive markets. The national numbers from the Ottawa-based...

December 4, 2009
Kelowna real estate market activity - Upper Mission neighbhourhood - Real estate market activity in Kelowna's Upper Mission neighbhourhood primarily consists of single family residences...

December 5, 2009
Kelowna real estate market activity - North Glenmore neighbhourhood - Real estate market activity in Kelowna's North Glenmore area offers a good mix of new and older homes, townhomes and...

December 6, 2009
Kelowna real estate market activity - Ellison neighbhourhood - Real estate market activity in Kelowna's quiet country-like Ellison neighbhourhood is primarily made up of residential areas,...

December 7, 2009
INTEREST RATES: Central bank rate likely to stay at 0.25% - No changes in the numbers are expected this week when the Bank of Canada issues a decision on interest rates on Tuesday, but that...

December 7, 2009
Kelowna real estate market activity - University District area - Kelowna real estate market activity in Kelowna's University District area consists of relatively new homes, townhomes and...

December 8, 2009
INTEREST RATES: Bank forcast to keep lid on rates - The Bank of Canada today is widely expected to stick to its policy of holding the bank rate steady until the end of June despite signs of an...

December 8, 2009
Shovels in the ground: Stimulus sparks new building - Ottawa's infrastructure money is lighting a fire under parts of Canada's construction industry. The value of non-residential building...

December 8, 2009
Building permits soar, but not in BC - Weak residential permits result in province’s 1.2-per-cent decline, to $666 million, in October. The value of building permits jumped far above expectations in...

December 8, 2009
Pent-up demand rejuvenating home builders - Paul Dietrich would have paid a chunk of your down payment if you bought one of his newly built houses earlier this year. That offer is off the table....

December 8, 2009
October 2008 $282,583 October 2009 $341,079 - the average price of house in Canada - And the prices are climbing. Home-hunters are camping out for condos again and bidding wars...

December 8, 2009
Kelowna real estate market activity - Rutland South area - Kelowna real estate market activity in the Rutland area is broken down to two neighbourhoods, Rutland South and Rutland North....

December 8, 2009
Housing starts in Metro Vancouver lowest since 1962: CMHC - Metro Vancouver is in contention to post the lowest number of housing starts since 1962 with home construction down 60 per cent in...

December 8, 2009
Increase in Metro Vancouver home building concentrated in houses - Home builders in November continued to rush back into building new houses across Metro Vancouver, but remained slow to...

December 8, 2009
Home construction at year high in November - Housing starts rose to the highest level in a year last month, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, although they were still below...

December 9, 2009
B.C. real estate market has hottest November since 2005 - B.C. home sales in November climbed 165 per cent over the same month last year to 7,182 units, the B.C. Real Estate Association (BCREA)...

December 9, 2009
Recesssion still weighing on housing starts in Metro Vancouver - Metro Vancouver is in contention to post the lowest number of housing starts since 1962, with home construction down 60 per...

December 10, 2009
INTEREST RATES: Interest rates may rise - Bond yields and mortgage rates could head higher before the Bank of Canada's pledge to hold interest rates steady expires in July, the chief economist at Bank...

December 10, 2009
HST: BC to implement HST July 1, 2010 - The House of Commons on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed legislation enabling the provinces to harmonize their sales taxes with the federal GST, clearing the way...

December 10, 2009
Another hot month propels BC home sales - Another hot month of sales in B.C.'s coastal real estate markets pushed This is not a solicitation to purchase securities, which is being made under an...

December 10, 2009
Triple-digit gains for home sales - British Colombians' bottled-up thirst for real estate boiled over into triple-digit gains in house sales last month. House sales across the province last month...

December 10, 2009
Kelowna real estate market - Rutland North area - Kelowna real estate market activity in the Rutland area is broken down to two neighbourhoods, Rutland North and Rutland South. Combined Rutland has...

December 10, 2009
Housing market reaching 11 month high - The combination of record-low interest rates and torrid consumer demand means Canadian home builders are breaking ground at the fastest pace in almost a year....

December 11, 2009
INTEREST RATES: Bank of Canada concerned about household debt - Rising levels of household debt and deteriorating budget balances in a number of countries will emerge as the most prominent...

December 11, 2009
Kelowna real estate market - Black Mountain neighbhourhood - Kelowna real estate market in the Black Mountain neighbourhood is a growing! This neighborhood is approximately 10 miles from...

December 11, 2009
INTEREST RATES: Rates won't last, bank says - Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney is urging prudence among Canadians who are borrowing at super-cheap rates today but may not be able to afford higher...

December 11, 2009
INTEREST RATES: Slow recovery a threat to rally, central bank says - The Bank of Canada is warning that the stock rally may be overdone, taking the rare step of commenting on how equity...

December 11, 2009
Floating high on a delicate housing bubble - Is the Canadian housing market in a bubble? It sure looks that way. At a time when personal income is down about 1 per cent over the past year, we have...

December 12, 2009
REAL ESTATE: It's not just another new year, it's a pivitol year - As the year draws to a close, there is a collective sigh of relief that we made it through what could have been a much...

December 12, 2009
Kelowna real estate market - Joe Ritchie neighbourhood - Kelowna real estate market in the Joe Richie neighbhourhood is smaller in real estate market numbers compared to other Kelowna...

December 13, 2009
Kelowna real estate market - Beaverdell/Carmi area - Kelowna real estate market includes Beaverdell-Carmi area which consists of mainly single family homes, hobby farms and acreages....

December 14, 2009
Home sales jingling along - November’s resales roar back; more balance seen for 2010. The first week of December was a good week, economically speaking, for the Greater Toronto Area and Canada more...

December 14, 2009
Kelowna real estate market - Big White area - Kelowna real estate market includes the Big White ski resort area less than an hour drive from Kelowna's city centre. Big White is located 55 km east of...

December 15, 2009
Housing starts apt to jump in 2010 - The 2010 Olympics, the domestic housing market and an improved global appetite for resources will make British Columbia one of Canada's strongest provincial economies...

December 15, 2009
Kelowna real estate market - Lake Country West area - Kelowna real estate market includes the Lake Country area located just North of Kelowna. Lake Country area includes four distinct and...

December 16, 2009
Global housing crisis? What crisis? Vancouver asks - When Bob Stark bid on a loft apartment in a trendy Vancouver neighborhood in June this year, he wasn’t expecting competition. House...

December 16, 2009
Housing bubble theorists abound - What a difference a year makes. Last November, the economy was said to be on the verge of the next Great Depression, sucking the life out of a housing market that was...

December 16, 2009
Kelowna real estate market - Lake Country East - Oyama - Kelowna real estate market includes the Lake Country area located just North of Kelowna. Lake Country area includes four distinct and...

December 16, 2009
Canadian home resales jump - Canadian home sales jumped 73 per cent in November from a year earlier as the real estate market continued to recover from the economic downturn. The Canadian Real Estate...

December 16, 2009
Scenes from a recovery - Fewer Canadians are going broke. A year-long rush to file for personal bankruptcies is beginning to ease, fresh data and anecdotal evidence indicate, a strong sign for an economy so...

December 16, 2009
Canada's armoured housing market has some big cracks - One of the enduring mysteries of the Great Recession is how Canada largely escaped the crushing home price correction that hit virtually...

December 17, 2009
Rental vacancy rates up due to slow job growth, low mortgage rates - The vacancy rate for rental apartments has risen over the last year as a result of slow employment growth among young...

December 17, 2009
Apartment vacancy rates rises - The apartment vacancy rate in Metro Vancouver has increased to 2.1 per cent, following several years of vacancies below one per cent, according to the fall 2009 edition of...

December 17, 2009
House price bidding wars didn't last long - When Bob Stark bid on a loft apartment in a trendy Vancouver neighborhood in June this year, he wasn't expecting competition. House prices had dipped...

December 17, 2009
INTEREST RATES: Threat of rate rises - Homeowners are being warned any rise in interest rates risks putting a financial squeeze on the large number of debt-laden Canadians who took out variable...

December 17, 2009
Homeowners warned of rising rates - Homeowners are being warned any rise in interest rates later next year risks putting a financial squeeze on the large number of debt-laden Canadians who took out...

December 17, 2009
INTEREST RATES: Interest rate impacts - Economist Jeff Rubin has made the bold prediction that rapidly rising energy prices will force the Bank of Canada to raise interest rates faster than expected, by...

December 17, 2009
Good economic news keeps coming in - This week’s parade of good economic tidings continued Wednesday with news that job growth should continue in the coming months and the sick man of Canada’s...

December 17, 2009
Kelowna real estate market - Fintry area - Kelowna real estate market includes the Fintry area which primarily consists of cottages, single family residences and full and fractional ownership...

December 18, 2009
Canada's government will puncture any housing bubble: finance minister - The federal government is ready to clamp down further on mortgage rules if the boom in the Canadian housing...

December 18, 2009
Canadian home resale numbers back above 2008 levels - Business is booming in the Canadian resale housing market and will continue to do so, according to a report released Friday that shows...

December 18, 2009
INTEREST RATES: A tricky dance of debt - For anyone who got carried away and purchased a house by mortgaging it to the max, at an unbelievably low floating interest rate, it's like the hangover after...

December 18, 2009
Kelowna real estate market - West Kelowna area - Kelowna real estate market includes West Kelowna. West Kelowna, Lakeview Heights, Shannon Lake, Smith Creek, Westbank and Glenrosa comprise the...

December 19, 2009
Housing bubble or just heated? - What a difference a year makes. Last November, the economy was said to be on the verge of the next Great Depression, sucking the life out of a housing market that was...

December 19, 2009
Kelowna real estate market - Lakeview Heights area - Kelowna real estate market includes Lakeview Heights. West Kelowna, Lakeview Heights, Shannon Lake, Smith Creek, Westbank and Glenrosa...

December 20, 2009
Kelowna real estate market - Shannon Lake/Smith Creek area - Kelowna real estate market includes Shannon Lake/Smith Creek area. West Kelowna, Lakeview Heights, Shannon Lake, Smith Creek,...

December 21, 2009
Kelowna real estate market - Westbank area - Kelowna real estate market includes the Westbank area. West Kelowna, Lakeview Heights, Shannon Lake, Smith Creek, Westbank and Glenrosa comprise the...

December 22, 2009
Kelowna real estate market - Glenrosa area - Kelowna real estate market includes the Glenrosa area. West Kelowna, Lakeview Heights, Shannon Lake, Smith Creek, Westbank and Glenrosa comprise the...

December 22, 2009
Flaherty bombs on housing bomb - Think of Canada's housing market as a ticking time bomb. Think of Jim Flaherty, the Minister of Finance, as the unlucky bomb-disposal expert called in to deal with the...

December 22, 2009
Cure for housing market comes with risks - The housing market that led Canada out of recession is now so hot that Ottawa is talking about doing something to cool it off, a move economists say carries...

December 22, 2009
Lessons from the US housing collapse of 1926 - It was a classic boom and bust. From Manhattan to the Chicago suburbs and the Florida Everglades, builders put up houses faster than they could sell...

December 23, 2009
Kelowna real estate market -property sale activity now & then - Kelowna real estate market sale numbers are catching up to last years totals. The Central Okanagan includes...

December 24, 2009
INTEREST RATES: Beware rising rates and don't overextend - In recent weeks, the Finance Department and the Bank of Canada have both issued warnings to consumers about not getting overextended...

December 24, 2009
US November new home sales sink 11 percent - Sales of new homes in the U.S. plunged unexpectedly by 11 per cent last month to the lowest level since April, a sign the housing market recovery will be...

December 24, 2009
Housing market drives October's GPD growth - Canada's economy posted a second straight month of growth in October, as spinoff effects from the hot housing sector help solidify the country's rebound...

December 24, 2009
Kelowna real estate market - Active listing inventory now & then in and around Kelowna - Kelowna real estate market past eighteen months has been a buyers market. Compared to...

December 25, 2009
Kelowna real estate market - list/sell ratio now & then - Kelowna real estate market over the years shows list/sell ratio is similar whether supply is greater than demand or demand is greater...

December 26, 2009
Kelowna real estate market - how much times does it take to sell property now & then - Kelowna real estate market the past eighteen months adjusted with increasing listing...

December 27, 2009
Kelowna real estate market - average residential price now & then - Kelowna real estate market average residential prices peaked in 2008 and has adjusted downward approximately 9%. Good...

December 28, 2009
Economy took a ride in 2009 - Considering where we started 2009 economically, things aren’t looking so bad as we enter 2010. As 2008 was turning into 2009, the Toronto Stock Exchange’s value had, in a...

December 28, 2009
Canada's rate hikes tied to the Fed - When the Canadian dollar topped 95 cents (U.S.) last week, approaching a three-week high toward the end of a year that has seen the currency gain 16 per cent against...

December 28, 2009
Kelowna real estate market - median residential price now & then - Kelowna real estate market median residential price over the past ten years was strongest in 2007. The greatest annual...

December 29, 2009
MORTGAGE: Stress test your mortgage situation - Many people are tempted to take advantage of low mortgage rates before they start rising again, and before housing prices recover completely from the...

December 29, 2009
REAL ESTATE INTERNATIONAL: First Dubai, now Shanghai - Housing bubble that burst in the desert threatens China's boom - The young couple had just finished another...

December 29, 2009
Low cost housing plan in the works for Kelowna - An affordable-housing complex for older teens and young adults is being planned by the Okanagan Boys and Girls Club in Kelowna. The multi-storey...

December 29, 2009
Kelowna real estate market - residential house prices now & then - Kelowna real estate market average residential price peaked in 2008 and median price in 2007. The past year average and...

December 30, 2009
U.S house prices showing signs of solidity - The U.S. housing market is showing further signs of stabilization, thanks in large part to mortgage rates that are close to record lows and a government...

December 30, 2009
INTEREST RATES: Don’t clamp down on home mortgage regulations, federal government urged - The mere hint that federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty might step in to tighten...

December 30, 2009
Condo boom squeezing families out - It is the dominant form of housing under construction in urban centres across the country. But smart design and effective use of space cannot compensate for the fact...

December 30, 2009
Home prices see first annual rise - Resale prices for Canadian homes rose for a sixth consecutive month in October -- and were up on an annual basis for the first time in nearly a year -- as the...

December 30, 2009
Locations to zoom in on for new homes in the Kelowna real estate market - Kelowna real estate market (Central Okanagan) covers a large area: Beaverdell/Carmi, Black Mountain, Big White,...

December 31, 2009
Economy took a wild ride in 2009 - Considering where we started 2009 economically, things aren't looking so bad as we enter 2010. As 2008 was turning into 2009, the Toronto Stock Exchange's value had,...

December 31, 2009
Pop the housing bubble - Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has floated trial balloons as of late on the prospect of reining in borrowers before they inflate the Canadian housing market into a bubble --...

December 31, 2009
Where to find residential 5-10 acres in the Kelowna real estate market - Kelowna real estate market includes residential acreages. Currently, approximately 12% of the Kelowna real...

January 1, 2010
Kelowna real estate market rebounds in property sale numbers - Kelowna real estate market sale numbers are caught up to last years totals. Though sale numbers are better than last year they...

January 2, 2010
MORTGAGE: Looking to take advantage of lower rates? Be careful, bank cautions - Many people are tempted to take advantage of low mortgage rates before they start rising again, and...

January 2, 2010
Some home thoughts as a new year dawns - Coming on the heels of a worldwide financial meltdown, 2009 did not look promising. Even though it was our company's 40th anniversary, it did not seem the time...

January 2, 2010
Real estate claws itself out of a hole - When condo marketer Cameron McNeill stood to make a speech at his company's Christmas party, he presided over an upbeat crowd of developers, realtors and...

January 2, 2010
Suppy, demand and a real estate rebound - Alittle over a year ago Greater Vancouver's real estate market threatened to grind to a halt, gripped by panic and confusion. After a seven-year boom, many...

January 2, 2010
Kelowna area house prices compared to Metro Vancouver - Kelowna real estate market average residential price is $459,321 in contrast to Metro Vancouvers' $903,000 (November 2009). Over the past...

January 2, 2010
Guide to a good life: Location,location, location - Everybody knows there are three rules in real estate: Location, location, location. But are there any times when those rules are not valid?...

January 3, 2010
Good reasons to invest in BC real estate in 2010 - Here we are in beautiful B.C. at the end of the first decade of the new millennium. Are we better off than we were in Y2K? An independent...

January 3, 2010
Where to buy a lot to build a new home in the Kelowna and surrounding area? - Kelowna real estate market* has 595 lots and acreages listed for sale. Prices range as low as a Fintry...

January 4, 2010
Greater Victoria 2010 property assessments up $4 billion, totals $89 billion - The value of Greater Victoria’s residential and commercial properties for 2010 is nearly $89 billion...

January 4, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Prepare for coming mortgage-rate rise - Many people are tempted to take advantage of low mortgage rates before they start rising again, and before housing prices recover...

January 4, 2010
Kelowna real estate market 2009 sale activity numbers - Kelowna real estate market in the early months of 2009 was not unlike other Canadian centres showing slumping sale activity and increased...

January 5, 2010
Increased real estate sales and decreased prices - Real estate sales were up and prices came down across Vancouver Island last year. But expect a leveling as listed properties remain scarce and...

January 5, 2010
December jump in housing sales - After plummeting to lows not seen since the 1980s, Lower Mainland real estate markets saw a rush in the second half of 2009 that pushed sales well above an economically...

January 5, 2010
BC property assessments - The 2009 property assessments-- the values on which British Columbians' 2010 municipal tax bills will be based--are on the web and in the mail. This year--unlike in January of 2009...

January 5, 2010
Appeal or not to appeal your Kelowna property assessment? - Kelowna residential property assessments declined 2009 not unlike most municipalities of the Lower Mainland. Here are the average...

January 5, 2010
Kelowna and area average home price and property assessment - 2009 Kelowna average house price is $442,429; West Kelowna $471,307. Below are the average house prices for single family...

January 6, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Happy times for interest rates can't last forever - Where are interest rates going? For home buyers, the question is obviously relevant. After all, the higher the interest...

January 6, 2010
Housing sale recovery not equally shared among BC municipalities - After plummeting to lows not seen since the 1980s, Lower Mainland real estate markets saw a rush in the second half of...

January 6, 2010
Real estate bounces back - The Lower Mainland's real-estate market veered from bust to boom last year. Year-over-year sales in the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver soared 172.2 per cent last month,...

January 6, 2010
Kelowna real estate market - June Conway offers you a free market evalution - Now is the time in the Kelowna real estate market to be actively listed. Listing inventory is low. 3,340...

January 7, 2010
Canada's hot housing market to continue through mid-2010 - Canada has moved back into a seller's market and will remain "unusually strong" through the first half of 2010 as economic...

January 7, 2010
Return of consumer real estate confidence - House prices in neighbourhoods across Toronto rose significantly last year, thanks to a return of consumer confidence after a wilted 2008. West-end...

January 7, 2010
Kelowna real estate market - 2009 top selling neighbhourhoods - 2009 - 3,803 Kelowna and surrounding area* buyers fullfilled their property ownership dreams. This number is up 5.5% from...

January 8, 2010
Home prices headed up in 2010 - Realty firm Royal LePage has come out of the gate in 2010 with the prediction Metro Vancouver's home prices will inflate another 7.2 per cent this year, as long as the...

January 8, 2010
Housing prices forecast to increase in 2010 - Ottawa housing prices are forecast to increase 5.9 per cent this year, according to a real estate industry survey, as buyers chase low mortgage rate in a...

January 8, 2010
House prices set to surge - Vancouver's average house price should rise by 7.2 per cent this year following substantial increases at the end of 2009, according to Royal LePage's latest house price survey....

January 8, 2010
RENOVATIONS: Former grow-op has high points, but beware - If you could buy a fixer-upper at a really good price, should you do it? What if that fixer-upper is a former marijuana grow-operation?...

January 8, 2010
Neighbhourhoods in and around Kelowna realizing strong house prices - Kelowna real estate market covers a large area including Beaverdell/Carmi, Black Mountain, Big White, Carr's Landing...

January 9, 2010
Small house with a big impact - What packing-challenged, organizational junkie hasn't fantasized about something that can hold all the comforts of home in a small and portable package--say, like Mary...

January 9, 2010
RENOVATIONS: 2010 decorating trends - With the holidays over and Visa bills bulging, it's hard to think of buying anything for yourself let alone accessories for the home, but it's that "what's hot,...

January 9, 2010
HST: Hst On Renovations Hits May 1 - With all the billboards springing up around the city, it's hard to miss the 13% harmonized sales tax (HST) slated to become law July 1. For many, the tax is just a...

January 9, 2010
Signs of recovery? More listings in 2010. - We have just crossed the threshold into 2010, so let's look back on the events that affected the GTA housing market in 2009 and also consider what the...

January 9, 2010
Kelowna areas with the greatest amount of strata sale activity - Kelowna real estate market covers a large area*, 28 sub areas or neighbhourhoods. Some areas offer more strata lifestyle...

January 9, 2010
Home inspection remains a buyer-beware environment - Many homeowners confused by home inspectionstandards, unaware of potential conflicts of interest. Darcy Zallen liked the spacious half-acre...

January 10, 2010
Real estate prices rising rapidly - As Canada's red-hot real estate market shows no signs of slowing down in 2010, analysts are beginning to caution some buyers that their best move may be to step to the...

January 10, 2010
Highest and lowest strata prices in and around Kelowna - Kelowna real estate market* includes 28 areas/neighbourhoods. Some locations offer more strata lifestyle options and some locations...

January 11, 2010
Unhappy Singaporeans eye Canada as new home - Few people are aware that Canada is one of the preferred destinations for refugees fleeing Singapore. Indeed, it's highly likely that not many people...

January 11, 2010
HST: The 'bubble' in B.C. could pop with the HST - While the news in Canada is rife with reports that the recession is over and the economy is rebounding, that doesn't mean that residents in...

January 11, 2010
Housing starts in Kelowna continue to slowly rise - The upward trend in new home construction continuing in Kelowna, as Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation releases housing start numbers for...

January 11, 2010
Housing starts inch up in December - The annual rate of housing starts reached 174,500 units in December, up nearly 10,000 from November. The improvement in housing starts was broad-based, with...

January 11, 2010
Housing, trade to step onto centre stage in this week's economic data - Housing and trade are two of the main issues Canadians can look to this week for clues concerning the health of...

January 11, 2010
Locations in Kelowna and surrounding areas with strongest lot and acreage sale activity - Kelowna real estate market has some locations/neighbhourhoods offering more vacant lot...

January 12, 2010
New home construction in Canada fell to eight-year low in 2009 - The pace of Canadian home construction for 2009 peaked as the year was coming to an end, closing out the first year in what...

January 12, 2010
No housing bubble - The Bank of Canada yesterday dismissed talk of a housing bubble in Canada as "premature," warning that calls for higher interest rates now in an effort to temper real-estate markets...

January 12, 2010
Construction industry placed to lead Canada out of recession - Canada's construction industry has been gaining jobs since last August and the uptrend will continue as more infrastructure...

January 12, 2010
No housing bubble in Canada -- yet - Some observers have pointed to the risk of a Canadian housing bubble -- a situation where the level of house prices is based primarily on extrapolative expectations...

January 12, 2010
Mobile home real estate in the Kelowna area - Some Kelowna's areas have more mobile homes options than others. To help you focus which of the 28 Kelowna and surrounding area locations offer more...

January 13, 2010
Mobile home prices in Kelowna and surrounding area - Throughout Kelowna and surrounding area one can find large mobile home parks. Not unlike any type of real estate the purchase price varies...

January 13, 2010
Good news on all fronts in housing - Average house prices in B.C. rose two per cent in 2009 as the province's housing market began with a whimper and went out with a bang. House sales in the province...

January 13, 2010
Late wave of sales carries B.C. house markets higher - A strong wave of property sales through British Columbia's southern and coastal property markets in December helped lift the province to a...

January 14, 2010
Commercial real estate still hurting - Canada's commercial real-estate market faces another tough year, but is at least poised for more rapid recovery than the battered U.S. market once the economic...

January 14, 2010
MORTGAGE: Mortgage shoppers opt for caution - The housing industry fired back yesterday at comments from Ottawa that the sector might be overheated with a new report that shows Canadians have become...

January 14, 2010
Housing may be leading Canada's economic recovery - New-home prices rose 0.4% in November for the fifth consecutive monthly gain, Statistics Canada says, adding to growing evidence housing is...

January 14, 2010
What lies ahead for housing starts? - The pace of home construction for 2009 peaked as the year was coming to an end, closing out the first year in what is expected to be a markedly different era for the...

January 14, 2010
June Conway offers you a free 2010 market evaluation of your Kelowna home - We have just crossed the threshold into 2010! The Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board’s 2009 MLS home...

January 15, 2010
Record house sales revive bubble fears - The heated debate about whether the Canadian housing market is in the midst of a bubble is likely to continue into this year, thanks to December sales that set...

January 15, 2010
2009 resale housing market ends on a high note - Existing home sales activity reached the highest level ever for the month of December, according to statistics released by The Canadian Real Estate...

January 15, 2010
Home buyer prep for 2010 - Many people who were prescient enough to buy a house in Toronto at this time last year are likely spending the opening days of 2010 exulting and revelling in cheap money....

January 15, 2010
Kelowna home sale activity the past year - 28 areas comprise the Kelowna real estate market. Some areas had more home sales than others in 2009. Single Family Residence Sale #'s AREA (median...

January 15, 2010
Economy will roar 'like a lion,' then fizzle: CIBC - The Canadian economy will roar back to strength in the first half of this year only to run out of fuel later in 2010 as foreign demand...

January 15, 2010
MORTGAGES: Canadians 'prudent' on borrowing - Despite concerns about a housing bubble and high levels of household debt, a survey commissioned by the country's mortgage brokers suggests Canadians are...

January 15, 2010
December home sales leap 72% to record high - Sales of existing homes reached a record high for the month of December, according the Canadian Real Estate Association, with annual sales coming in...

January 15, 2010
MORTGAGE: Will longer amortizations be nipped in the bud? - Shannon Puddister figured he would probably need some flexibility when he took on his first mortgage, with an 18-month-old daughter...

January 16, 2010
RENOVATIONS: Wireless, without destroying walls - Breakthroughs in technology mean homeowners in older houses can now enjoy the same advantages in home automation formerly available only in new...

January 16, 2010
RENOVATIONS: Wailing walls - The Village of Swansea is a neighbourhood of hills and dales bounded by Lake Ontario, Grenadier Pond, the Humber River and Bloor Street West. I went to see a two-storey Ugly...

January 16, 2010
Penny-pinching on design details devalues your home - Some say God is in the details. Others say it's the devil. Either way, says Ottawa designer Tim Davis, you've got to pay attention to the...

January 16, 2010
Home resales roar - Sales and prices of existing homes in Canada soared in December, capping a whirlwind 2009 that began weakly and then went on to set record highs for prices, and further stirring debate of a...

January 16, 2010
Real estate, financial sectors lead the recovery - It's been a busy year for veteran Ottawa realtor Carol Charbonneau. And she hasn't been the only one to benefit as widespread fear at the...

January 16, 2010
BC lion - Now here's a crazy swing of the pendulum. The British Columbia Real Estate Association says 2009 "came in like a lamb and went out like a lion. The year began with home sales trending at a 25-year low...

January 16, 2010
Key for the door - Purchasing a home for the first time can be pretty daunting, as well as financially challenging. There are a number of schemes at the municipal, provincial and national levels that may help...

January 16, 2010
Real estate market bounces to highs - Ted Zaharko spent the end of 2008 cutting staff and costs at Royal LePage Foothills. It was the height of the recession, and the resale housing market contracted...

January 16, 2010
Kelowna lot and acreage sale activty the past year - Some Kelowna areas had more lot and acreage sales than others in 2009. Lot and Acreage Sale #'s AREA (median price) 11 Beaverdell/Carmin...

January 17, 2010
Housing sales see a record December - The heated debate about whether the Canadian housing market is in the midst of a bubble is likely to continue in the new year thanks to December sales that set a new...

January 17, 2010
Kelowna strata sale activity the past year - Kelowna and surrounding area strata total sale activity numbers were second to single family residential; 1,350 and 2,158 respectively. Strata includes...

January 18, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Interest rates, inflation highlight week's economic news - Interest rates and inflation are among the principle subjects of this week's Canadian economic news. On...

January 18, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Carney watches for signs of economic healing - Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney is entering a crucial phase for clinching the recovery. Having helped steer Canada's...

January 18, 2010
B.C. forecast: Economy will recover, but employment slow to follow - The worst recession since 1982 is over for British Columbia, but it will still be a slow slog back for employment,...

January 18, 2010
Kelowna mobile home sale activity the past year - Mobile home total sale activity numbers in Kelowna and surrounding is a very small percentage of the real estate selling market - 4.5% in contrast...

January 18, 2010
MORTGAGE: Mortgage brokers handling growing number of deals - When Hamilton, Ont., residents and partners Kathy Funke and Grant Bivol wanted to purchase an investment residential property in...

January 19, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Bank of Canada maintains overnight rate target at 1/4 per cent and reiterates conditional commitment to hold current policy rate until the end of the second quarter of 2010 - Bank of Canada maintains overnight rate target at 1/4 per cent and reiterates conditional commitment to hold current policy rate until the end of the second quarter of 2010 OTTAWA, Jan. 19 /CNW Telbec/ - The Bank of Canada today announced that it is maintaining its target for the overnight rate at 1/4 per cent. The Bank Rate is unchanged at 1/2 per cent and the deposit rate is 1/4 per cent. The global economic recovery is under way, supported by continued improvements in financial conditions and stronger domestic demand growth in many emerging-market economies. While the outlook for global growth through 2010 and 2011 is somewhat stronger than the Bank had projected in its October Monetary Policy Report, the recovery continues to depend on exceptional monetary and fiscal stimulus, as well as extraordinary measures taken to support financial systems. Economic growth in Canada resumed in the third quarter of 2009 and is expected to have picked up further in the fourth quarter. Total CPI inflation turned positive in the fourth quarter and the core rate of inflation has been slightly higher than expected in recent months. Nevertheless, considerable excess supply remains, and the Bank judges that the economy was operating about 3 1/4 per cent below its production capacity in the fourth quarter of 2009. Canada's economic recovery is expected to evolve largely as anticipated in the October MPR, with the economy returning to full capacity and inflation to the 2 per cent target in the third quarter of 2011. The Bank projects that the economy will grow by 2.9 per cent in 2010 and 3.5 per cent in 2011, after contracting by 2.5 per cent in 2009. The factors shaping the recovery are largely unchanged - policy support, increased confidence, improving financial conditions, global growth, and higher terms of trade. At the same time, the persistent strength of the Canadian dollar and the low absolute level of U.S. demand continue to act as significant drags on economic activity in Canada. On balance, these factors have shifted the composition of aggregate demand towards growth in domestic demand and away from net exports. The private sector should become the sole driver of domestic demand growth in 2011. Conditional on the outlook for inflation, the target overnight rate can be expected to remain at its current level until the end of the second quarter of 2010 in order to achieve the inflation target. Consistent with this conditional commitment, the Bank will continue to conduct term Purchase and Resale Agreements based on existing terms and conditions and according to the accompanying schedule: http://www.bankofcanada.ca/en/notices_fmd/2010/notice_fad190110.pdf In its conduct of monetary policy at low interest rates, the Bank retains considerable flexibility, consistent with the framework outlined in the April 2009 MPR. The risks to the outlook for inflation continue to be those outlined in the October MPR. On the upside, the main risks are stronger-than-projected global and domestic demand. On the downside, the main risks are a more protracted global recovery and persistent strength of the Canadian dollar that could act as a significant further drag on growth and put additional downward pressure on inflation. While the underlying macroeconomic risks to the projection are roughly balanced, the Bank judges that, as a consequence of operating at the effective lower bound, the overall risks to its inflation projection are tilted slightly to the downside. Information note: A full update of the Bank's outlook for the economy and inflation, including risks to the projection, will be published in the Monetary Policy Report on 21 January 2010. The next s...

January 19, 2010
2009 real estate activity for Kelowna and surrounding areas - 2009 sale activity edged up 5.5% above 2008 in Kelowna and surrounding area. Single family residences and strata gained more...

January 19, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Bank of Canada no hurry to raise rates - Even though global growth is "somewhat" exceeding expectations, the Bank of Canada indicated Tuesday it is in no hurry to...

January 19, 2010
National housing starts up broadly in December - Housing starts were up in most parts of the country outside the Atlantic provinces in December, according to a report released yesterday by the...

January 20, 2010
B.C. building construction costs down, thanks to recession - Last year's recession dried up enough plans to build new buildings and erased enough construction jobs to take a substantial bite...

January 20, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Bank of Canada puzzles observers - The global economic outlook is getting brighter, the Canadian job market looks to have stabilized, real estate continues to rise and equity...

January 20, 2010
Buying and selling Kelowna real estate - Is now the right time to buy or sell Kelowna real estate? Buyers or Sellers with a good sense of timing are buying and selling now. With mortgage rates still...

January 21, 2010
Building permits rise - Building permits in the U.S. unexpectedly jumped in December, signalling gains in housing will be sustained into 2010 after winter weather depressed construction at the end of last year....

January 21, 2010
HST panel - Q: What effect will the HST have on construction of a new home to live in, and not to sell? Also, how will contractors handle the transition if the construction takes place before and after the HST is...

January 21, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Rate speculation eases - Retailers chopped prices for clothing, furniture and appliances at a record pace in December in a battle to lure cautious consumers in the key Christmas period,...

January 21, 2010
Review of Kelowna home prices - Kelowna average house price gains peaked in 2008 however 2009 was not bad! 2009 Kelowna average house price catapolted 158% over 10 years or approximately 25% annual...

January 22, 2010
HOME MAINTENANCE: Keeping on top of basic home repairs - We all get our cars serviced on a regular basis - oil and filter change, tire rotation, tune-up. Some moving parts in our cars require...

January 22, 2010
Carney warns on growth - Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of Canada, warned yesterday the country has to boost its troubling productivity record or face years of sputtering economic growth that would be...

January 22, 2010
Real estate as nest egg - Retired Ottawa high school teacher Gerald Jean is about to hit the town. He and his wife are off to see Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon in Invictus for $4 each. "Yeah, that's...

January 22, 2010
Kelowna strata trend over the years - Kelowna strata includes townhomes and condominiums. The average strata price was strongest in 2008 not unlike single family residences; $315,308 and $546,636...

January 23, 2010
December push pulls 2009 out of historic house-start hole - Phew, that was close! Were it not for a surge in housing starts in December, 2009 would have been remembered, or forgotten, as the...

January 23, 2010
Homebuilding poised for revival - The Onni Group kicked off 2010 by launching three new suburban highrise condominium projects, Polygon Homes laid out a plan to increase its construction by 20 per cent,...

January 23, 2010
Real estate hot but not yet over heating - Metro Vancouver's real-estate market warmed up considerably at the end of 2009, but probably won't overheat as 2010 progresses, new data released Friday by...

January 23, 2010
Total tally of million-dollar properties drops in communities across region - The paper profits the mid-decade property boom gave to many Lower Mainland homeowners, the recession at...

January 23, 2010
Increased Kelowna 2010 new housing starts anticipated - Kelowna new housing starts were down 70% last year compared to 2008; 657 for 2009 compared 2008's 2,257. Paul Fabri of Kelowna...

January 24, 2010
Real estate opportunities exist in Kelowna and surrounding areas - Currently 3,595 properties are activley for sale on Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board for the Central Okanagan which...

January 24, 2010
RENOVATIONS: What are some renovations that add value to my home? - A good investment in a renovation should increase the value of your home by at least the amount of money you spent, or...

January 25, 2010
Top 10 must-have features in new homes today - Americans want smaller houses and they are willing to strip some of yesterday’s most popular rooms—such as home theaters—from them in order to...

January 25, 2010
Bankruptcies on the rise - It was a sobering signal when the phones were ringing off the hook at the city's Financial Fitness office. On the heels of a record year for personal bankruptcies, executive...

January 25, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Rates are ripe for investing - With interest rates at historic lows, borrowing to invest is now cheaper than ever. Of course, your net cost can be reduced even further if you can...

January 25, 2010
Good selection of Kelowna real estate properties - Kelowna real estate opportunities continue to exist for first time buyers, move-up or move-down buyers like never before. Currently 1,962...

January 25, 2010
The doomsday view of the mortgage market - For years Garth Turner has been telling anyone who will listen that Canada’s long-running housing market boom is about to crash. The...

January 25, 2010
New senior housing announced for Kelowna - The governments of Canada and British Columbia announced today $15.5 million for the construction of 322 modular housing units for seniors and persons with...

January 26, 2010
Housing "severely unaffordable" - Banka Jecminkova, her husband Jiri Jecminek and son George Jecminek are pleased they were able to buy a townhouse 15 years ago and then move up to a larger detached home...

January 26, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Time to raise rates - A new Great Depression has been avoided. Gargantuan efforts from governments and monetary authorities have limited the damage of the credit crunch to a bad...

January 26, 2010
Grow-ops: It's time for a one-stop B.C. registry - As British Columbia approaches the one-year anniversary of its licensing of home inspectors, it's a good idea to address one significant area of...

January 26, 2010
World-class in 'unaffordability' - Vancouver is the least affordable housing market in nearly 300 metropolitan markets worldwide, according to a study released Monday. "Vancouver is the most...

January 26, 2010
Kelowna makes Canada's "least" affordable housing market list - A report by the Frontier Centre for Public Policy rates cities with a number indicating the multiple of median annual family...

January 27, 2010
INTEREST RATES: An interest rate hike this summer? - Canadian market watchers will get some good news this week. The predictions for a "blowout" reading on fourth-quarter GDP are...

January 27, 2010
Peek at Kelowna's housing market - Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board has 810 homes listed for sale. Lots of homes to choose from Kelowna's sixteen neighbhourhoods. Good selection in all price ranges:...

January 28, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Variable or fixed? Both options have merits. - With a 10-year mortgage, you're entirely insulated from the coming cycle of interest rate increases. Whether you prefer to...

January 28, 2010
House prices on an upward trend that likely is sustainable, analyst says - A measure of home prices in major Canadian markets was up in November compared with a year earlier for the...

January 28, 2010
Status of Kelowna home sale activity - New year, fresh start. How is Kelowna home sale activity faring days into the new year? 150% stronger than last year same time frame! Single family residence...

January 29, 2010
MORTGAGES: How much do your neighbours owe on their mortgage? - The likely answer: a lot more than you think Admit it. You’re curious. When you see Sold signs popping up on...

January 29, 2010
Whistler real estate, and trying to gauge the ‘Olympic effect’ - Let the sales pitch begin. With the 2010 Olympics at Vancouver and Whistler’s doorstep, one local real estate...

January 29, 2010
RENOVATIONS: The right contractors and tradespeople can make renovations virtually pain-free - When it's time for a change, take the time to find the right people, materials...

January 29, 2010
RENOVATIONS: Four step breakdown for a renovation job - All through my career as a contractor, I've had to explain to my clients, in detail, the time breakdown of the job. And that's a good...

January 29, 2010
Don’t want a home-sour-home? Then, avoid these - Every day in our houses, we are exposed to thousands of chemicals and toxic elements. We’re not sure of the long-term health impacts of all of...

January 29, 2010
New year strata sale activity to date in Kelowna - 145% increase in Kelowna strata sales year-to-date compared to same period last year! Not unlike Kelowna's single family residence +150% sale...

January 29, 2010
Housing Forecast for 2010 - Residential units sales through the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in BC are forecast to increase 6 percent to 90,100 units in 2010, before edging back 3 per cent to 87,500...

January 30, 2010
RENOVATIONS: It's not too late for that renovatIon - With just hours to go before the home renovation tax credit (HRTC) expires, you still have time to rush out and purchase those supplies before...

January 30, 2010
Price gains to crimp B.C. real estate growth in 2010, 2011 - The mortgage-rate fuelled bounce back of British Columbia real estate in 2009 has probably used up most of the market's growth for...

January 30, 2010
Kelowna million dollar plus real estate - Thirty days into the new year and Kelowna has had 3 million dollar plus property sales - single family residences. This included a 4,696 sf executive rancher...

January 31, 2010
Kelowna and Whistler real estate have commonalities - Over the past decade both Whistler and Kelowna have experienced a doubling of property values! The average price for a Whistler...

January 31, 2010
House prices climb higher - The average home price in B.C. should rise five per cent this year to $490,900, according to the B.C. Real Estate Association. Next year's average is expected to climb only one...

January 31, 2010
RENOVATIONS: Just hours left to cash in on Home Renovation Tax Credit - With just hours to go before the home renovation tax credit (HRTC) expires, you still have time to rush out and...

February 1, 2010
What it takes $-wise to buy a new Kelowna home - $405,000 is Kelowna's buy-in price today for a new home which offers 1,600 sf finished plus another 410 sf unfinished, grade level entry; two levels...

February 1, 2010
HST: Last-day rush for tax credit - Karl Wong's wife raced off to a big-box store in Edmonton buy a soaker tub for their bathroom before the federal Home Renovation Tax Credit program ended Sunday....

February 2, 2010
Fraser Valley real estate market ‘returned to balance’ - Fraser Valley real estate markets mirrored the Metro Vancouver experienced in January with a more relaxed pace of sales with...

February 2, 2010
Vancouver real estate prices hit January peak while regional sales pace levels off - Metro Vancouver house prices reached a new peak level in January while the overall pace of...

February 2, 2010
Economies on the rebound - The North American economy is roaring back to life, easing fears of a perilous slide back into recession. The big question now is whether the recovery – so clearly apparent in...

February 2, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Recovery points to summer rate hike - Canadians should be preparing for higher interest rates sooner rather than later. With the North American economy growing significantly...

February 2, 2010
RENOVATIONS: Wooing the reluctant do-it-yourselfer - They have little interest in renovating, and try to avoid redecorating. Yet Rona Inc. chief executive officer Robert Dutton is counting on...

February 2, 2010
Buy-in price for a Kelowna home - This year is one of the best times to be in the market to buy a home. Price trends continue to be as favourable as they have been in a long time and interest rates...

February 3, 2010
Down payment "tip" for first time buyers - Having both a TFSA and an RRSP may make good sense for people planning to buy their first home, says Bill Lott, a financial advisor with Edward Jones...

February 3, 2010
Housing prices soar - House prices in Greater Vancouver reached new highs last month even as the number of new listings soared. The benchmark price for all classes of homes in the area climbed to $573,241 in...

February 3, 2010
House prices hit new record - Metro Vancouver house prices reached a new peak in January, while the overall pace of sales across the Lower Mainland eased off the torrid pace seen in December, according to...

February 3, 2010
Kelowna real estate sales double! - Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board recorded +130% increase of January property sales (253) compared to the same month a year ago for Kelowna and surrounding area....

February 4, 2010
Commercial real estate returns set to dip - Canada's commercial real estate sector is set to see a dip in year-over-year funds from operations, largely as a result of recent capital raisings and...

February 4, 2010
Housing sales in "recovery" phase - January housing sales were up 86% over last year, according to a report from the Toronto Real Estate Board. Across greater Toronto, 4,986 homes were sold last month,...

February 4, 2010
Kelowna and urban centre's real estate market trends - What does Kelowna and major Canadian urban centre real estate markets have in common - doubling of sale activity first month of 2010...

February 5, 2010
RENOVATIONS: If your project requires permits, hire a general contractor - When considering a renovation or a home repair, the big questions for most homeowners are who should do the...

February 5, 2010
Building permits up sharply in B.C., StatsCan analysts say - B.C. recorded the largest increase in building permit values in the country in December, according to a Statistics Canada survey...

February 5, 2010
Kelowna real estate hot spots - 31 days in 2010 and twice the sale activity in contrast to same period last year; +130% in Kelowna and surrounding area and City of Kelowna +109%. Over the past ten years...

February 6, 2010
Small-space residency has a big history - Size does indeed matter. Just ask the Surrey homeowners troubled by the 4,000-plus-square-foot home overshadowing their rancher. Or the folks who can't wait to...

February 6, 2010
MORTGAGES: Big six banks urge Ottawa to tighten mortgage rules - Canada's top bankers are pushing the government to clamp down on the mortgage market to cool off the rise in home prices....

February 6, 2010
Recovery of luxury homes rmarket - It took a couple of months, but sales of luxury homes in 2009 caught up to the general real estate market driven largely by buyers from mainland China, one dealer in...

February 6, 2010
Kelowna's luxury home market - Central Okanagan* which includes Kelowna and surrounding area currently has 350 properties listed on Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board priced >$1mil. 197/350 are within...

February 7, 2010
RENOVATIONS: Tips on home renovation tax credit - If you run a business, you may lose exemption.....Dear Condo Smarts: Do strata corporations have to file tax returns? We are a 24-unit townhouse...

February 7, 2010
RENOVATIONS: Cork floor benefits - Q We are replacing the vinyl flooring in our kitchen and considering cork flooring. We like the look and feel of cork and have found lots of styles to choose from that...

February 7, 2010
$200,000 range your budget to buy a Kelowna home? - Kelowna real estate offers twenty-nine homes in the $200,000-$299,000 range for you to choose from. Most of these homes offered for sale on MLS...

February 7, 2010
Investing in Canada - So, you step on a plane – fly to your particular foreign Paradise and as you lie on the beach or have that beaker of après-ski schnapps, you turn to your beloved and say: "We should...

February 7, 2010
An outlook for the future - As British Columbia gets ready to host the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, the province’s economy is preparing for a burst of economic activity, according to an RBC...

February 7, 2010
Color the home with optimism - The new decade will see kitchens with teak veneer cabinets, teak and cork flooring and thick countertops. Overhead cabinets will vanish, to be replaced with roll-out drawers....

February 8, 2010
Housing starts expected to show continuing recovery - This week’s economic data are anticipated to show continuing recovery in Canada’s new-housing market, although the country’s trade...

February 8, 2010
MORTGAGES: Housing bubble not a concern - Finance Minister Jim Flaherty appears to have no immediate plans to tighten Canadian mortgage rules despite the advice of senior bankers concerned about...

February 8, 2010
Real estate facts for Kelowna and area - Overall new year real estate is more active than same time last year for Kelowna and area. Though sale activity numbers have increased over last January it is...

February 9, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Bank of Canada upholds pledge for low interest rates - The Bank of Canada upheld on Monday its commitment to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at a record low...

February 9, 2010
Record home market this year - Canadian real estate sales and prices are poised to set records this year, according to a new forecast that is bound to reignite calls in some quarters for tighter lending...

February 9, 2010
Housing resales to hit annual record in 2010 - Housing resales and prices will rise to annual records in 2010, surging to 527,300 units, the Canadian Real Estate Association said Monday. The gain...

February 9, 2010
Home construction up sharply in January: CMHC - A total of 917 new housing units broke ground in metro Vancouver in January, about 50 per cent more than the 609 units in the same month in 2009,...

February 9, 2010
Kelowna new housing starts bouncing back - Recorded number of new housing unit starts in Kelowna in January 2010 was 161 in contrast to 17 January 2009. Up 847%! Word out-on-the-street so-to-speak...

February 10, 2010
MORTGAGES: Detail review of Canada home mortgage - A fixed rate mortgage (FRM) is a mortgage loan where the interest rate on the note remains the same through the term of the loan, as opposed to...

February 10, 2010
Home construction up sharply in January: CMHC - A total of 917 new housing units broke ground in Metro Vancouver in January, about 50 per cent more than the 609 units in the same month in 2009,...

February 10, 2010
Plan to defer property taxes divides experts - The provincial government's plan to allow families with children under the age of 18 to defer property taxes could lead to a snowball of debt for those...

February 10, 2010
RENOVATIONS: BC renovation market continues to gain ground - It was a budget that had home-improvement wannabes gasping and builders green with envy when they were told about a $6-million...

February 10, 2010
Excellent choice of Kelowna properties for sale - Number of homes listed on Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board for Kelowna and surrounding area is up +94% in January compared to the month before...

February 11, 2010
Housing bubble - there isn't one - It's not clear what problem Canada's chartered banks want the federal government to solve by toughening mortgage rules. But the Big Six are urging Ottawa to take...

February 11, 2010
ECO: Laneway homes unveiled - Future house Tiny eco-friendly laneway home features two full stories and an electric-car-charging garage. A prototype tiny, perfect “laneway house” will demonstrate...

February 11, 2010
Home prices for Kelowna and area - Kelowna and area* average home prices are up +17.6% this January to same month a year ago. Median prices is up +11.7%. The median of a range of numbers is determined...

February 12, 2010
Canada has a housing bubble - Stephen Jarislowsky, chairman of Montreal-based investment adviser Jarislowsky Fraser Ltd., said he is "convinced" there's a bubble in Canada's housing market, fueled...

February 12, 2010
Residential resales begin to wane in BC - The British Columbia Real Estate Association said this week that residential resales climbed 118% to 4,619 units in January, compared with the same month last...

February 12, 2010
Foreign buyers drive luxury real estate - Foreign buyers are the primary force behind luxury real estate in this city," says Manyee Lui, luxury home specialist with Macdonald Realty in Vancouver....

February 12, 2010
Property tax deferral plan - Scott Hannah sees a lot of young families that are having trouble paying their bills. He is the president and CEO of the Credit Counselling Society, a non-profit organization...

February 12, 2010
B.C. home sales remain high, less frenetic - Real estate sales in January eased off the frenetic pace markets saw in December across British Columbia, the B.C. Real Estate Association reported...

February 12, 2010
Price pressure in the Central Okanagan and rest of BC - High sales levels pushed average MLS home prices up across the province in January compared to the same month a year ago except for a...

February 13, 2010
Resale strength to hold in 2010 - The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) resale market was marked by strong year-over-year sales and price growth in January. There were 4,986 sales in the Toronto Real Estate Board...

February 13, 2010
INTEREST RATES: It's probably time to start the countdown on interest rates going up - The Bank of Canada only pledged -- conditionally -- to keep its record-low lending rate...

February 13, 2010
New heights for low-rise - Just as it takes longer to turn an oil tanker around than it does a small sailing dinghy, it takes longer for builders of multi-hundred-unit condo buildings to respond to newly...

February 13, 2010
Who's in BC? - "Foreign buyers are the primary force behind luxury real estate in this city," says Manyee Lui, luxury home specialist with Macdonald Realty in Vancouver. In fact, the rate of Metro...

February 13, 2010
Hot in BC - The British Columbia Real Estate Association said this week that residential resales climbed 118% to 4,619 units in January, compared with the same month last year. On a seasonally adjusted basis, MLS...

February 13, 2010
Condo/apt activity in Kelowna and area - Kelowna and area condo/apt sale activity was up +75% this January compared to same month a year ago. Current inventory and new listings numbers ar comparable...

February 14, 2010
House prices are getting dangerously high - Should the government make it harder for Canadians to achieve the dream of home ownership? The answer seems to be obvious: of course not. But the more you...

February 14, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Clock ticking for interest rate hikes - It’s probably time to start the countdown on interest rates going up. The Bank of Canada only pledged -- conditionally -- to keep its...

February 14, 2010
Condo/townhome activity in Kelowna and area - First month of new year is way ahead of same month 2009 for Kelowna and area condo/townome sale activity; up +92%. Number of condo/townhome listed...

February 15, 2010
Selling the farm - Long-term planning is key to uncorking value of business. Pauline Joicey and Gilbert Provost spent 25 years dreaming of owning a vineyard. The retired civil servants from Ottawa bought land in...

February 15, 2010
Do you buy or lease space? - Both have pros and cons based on your business. When Toronto entrepreneur Tristan Goguen launched an Internet service provider business in 1995, it was a gamble. "The...

February 15, 2010
There's no housing bubble, just an overheated market - Are home prices getting ahead of themselves in Canada? Almost certainly. Can big price gains go on much longer? Probably not. There's...

February 15, 2010
Kelowna and area house activity - January home sale activity in Kelowna and area was up +57% compared to January of last year. Condo/apts and condo/townomes +75% and +92% respectively. Beginning of the...

February 16, 2010
Canadian households sinking further into debt: Study - Although the recession may technically be over in Canada, many households sank even further into debt in 2009, creating the highest...

February 16, 2010
Housing bubble? Flaherty to tighten mortgage rules - The federal government is set to announce new restrictions for Canadian mortgages on Tuesday, sources say. The rules are meant to prevent a...

February 16, 2010
MORTGAGES: Summary of how mortgage changes will affect homebuyers - On Tuesday, the Department of Finance announced three changes to the standards governing government-backed mortgages,...

February 16, 2010
MORTGAGES: Ottawa toughens mortgage rules - Amid warnings about "reckless" housing speculation and overextended homebuyers, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said Tuesday the federal government...

February 16, 2010
Lot real estate activity in Kelowna and area - Beginning of new year - January- lot sale activity in Kelowna and area increased a "whooping" +1,500% compared to January of last year. To...

February 17, 2010
Our debt-to-income ratio hits an all-time high - Although the recession may technically be over in Canada, many households sank even further into debt in 2009, creating the highest debt-to-income...

February 17, 2010
Leveraged investing: real returns & real risks - Dawn and Murray Franklin of Hamilton, are pretty good at buying property. In 10 years they've bought three houses and a fourplex. A fourth house...

February 17, 2010
MORTGAGE: New mortgage rules make it tougher to qualify - Federal rules introduced Tuesday to tighten mortgage requirements will squeeze the purchasing power of the average Metro Vancouver...

February 17, 2010
House prices rise almost 20%, while resales activity dips - Figures released Wednesday may suggest a slight retreat in Canada's red hot housing market, but most analysts expect there's more...

February 17, 2010
Home sales may slow - Finance Minister Jim Flaherty may have taken the steam out of an overheating national housing market. Flaherty's tightened mortgage rules Tuesday are unlikely to make it more difficult...

February 17, 2010
Reckless buyers targeted - Jim Flaherty, the Finance Minister, says he is targeting “reckless” speculators who buy up multiple condominium units in the country’s biggest cities with new rules introduced...

February 17, 2010
Real estate observations for Kelowna or where ever - perspectives from experience - With over 22 years in the real estate business I have sold hundreds of homes and you can't help...

February 18, 2010
January home sales slip from previous month - Existing home sales declined on a monthly basis for the first time in more than a year but it may only be a temporary decline as new government...

February 18, 2010
The ups and downs of real estate prices in Kelowna or anywhere in Canada - Real estate prices can go up or can fall whether your own real estate in Kelowna's or some other Canadian...

February 18, 2010
Real estate set for rise ahead of new rules and taxes - A rush of home buyers trying to beat higher taxes and tighter mortgage regulations could pump up the housing market just as it's showing...

February 18, 2010
Canada not immune to downward pressure on housing prices - The hot Canadian housing market is now likely to burn even brighter in coming months. Expect a rush of sales activity as buyers...

February 19, 2010
Information for non-resident buyers and and sellers of real estate - There are certain legal and accounting issues that arise when a non resident of Canada acquires or sells property in...

February 20, 2010
Retail, housing driving recovery - Consumer spending and a sizzling housing market are powering Canada's economic recovery, two reports showed yesterday, suggesting a surge in growth at the end of last...

February 20, 2010
MORTGAGES: Mortgage changes to tighten approvals - Finance Minister Jim Flaherty tightened mortgage rules this week and, in doing so, may have taken some steam out of a housing market that has...

February 20, 2010
Want to find a Kelowna renovator or contractor? - Best source to find a Kelowna renovator or contractor is one who is a member of the Canadian Home Builders' Association website. Since 1943, the...

February 20, 2010
No sign of boom-and-bust - If there is a real estate bubble in Canada, you sure can't see it from Drouillard Road. Three-bedroom houses in this hardscrabble neighbourhood can be had for less than $30,000....

February 21, 2010
HST: How HST applies to residential real estate - On July 23, 2009, British Columbia announced its plans to implement a Harmonized Sales Tax (“H.S.T.”) for B.C. effective July 1, 2010. The...

February 21, 2010
What are some reno's that "may" add value to my Kelowna home? - A good investment in a renovation should increase the value of your home by at least the amount of money you spent, or close...

February 22, 2010
Housing starts increase, but hike may be short-lived - I wrote in early January about the "bubble" economy in British Columbia, which, despite the Olympics-related building, still...

February 22, 2010
No Canadian housing bubble: Bank of Canada deputy governor - The Canadian housing market is strong, but it is not experiencing a bubble, Paul Jenkins, senior deputy governor of the Bank of...

February 22, 2010
Real estate - While Canadians debate whether we're in a housing bubble here, south of the border the search is on for hints the housing market is finally off life support. This week there will be a spate of U.S....

February 22, 2010
Home prices from coast-to-coast including Kelowna - Home prices in Canada vary widely from coast-to-coast, city-to-city. Houses in Vancouver and Victoria are the priciest, Central Okangan is up...

February 23, 2010
B.C. expected to lead country in 2010 growth - Olympic spinoffs and an improved outlook for forestry and manufacturing will make British Columbia the leader in economic growth among Canadian...

February 23, 2010
GST: Information on Goods and Services Tax for residential real estate - When is G.S.T. paid? Goods and Services Tax ("G.S.T.") is payable on the purchase of a new or...

February 23, 2010
What $330,000 can buy you in Kelowna and coast-to-coast - $330,000 is January's 2010 national average home price however what that will get you in Kelowna and cities across Canada varies...

February 24, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Sharp hike in interest rates urged later this year - The Bank of Canada should hold to its pledge to keep its key policy rate at 0.25 per cent until July, but should then...

February 24, 2010
Retail property sales on upswing - British Columbia's commercial real estate market is starting to look more like a seller's market moving through 2010, with more capital available for investors, and...

February 24, 2010
RE/MAX warns not enough homes for buyers - With new mortgage rules, a new harmonized sales tax in some provinces and the possibility of higher interest rates all set to kick in this summer, Canadian...

February 24, 2010
Kelowna real estate trend not unlike most cities across Canada - Many cities across Canada including Kelowna have similiar real estate market trends the first month of the new year: decline...

February 25, 2010
Finding a Kelowna home inspector for your next real estate investment - The best source for a Kelowna home inspector is by far a "word of mouth" referral. Check wtih a friend,...

February 25, 2010
Weak demand sends rents down - A slide in demand for office space and rising vacancy rates during the economic downturn meant Vancouver's central business district saw Canada's largest decrease in average...

February 25, 2010
HST, mortgage rules pushing sales - With new mortgage rules, a new harmonized sales tax in some provinces and the possibility of higher interest rates set to kick in this summer, home buyers are on a tear...

February 26, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Interest rate hike unlikely until July - Most of the country's primary securities dealers expect the Bank of Canada will maintain a conditional vow to keep its key interest rate...

February 26, 2010
ECO: Green roof benefits - When you're watching coverage of the 2010 Olympic & Paralympic Games, take a look at the roofs of the Olympic Village. They're green, and I think they represent exactly the kind...

February 26, 2010
Prefab garden office for your Kelowna home or recreational property? - "You've got several sales calls to make, but the dog is barking his head off, your teenager's music is coming...

February 26, 2010
Homebuilders express optimism for 2010 - Optimism is everywhere in Canada. Not that it's related to the Olympics - maybe it's because spring is coming - but even home builders, a group heavily hit in...

February 27, 2010
MORTGAGES: Simple mortgage advise - save more, pay more - TD Canada Trust recently circulated some advice about purchasing home, advice it is especially keen on the inaugural buyer knowing...

February 27, 2010
Resale prices up 1.2% - Last week saw Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announce changes to mortgage qualification rules in an attempt to cool down the housing market. Home prices in Toronto have continued to...

February 27, 2010
Go homes - Optimism is everywhere in Canada. Not that it's related to the Olympics -- maybe it's because spring is coming -- but even home builders, a group heavily hit in the downturn, are feeling better these days....

February 27, 2010
You've done the reno on your Kelowna home . Kitty? - "It's as pretty as a hatbox, and comes in shiny bright colours such as red, black and butter yellow. Meet Mod-Kat, a litterbox from a...

February 27, 2010
RENO'S: The encyclopedia of countertopia - If you're remodelling or designing a kitchen from scratch, you can be sure counters will eat up a healthy chunk of your budget. There are many options...

February 28, 2010
Purchase a Kelowna strata unit - townhome or condominium as a rental investment? - To ensure the Kelowna strata unit - condominium or townhome investment you intend to use as a...

February 28, 2010
PTT: Property Transfer Tax and First Time Buyers Information - The Property Transfer Tax is a tax payable to the Provincial Government by purchasers of real estate. The tax applies to all...

March 1, 2010
STRATA: Information on age bylaws - (October 28, 2003) Prior to the Strata Property Act, age restrictions were a source of controversy amongst owners in a strata complex. With the passing of the Strata...

March 1, 2010
Real estate sales up humungously in Kelowna - Kelowna single family residences and strata account for 104% improvement in Kelowna real estate sales for the first two months of 2010 compared to 2009....

March 2, 2010
Home construction to strengthen in 2010: CMHC - A rebound in home construction is set to strengthen this year as the Canadian economy continues to show signs of recovery, according to Canada...

March 2, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Bank under pressure to raise rates - Pressure on the Bank of Canada to move early on raising interest rates mounted Monday after fourth-quarter data on gross domestic product...

March 2, 2010
Real estate markets are pumped - Canadian real estate sales and prices are poised to set records this year, according to a new forecast which is bound to reignite calls in some quarters for tighter lending...

March 2, 2010
Kelowna sale activity increasing each month as 2010 progresses - Kelowna real estate sale activity is improving each month. Up +92% in February and up +120% in January or alternately in...

March 2, 2010
MORTGAGE: When it comes to mortgage details, most people just "zone out" - It is a legal document that stretches about 30 pages and runs about 10,000 words. Its execution takes no more...

March 3, 2010
BC to lead in housing starts - Housing starts in B.C. will increase this year at the highest rate in Canada, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's Housing Market Outlook Report,...

March 3, 2010
MORTGAGE: Diversify your mortgage - You can't decide what to do with your mortgage? The good news is you don't have to. Anyone negotiating a mortgage today is labouring over whether to lock in the...

March 3, 2010
Owners with children can defer property taxes - As announced in the throne speech last month, homeowners with children under 18 will be allowed to defer their property taxes, an option that people...

March 3, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Bank of Canada hints at rate hikes on the horizon - The Bank of Canada took its first steps Tuesday toward returning the country to more normal interest-rate levels by...

March 3, 2010
Real estate market balances out - Lower Mainland real estate markets were busier in February than realtors expected, considering the distraction of the Olympic Games. Reports from the region’s major...

March 3, 2010
Prices to level off as housing starts surge - Housing starts will rise in 2010, putting a lid on home prices this year following their 19-percent surge in 2009, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp....

March 3, 2010
Ups and downs of Kelowna real estate - This past month compared to same last year, Kelowna and area real estate sale activity was up +78.4%, properties listed up +23.6%, sales volume up +94.09%, average...

March 3, 2010
Rising housing starts in 2010 will cool recent surge in prices, says CMHC - Housing starts will rise in 2010, putting a lid on home prices this year after their 19% surge in 2009, the...

March 4, 2010
Strength in residential building permits bodes well for housing starts - The value of building permits issued in January slipped 4.9 per cent, to $5.7 billion, as nonresidential...

March 4, 2010
Free Market Evaluation of your Kelowna real estate - Continued low interest rates combined with increased consumer demand is improving Kelowna's real estate market. Do you want to get a feel of...

March 5, 2010
B.C. construction drops 23% - Construction across B.C. eased off in January from the gains seen up to the end of the year, with contractors taking out almost $685 million worth of building permits that...

March 5, 2010
Spring cleaning - The flowers are in bloom, the birds are chirping, and the sun is shining brightly -right through your dirty windows. That's when it hits you. Spring is in the air and it's time to freshen up...

March 5, 2010
Residential building permits post rise - The value of building permits issued in January slipped 4.9% to $5.7-billion as non-residential construction permits fell 21% to $1.7-billion, Statistics Canada...

March 5, 2010
What real estate is selling today in Kelowna? - Good news Kelowna real estate sale activity is up compared to last year but some types are real estate are more active than others and price ranges....

March 6, 2010
Building apace - The government mapped out its aspirations this week with the Throne Speech and Budget. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. also stepped up with its take on the likely direction of the housing...

March 6, 2010
Great real estate selection in Kelowna - 2,260 Kelowna properties actively listed for sale today. Lots of choice in each type of property as well as price range depending on your real estate needs and...

March 7, 2010
Frantic hunt for a house - New parents Bliss Prema and husband Seamus Russell have struck out five times when making offers on houses. In each case, they lost out in bidding wars. The couple has found that...

March 7, 2010
Kelowna homes with rental suites - A small percentage of Kelowna homes have established rental suites to assist a home owner to use rental income, for example, to slash mortgage costs or have a family...

March 8, 2010
Rushing a reno is not always a good thing - Who says a renovation needs to be continuously worked on until it's finished? Renovating in stages is a simple concept that might work well for homeowners...

March 8, 2010
Reovating your Kelowna home - check out payback value of home improvements - The Appraisal Institute of Canada has developed RENOVA, an interactive web-based guide to the value of...

March 8, 2010
Housing starts climb to highet levels since October 2008 - New home construction rose to almost 200,000 units in February, a light at the end of the tunnel for buyers seeking relief from a...

March 9, 2010
Housing starts surge over '09 period - Home building moved into a higher gear in Metro Vancouver last month as the number of houses started surged to 1,402 units, twice the number posted a year earlier,...

March 9, 2010
B.C. home hunters feeling more motivated - Sentiment among would-be homebuyers continues to improve in B.C., according to an annual RBC home ownership study released on Monday. The study reported...

March 9, 2010
Heads up on purchasing a former growing operations, ie, in Kelowna - If you could buy a “fixer-upper” at a really good price, should you do it? What if that “fixer-upper” is a...

March 10, 2010
MORTGAGES: Choose mortgage words carefully - When it comes to your mortgage contract, watch your language. Most consumers only look at their mortgage contract -- one of the most important...

March 10, 2010
Kelowna home inspectors - It's important to recognize that a Kelowna or any area home inspectors does a home inspection, it is not a warranty. What it is a visual screening of a home for signs and symptoms of...

March 11, 2010
Housing starts bounce back from 2009 lows - February housing starts in Vancouver continued to bounce back from lows reached in 2009, with the number of new units breaking ground doubling last year's...

March 11, 2010
New home prices rising in Canada, but relatively slowly - The latest data shows a steady rise in prices for new homes in Canada, though lacking the dramatic kind of gains being seen in the...

March 11, 2010
You want to buy a Kelowna home - how much can you afford? - The shortest answer to that question regarding a Kelowna home purchase is - it depends on a number of factors. The most important...

March 12, 2010
Housing market has bounced back - B.C. should see its GDP rise by 3.4 per cent this year, making it among Canada's economic growth leaders, according to an RBC Economics report released Thursday....

March 12, 2010
Home prices jump 17% - The average house price in B.C. reached $497,807 in February, up 17 per cent from the same time a year ago, the B.C. Real Estate Association said. Provincewide home sales through the...

March 12, 2010
INTEREST RATES: New mortgage rules increase the qualifying interest rate by about one percentage point - Many of us have been enjoying supremely attractive interest...

March 12, 2010
ECO: Greener pastures ahead - New light bulbs -- check. Recycling sorted -- check. Energy-efficient appliances -- got them, too. It's no secret that green living has taken on momentum and that Canadians...

March 12, 2010
Home ownership has many responsibilities - insurance may be number 1 - Between running a household, work and ferrying kids back and forth, most of us are too busy to keep up with life's...

March 12, 2010
Kelowna is warming up -it's that time for lawnmower maintenance - If you do not know how to do any of these steps or do not feel comfortable doing them yourself take your mower to your...

March 13, 2010
Local builders busier in February - Metropolitan Vancouver builders started the construction of 1,402 homes last month, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation reports. That total is 700 more than the...

March 13, 2010
Home ownership study - The 17th Annual RBC Homeownership Study says 44% of Canadians who plan to buy a home in the next two years will take a fixed mortgage. Ten per cent of respondents plan to buy a home in...

March 13, 2010
New-home prices stable across the country - The latest data show a steady rise in prices for new homes in Canada, though lacking the dramatic kind of gains being seen in the resale market....

March 13, 2010
How long should your appliances last? - Most appliances and small electrical products have fairly predictable life expectancies. Depending on the original cost, manufacturing quality, and how heavily...

March 15, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Lock in those rates now! - As federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty did some housekeeping by tying up loose ends with Stimulus Budget II: The Final Chapter, he gave a gentle warning of...

March 15, 2010
Home sales cool for second straight month - Sales of existing homes in Canada dipped for a second straight month in February, but remained high on a year-over-year basis, as the market may be moving...

March 16, 2010
Price of home ownership rose slightly - The cost of owning a home increased slightly in the final quarter of 2009, with Vancouver remaining the least affordably city in the country, according to an RBC...

March 16, 2010
Decline in housing resales - Home resales in Canada fell in February for a second straight month, with the biggest drop recorded in Vancouver, although purchases were still up significantly from a year ago,...

March 16, 2010
Home resales down but prices keep on climbing - Home resales in Canada fell in February for a second straight month, with the biggest drop recorded in Vancouver, although purchasers were still...

March 17, 2010
MORTGAGES: New rules governing mortgages leave some customers confused - When Frank and Susan Williams bought a house near Hamilton, Ont., this month, they followed a time-honoured...

March 17, 2010
Canada's hot housing market now cooling off - The once red-hot housing market — which several observers warned last month was in danger of turning into a bubble — is showing signs of losing steam...

March 18, 2010
Canadian household net worth boosted by rising real estate and equities - Canadian household net worth rose from October through December as individuals benefited from a rise in...

March 20, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Inflation makes interest-rate hike more likely: analysts - Higher-than-expected inflation, a robust dollar and a strengthening economy strongly suggest that the Bank...

March 20, 2010
Buy a Kelowna home now - Good time to purchase a Kelowna home! A study of home-buyer trends in British Columbia by Ipsos Reid found that 29% are first-time buyers, down from 38% at the same time last year....

March 20, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Days of rock bottom interest rates are numbered - The clock is ticking on Canada's record-low borrowing costs, as inflation continues to move at a faster rate than the...

March 21, 2010
Spring tuning your Kelowna home - We all get our cars serviced on a regular basis — oil and filter change, tire rotation, tune-up. We know that some moving parts in our cars require constant service and...

March 21, 2010
Kelowna manufactured home trend - Kelowna manufactured home sale numbers are limited as we get further into 2010. Resdiential homes and strata first couple months of 2010 are seeing the majority of sale...

March 22, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Bank of Canada chief to make 'pivotal' speech this week - Those seeking more clarity from Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney on when interest rates are going to rise...

March 22, 2010
Kelowna home owners >>> Support Earth Hour March 27th 8:30pm - Earth Hour is a global initiative by the World Wildlife Fund in which businesses, governments, communities and individuals are...

March 22, 2010
Kelowna lot and acreage trend - Trend each month as we work in to 2010 shows Kelowna lot and acreage sale numbers weak in contrast to house and strata sales. Check Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board...

March 23, 2010
MORTGAGES: New mortgage rules target select few - The new mortgage rules coming into effect April 19 may make it tougher for some cashless couples to buy a house, but they have largely drawn a yawn...

March 23, 2010
Kelowna strata trend - Kelowna strata sale numbers increase improved each month of 2010 with average strata sale prices not moving up or down. Check Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board stats: Jan 67 strata...

March 24, 2010
Growth of office vacancy rates slows down - Office vacancy rates across the country continued to rise during the first quarter, but the pace is slowing down, indicating some stability may be returning...

March 24, 2010
Canadians worried about home prices, mortgage rates: Surveys - A pair of surveys on housing prices released Wednesday show that many Canadians are worried about rising prices and interest...

March 24, 2010
Residential expected to become king of Canadian construction sector - Residential bui lding is expected to lead the construction industry in British Columbia, as it will in the rest of...

March 24, 2010
Real Estate market should become 'more subdued' - Canada's real estate markets should remain heated through the spring, fuelled by generationally low mortgage rates, before settling into "more...

March 24, 2010
Home prices to soar, but not as high as before - Canadian home prices will reach a record high this year, but those expecting the degree of home-price inflation seen in the past decade will be...

March 24, 2010
Kelowna house trends - As 2010 progresses monthly house sale numbers slightly increase as well as average house sale prices. Check Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board stats: Jan 90 house sales $160,000...

March 25, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Central bank’s Carney says inflation stronger than expected - Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney said Wednesday his pledge to keep the bank’s benchmark rate on...

March 25, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Door open to rate hike - Canadians could face higher interest rates within the next few months, Bay Street economists said yesterday after Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of...

March 25, 2010
Kelowna real estate sale activity up - We are reaching the first quarter of 2010 and already Kelowna real estate activity is stronger than 2009's first quarter - 58% stronger and we still have six more...

March 26, 2010
Kelowna walk trailings on-line - New online map will show walking routes all over the province incuding Kelowna! Walk BC is launching an interactive online map that provides information on walking...

March 27, 2010
Become an informed Kelowna strata owner - Living in a Kelowna strata setting or strata anywhere requires additional knowledge and obligations compared to other kinds of property ownership. The...

March 27, 2010
Real estate sense of urgency - More Canadians are looking to enter the housing market ahead of higher interest rates and home prices that are expected to arrive later this year, two surveys showed...

March 28, 2010
He's thinking inside the box - Is it possible to live comfortably in a house that measures just 12 feet by 12 feet -- a footprint smaller than a giant billboard and only slightly larger than a garden shed?...

March 29, 2010
Tune-up your Kelowna home before bringing it onto the real estate market - We all get our cars serviced on a regular basis — oil and filter change, tire rotation, tune-up. We know...

March 29, 2010
Canadian mortgage rates on the rise amid signs housing market cooling off - Mortgage rates are on the upswing in Canada, signalling an end to historically low rates and an indication...

March 30, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Mortgage rate parade - With a late-day announcement on Tuesday, Bank of Montreal became the last of Canada's major banks to raise its mortgage rates this week. BMO hiked its five-year...

March 30, 2010
Mortgage insurance is a pillar of Canada's strong housing market - Mortgage insurance -- policies that protect lenders in case of default -- has revolutionized the Canadian housing market,...

March 30, 2010
Housing may have met its match - Canada's unstoppable housing market faces a challenge. To stay unstoppable, it needs mortgage rates to remain low and affordable. But to keep setting new sales records it...

March 30, 2010
MORTGAGES: Mortgage brokers taking a closer look at who is buying - The Bank of Canada warned in late 2009 up to 10 per cent of Canadian homeowners might be in danger of losing their...

March 30, 2010
MORTGAGES: Mortgage insurance is a pillar of Canada's strong housing market - Mortgage insurance -- policies that protect lenders in case of default -- has revolutionized the Canadian...

March 30, 2010
HST a factor in price paid for resale homes - While the harmonized sales tax (HST) doesn't directly apply to the selling price of a resale home as it does with new homes, that doesn't mean buyers of...

March 30, 2010
Kelowna and area real estate activity catapolting - Sale activity for Kelowna and surrounding area has improved 83% compared to same period last year. Single family residential account for...

March 31, 2010
Canadians struggle with high housing costs, report finds - Some 67 per cent of Metro Vancouver households struggle with the high cost of housing, the Conference Board of Canada reported...

March 31, 2010
Housing struggles - The need for affordable housing in Canada is being ignored by developers and largely left to governments, those least able to do the job effectively, according to a Conference Board of Canada...

March 31, 2010
MORTGAGES: Mortgage loophole helps first-time buyers - There is a small loophole in the new federal mortgage rules that could make it easier for the banks to lend money to first-time buyers....

March 31, 2010
Kelowna real estate waves - This years first quarter real estate sale activity for Kelowna improved approximately 78.8% in contrast to same time last year. However 2006 still holds the record for robust...

April 1, 2010
Average price of a home now almost above pre-recession levels - Metro Vancouver's cheap-mortgage-fuelled real estate market has overshot its previous peak for prices with indications it will...

April 1, 2010
Status of real estate activity in Kelowna - 78.8% increase in Kelowna property sale activity for the first 3 months of 2010 compared to 2009's first quarter. Property sales include lots &...

April 2, 2010
ECO: Energy-savings program cancelled - The federal government has announced it will suspend the eco-Energy Retrofit program that provided cash for Canadians who increased the energy efficiency of their...

April 2, 2010
RENOS: The flooring and stone and soap you won't see - Many are the reasons to attend a BC Home and Garden Show. The best possible quote from a tradesperson on a renovation project, for example....

April 2, 2010
Close look at real estate in Kelowna's neigbhourhoods - City of Kelowna includes the areas of Black Mountain*, Dilworth Mountain, Ellison*, Glenmore, Joe Riche*, Kelowna North, Kelowna South,...

April 3, 2010
MORTGAGES: End of an era - The era of rock-bottom mortgage rates ended with a crush of work for mortgage brokers and bank-loan officers. It started Monday with a flood of homebuyers looking for last-minute...

April 3, 2010
Canada fire chiefs want sprinklers in all new homes - Fire chiefs across the country are calling on the federal government to ensure sprinkler systems are installed in all new homes and...

April 3, 2010
RENOS: How to spend less money on renovations: spend more time - Bitten by the spring home-renovation bug? A quick coat of paint won't break the bank, but bigger renovations can get out of...

April 3, 2010
Weights & measures - We need a tipping point soon if we're to see a balanced market for 2010. Will it come on the heels of higher rates, more listings--or will it come at all. The days of exceptionally low...

April 3, 2010
Kelowna's Black Mountain area 1st Q real estate market activity - 15 areas fall within the city boundaries of Kelowna which includes Black Mountain. Whooping 100% increase in Black Mountain...

April 4, 2010
Kelowna's Dilworth Mountain area 1st Q real estate market activity - Dilworth Mountain is 1 of 15 areas that fall within the city boundaries of Kelowna and has experienced a 100% increase...

April 5, 2010
MORTGAGES: Homework most essential when mortgage-shopping - Continued low interest rates, and quickly rising home prices, are helping encourage those who have been on the fence about buying...

April 5, 2010
Kelowna's Ellison area 1st Q real estate activity - Ellison is one of fifteen areas that comprise the City of Kelowna. Its a an area that has seen property sale activity improve 157% - for the...

April 6, 2010
MORTGAGES: Variable mortgages (almost) always win - Whether They're Taking On New Mortgages Or Renewing Ones They've Held For Years, Homeowners End Up Asking Themselves The Same Question: Should...

April 6, 2010
HST: With planning, you can take some of the sting out of the HST - Despite efforts to prevent it from happening, the new harmonized sales tax is probably unstoppable. So like anything,...

April 6, 2010
Real estate sales 56 per cent above March 2009 - The Fraser Valley's real estate market re-entered buyers territory in March with strong sales, but a surge of new listings bringing the region's...

April 6, 2010
MORTGAGES: Should I be concerned about Ottawa's new mortgage rules? - As of April 19, home-buyers will have to meet tougher standards to get a mortgage. Among the new rules is a...

April 6, 2010
Great sucking sound of Ottawa's housing focus - Pity the publicans, restaurateurs, haberdashers and booksellers, for they are the victims of Canada's increasingly house-poor economy. The stories...

April 7, 2010
HST: A quick guide to the Harmonized Sales Tax - - What is the HST? The Harmonized Sales Tax, scheduled to start July 1, combines the seven-per-cent provincial sales tax and the five-per-cent...

April 7, 2010
Spring panic for some homebuyers - Lynne Engelman and Kevin Giddings have less than 120 days to find a home. The Calgary couple won't be homeless if they strike out but they will be without a...

April 7, 2010
Surge of new listings takes pressure off a hot market - A jump in new property listings last month should help keep the pressure off Lower Mainland home prices which, during the past year, have...

April 7, 2010
Prices rise to record highs - House prices in the Greater Vancouver region hit record highs in March. The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver said its benchmark price for all residential properties jumped...

April 7, 2010
When housing boom meets rate-hike panic - Spring is typically a busy time for the real estate business, but this year may make others pale in comparison. With new mortgage rules in effect April 19...

April 8, 2010
Building permits slip - Building permits fell unexpectedly in February, a result of the decline in multiple-dwelling residential construction plans, Statistics Canada reported. Permits dropped 0.5 per cent...

April 8, 2010
Malls remain hot properties for investors - Pending sales of the Brentwood Town Centre and Lougheed Town Centre malls in Burnaby are lead indicators that the retail sector of Metro Vancouver's...

April 8, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Interest rates to remain low through 2011: CIBC - With the Canadian economy doing surprisingly well over the past six months, many see higher interest rates from the Bank of...

April 8, 2010
Real estate rebound marked by ‘market irrationality’ - Metro Vancouver saw the steepest increase in home prices of Canada's major markets in the first quarter of this year in a sales...

April 9, 2010
Steepest housing gains - Metro Vancouver saw the steepest increase in home prices of Canada's major markets in the first quarter of this year in a sales rebound characterized as an "irrational"...

April 9, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Interest rates to stay low - But many analysts think Bank of Canada won't wait to mid-2010 to raise rates. With the Canadian economy doing surprisingly well over the past six...

April 9, 2010
Distressed sales up - Distressed sales accounted for 29 per cent of all sales in January, the highest since April 2009 and just shy of the 32 per cent seen in January 2009, mortgage-data company First American...

April 9, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Analyst sees stable bank rate - With the economy doing surprisingly well over the past six months, many see higher interest rates from the Bank of Canada in the not so distant...

April 9, 2010
House prices shoot right through the roof - Houses in Vancouver East and North Vancouver remain relatively affordable but single-family homes on Vancouver's west side and in West Vancouver are...

April 10, 2010
March marches along nicely - A 69% increase in home sales this month. The Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) reported record results for existing home sales for March and the first quarter of 2010. Last...

April 10, 2010
Beyond the blueprint - What to expect when you're expecting a condo. In 2000, the average price of a resale condo in Toronto was $292,300, with an average price per square foot of $185. In 2009, despite an...

April 10, 2010
Real estate 90210 - The rules--and realities--of owning investment property. A decent standard of living in retirement is something most of us wish for. There are many ways to invest for retirement, but a wise...

April 10, 2010
Prices up some 11% across the country - A continued rise in consumer confidence helped push up Canadian home sales and prices in the first quarter, but interest rate hikes expected later this year...

April 11, 2010
What you get for half a million bucks - Canada's housing boom continues to resonate, keeping realtors busy, prompting bidding wars among buyers and pushing prices skyward. There has been a recent...

April 11, 2010
Subprime mortgages alive here - Orphan mortgages’ begin to surface. Rod and Joyce Marentette bought their house in Chatham, Ont., a month before getting married in 2005. The economy was booming and...

April 12, 2010
Housing starts kick off - There will be a full menu of Canadian economic releases this week, starting today with some key data on home building, the confidence of business leaders and the state of lending...

April 12, 2010
Canada house starts fall unexpectedly in March - Canadian home construction fell unexpectedly in March after revised figures showed more housing starts in February than previously reported. The...

April 13, 2010
New home starts in B.C. rise sharply compared to last year - New home construction in B.C. has picked up significantly from a year ago, according to a report released Monday by Canada...

April 13, 2010
Housing boom in Vancouver to beat HST - New home construction in the Vancouver region soared 76 per cent in the first quarter of this year from the same period in 2010, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp....

April 13, 2010
Housing starts hit road bump - Canadian housing starts dipped slightly in March but are clipping along at levels not seen since 2008, a level unlikely to be sustained into the second half, economists said...

April 13, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Bank of Canada to raise rates early on June 1, economist predicts - With most agreeing that a rate hike from the Bank of Canada is imminent, the talk now turns to...

April 14, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Rates raised second time in two weeks - Royal Bank of Canada and Bank of Nova Scotia have hiked residential mortgage rates for the second time in as many weeks, likely sparking...

April 14, 2010
Real estate sales in B.C. level out - British Columbia's real estate market eased into better balance over the first quarter of 2010, the B.C. Real Estate Association reported Tuesday. Multiple...

April 15, 2010
Non-residential construction spending falls in Q1 - Non-residential construction spending fell in the first quarter, pulled down 0.7% from the previous quarter by a drop in commercial and...

April 15, 2010
MORTGAGES: Banks hike mortgage rates - Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Toronto-Dominion Bank and Laurentian Bank of Canada hiked their key residential mortgage rates by 25 basis points on Wednesday,...

April 15, 2010
Home sellers rush to market in record numbers - Realtors pounded a record number of for sale signs into Canadian lawns last month, something that is expected to cool down the red hot housing market,...

April 16, 2010
Last gasp for housing - The spring homebuying season has reached a fever pitch with a record number of "for sale" signs being placed on Canadian lawns for the month of March. But there are...

April 17, 2010
Even designers follow rules and so should you - The first lesson in design is that there are two sets of rules: formal and informal. Formal design rules serve as the cornerstone of every design...

April 17, 2010
Nix that knick-knack knack - Flip through current architecture and interiors magazines and it would seem everything is permissible. All design approaches are valid and there are no rules. Not true. The...

April 17, 2010
What goes into that home's construction - New homes include the latest technological advances, building codes and energy-efficiency standards. And, depending on the builder, a buyer may choose from an...

April 17, 2010
Heads up when doing reno's - today's homebuyer preferences - Homebuyers are willing to trade yesterday's once-popular home theatres or media rooms for a more practical space to accommodate a...

April 19, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Bank of Canada expected to raise rates, but not yet - The Bank of Canada is not expected to raise interest rates at its scheduled announcement this Tuesday, but it might...

April 19, 2010
HST: Working to beat the HST deadline - Developers are doing what they can to beat the harmonized sales tax July 1 deadline, building units ahead of schedule and hoping to make sales earlier rather than...

April 20, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Canadians not worried about rising interest rates: poll - Mortgage interest rates may be on the rise, but a new poll shows minimal worry about this among Canadians...

April 22, 2010
INTEREST RATES: If mortgage rates rise, does the sky fall? - These days, my banker has the air of a man who could use a long drink and a short nap. He is up to his neck in anxiety-ridden...

April 23, 2010
Resale home listings, prices on the rise in B.C. and across Canada - The number of resale homes on the market is rising in Canada — and so are their prices, according to a report issued...

April 24, 2010
MORTGAGES: Be prepared for costlier mortgages: at least walk the talk - This week, the inevitable occurred: the Bank of Canada signalled it's about to sever the Canadian economy, and...

April 25, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Inflation eases, allowing Bank rate-hike delay - Canada's annual rate of inflation eased unexpectedly last month, possibly delaying an interest-rate hike by the Bank of...

April 25, 2010
Buyers market - The number of resale homes on the market is rising in Canada -- and so are their prices, according to a report issued by the Conference Board of Canada on Friday. The board's Metro Resale Index...

April 26, 2010
Luxury home sales soar in Q1 - Luxury home sales soared in the first quarter of 2010 as affluent purchasers moved to take advantage of favourable market conditions across the country, according to a report...

April 26, 2010
Appreciate your house, but don't expect it to appreciate a lot - Recently, the real estate industry has dominated the headlines. Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of Canada, raised...

April 26, 2010
Dramatic rebound characterizes Canada's luxury home segment in 2010 - Luxury home sales soared in the first quarter of 2010 as affluent purchasers moved to take advantage of favourable...

April 26, 2010
Kelowna's upper end residential sales compared to other Canadian cities - Kelowna's runs way ahead of any Canadian city for the greatest increase in the 1Q of upper end residential...

April 27, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Banks raise interest rates for third time in a month - A new survey says more than four out of five home buyers feel comfortable with their debt but another hike in...

April 27, 2010
Housing may have peaked - The spring homebuying season has reached a fever pitch with a record number of “for sale” signs being placed on Canadian lawns for the month of March. But there are indications...

April 27, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Royal leads banks in third rate hike in a month - Banks have begun a third round of mortgage rate hikes in less than a month, a swift ascent that shows how lenders plan to...

April 27, 2010
Mainland Chinese buyers driving up luxury home prices - Luxury living is getting more expensive as the high-end hot housing market surges. Metro Vancouver now holds the title for the most...

April 27, 2010
MORTGAGES: Banks boost some mortgage rates to 6.25 per cent - Royal Bank of Canada is leading the charge to higher mortgage rates, boosting the cost to new home buyers for the third time in...

April 27, 2010
What Kelowna and area real estate is selling over a million dollars? - Kelowna leave other Canadian cities in the dust with upper end real estate sales for the first quarter of 2010 in...

April 28, 2010
Canada shows signs of housing bubble: report - Canada's housing market is beginning to show signs of being in a bubble, leading Edward Jones to caution Canadians about investing in housing and...

April 28, 2010
INTEREST RATES: 5 reasons to love rising interest rates - With the Bank of Canada poised to raise interest rates as early as June, nervous borrowers are bracing for the end of cheap money....

April 28, 2010
Living "above the store" is catching on - My parents will probably be in shock to hear this, but living above a store is becoming trendy in many Canadian cities. The concept has changed from the day...

April 29, 2010
Life beneath the palms -- (Canadians) jumping hurdles to buy Florida property - Scratch a Canadian in the middle of a winter storm and, chances are, he or she will sigh for a place...

April 29, 2010
Home prices start to falter - Canadian housing prices continue to gain when measured against the lows experienced during the economic downturn of 2009, but month-to-month comparisons show a deceleration in...

April 29, 2010
West bore brunt of recession - Commodity-producing provinces took the biggest hit to economic growth in the recession of 2009, Statistics Canada reported Wednesday. But those mostly Western provinces are...

April 30, 2010
Should I buy or lease (commercial space) - The question of whether to buy or lease commercial space to house a company's operations can be a dilemma. Although there may not be a one-size-fits-all...

May 1, 2010
BUilders, brokers busy liquidating existing inventory - It's hard to believe it was just a year ago when real estate developers on Vancouver Island were beating a hasty retreat, realtors were...

May 1, 2010
Sophistication meets Rural Charm in Kelowna - Sunshine and wine, fabulous food, spectacular scenery and seemingly endless possibilities for outdoor recreation -what more could you want? Kelowna is...

May 1, 2010
Kelowna homeowner considering a home improvement project? - Serious "food-for-thought" or rather good advise to all homeowners whether Kelowna or where ever that contractor-customer...

May 2, 2010
Buying, selling Kelowna real estate contact June Conway - June Conway (personal real estate corporation) is proud to be associated with RE/MAX Kelowna. "22+ full time years as a RE/MAX...

May 3, 2010
Kelowna and area April real estate sales - April real estate sales for Kelowna and area are up approximately +32% however 2008, 2007, 2006,2005,2004, 2003,2002 were stronger April sales totals....

May 4, 2010
Investors keen on commercial property - Vancouver's commercial real-estate sector is considered a great bet for investment, according to a survey released Tuesday by Colliers International. The...

May 4, 2010
Real estate gets near-record bump - The Fraser Valley's real estate market saw a flood of new listings in April that took the region to near record levels of inventory, the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board...

May 4, 2010
Real estate market lists as demand drops - April was a continuation of the trend that has seen sales ease off in Lower Mainland real estate markets and listings rise, which has taken a lot of the...

May 4, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Signs of anxiety - .Banks are driving up mortgage rates much faster than anticipated, sparking a massive outbreak of confusion among consumers. It’s an outbreak that has a high...

May 4, 2010
April real estate facts for Kelowna and area - Kelowna and area includes Beaverdell/Carmi, Black Mountain, Big White, Carr's Landing District, Dilworth Mountain, Ellison, Fintry, Glenmore, Glenrosa,...

May 5, 2010
MORTGAGES: New strategies in the mortgage game - The cost of peace of mind getting more complex. How much protection do you really need? The latest prophylactic being sold to home owners...

May 5, 2010
Kelowna home prices not easing up - Kelowna and area Spring home prices trend did not follow Fraser Valley and Metro Vancouver real estate markets which slid into balance in March thus easing the pressure...

May 5, 2010
Canadians bitten by home-buying bug - With Canada's economic recovery appearing to be in full swing, a study released Wednesday shows more people becoming interested in buying a home. A survey by...

May 5, 2010
As economic recovery continues, more people consider buying a house - With Canada's economic recovery appearing to be in full swing, a new study shows more people becoming interested in...

May 5, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Rate protection comes at a price - How much protection do you really need? The latest prophylactic being sold to homeowners worried about getting caught with nasty high interest...

May 6, 2010
Parents see value in buying condo for kids:poll - If you're a young adult looking for a condo, it might be best to approach your parents and just ask for one. That's one of the findings of TD...

May 6, 2010
Buy a Kelowna condo for your kid! - Strata account for 40% of Kelowna's active listings for sale. Strata includes condominiums and townhomes. There are lots of strata choices - 1,045 today! All depends...

May 7, 2010
Hotels hope for a better 2010 - REAL ESTATE REPORTER The hotel industry suffered one of its worst years in 2009, as investment evaporated and some new hotel owners even opted to pave over properties...

May 7, 2010
Tracking office rent - Think you’re paying too much for that swanky office space you leased in downtown Calgary? It could be worse, you could live in one of the other 48 cities around the world that outrank...

May 7, 2010
Building permits rebound in March - The value of building permits rose more than expected in March, with gains in both multi-family and industrial activity, Statistics Canada reported yesterday. The...

May 7, 2010
Recession drives hotel investment to five-year low - Investment in Canadian hotels last year dropped to levels not seen since 2004, when the industry was dealing with the aftermath of SARS,...

May 7, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Dramatic shift in rate-hike expectations - The Greek crisis, together with market chaos, forced a "dramatic shift" in expectations of a Bank of Canada rate hike next...

May 7, 2010
Incorporate "feng shui" in your home design - When shopping for a kitchen, most of us consider cabinetry style, say, or countertops, few of us talk about vibe. But "you may want to create the...

May 7, 2010
January - April Kelowna residential real estate numbers - Extracting from the Okanagan Real Estate Board Mainline database here are some Kelowna single family residential real estate facts for...

May 8, 2010
MORTGAGES: TD Bank, Bank of Montreal lower some of their mortgage rates - Toronto-Dominion Bank and Bank of Montreal lowered some of their mortgage rates after government bond prices...

May 8, 2010
More than is needed, less than is wanted - Unsold inventory makes this a good year to be a buyer, but not a builder. One word that we've heard about the recovery that's been underway for the past...

May 8, 2010
Buying first home is a family project - Here's one way to tackle the red-hot Canadian housing market: Get someone to buy you a home. That someone would be your parents. According to a new survey from...

May 8, 2010
Fulcrum fundamentals - New factors slowly take us from a sellers' market toward a balanced one. The acquisition of a building permit takes place fairly early on in the home construction process. From the...

May 8, 2010
What your Kelowna house budget requires today - Your budget to buy a Kelowna home is max $---,--- and where do you start? Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board breaks up the City of Kelowna into 15...

May 9, 2010
First time in a high-rise home? - Expert insight in the world of condo living. Condominiums have recently become the dominant form of housing in Toronto. Condo living attracts many types of buyers, who...

May 9, 2010
Lots of Kelowna strata - townhome and condominium options today - Super selection of strata units - condoiniums and towhomes to make a move to in Kelowna! Strata living options accounts...

May 10, 2010
ALR - Agricultural Land Reserve helps keeps Vancouver land prices sky high - Vancouver politicians spend a huge amount of time these days debating ways to house the homeless. But I...

May 10, 2010
Canada housing edge higher in April - Home construction rose 1.3 per cent in April as Canada's real estate market continued to show signs of recovery. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. said Monday...

May 10, 2010
Okanagan construction shows recovery - Good evidence new home construction in the valley continues to recover from the recession slowdown. The month of April proved to be strong through out the...

May 10, 2010
Housing starts expected to build on recovery date - Housing starts have risen 80% from their cyclical lows. If record job gains from April weren't enough to convince you the Canadian economy is...

May 10, 2010
MORTGAGES: Rates drop - Several Canadian banks lowered their residential home lending rates slightly on Monday, dropping the posted rate on a benchmark five-year, fixed-rate mortgage by 0.15 percentage points...

May 10, 2010
MORTGAGES: Banks cut some mortgage rates - The massive European bailout that sent stock markets soaring Monday also gave Canadian homeowners a reason to smile. Several big banks cut residential...

May 10, 2010
A slow down, but how slow - Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney raised eyebrows last month when he said in his latest forecast that investment in housing, a key engine powering the faster-than-expected...

May 11, 2010
Australia passes Canada as a nation with biggest house price increases - Australia overtook Canada in the pace of house-price increases in the first quarter of 2010, signalling that as...

May 11, 2010
Homeowners face hardship if rates rise - 475,000 vulnerable; Variable-rate mortgages most at risk, study says. A new report from the country's mortgage brokers suggests up to 375,000 Canadians with...

May 11, 2010
Housing shows signs of cooling - Canadian housing activity continues at a bustling pace, but there are glimmers the market is set to cool. Housing starts rose at an annualized pace of 201,700 units last...

May 11, 2010
Kelowna and area 5+ acres - Currently 129 homes with 5+ acres actively listed on Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board for Kelowna and surrounding area. As low as $349, 900 for 8+ acres up to as high as $15.9...

May 12, 2010
New house price growth - Prices for new homes in Canada rose 0.3% in March, following a 0.1% increase the previous month and extending gains that began in July 2009, Statistics Canada reported Wednesday....

May 13, 2010
Better cures for bubbles than rate hikes, Fed's Kohn warns - Central banks should refrain from raising interest rates to pop potential asset bubbles, the vice-chairman of the U.S. Federal...

May 13, 2010
New home options in Kelowna - Great selection of new Kelowna homes to choose from - today's count is 78. Kelowna's buy-in price for a new home starts in the low $400,000 plus gst and goes up from there....

May 13, 2010
Passing along the keys to the coveted family cottage - Spring is here and summer is on the way. If you’re like many Canadians, you might be heading to the cottage in the next couple of weeks...

May 14, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Interest rate hikes benefit some, hurt others - An interest rate hike is good news for some people. For most Canadians, it's bad news. - It helps some retirees If you...

May 14, 2010
Buyers look to take charge in recreational property market - With spring offering the promise of sunshine and thoughts of summer cottages, the performance of British Columbia's recreational...

May 14, 2010
Kelowna recreational slice - A recreational slice can be found in or near Kelowna! Kelowna is within a range of mountains, Okanagan Valley filled with lakes, pine forests, gardens, orchards and vineyards,...

May 15, 2010
Kelowna home owner - tips to prepare for a sale - Preparing your Kelowna home for sale requires a bit work of inside and out to make your home stand out infront of others. Following article...

May 15, 2010
BC home prices to remain flat for 2010: economist - Expect British Columbia's property prices to remain flat for the balance of the year, which will be good news for buyers again being squeezed by...

May 16, 2010
Living austerely - Downsizing can be a challenge for homeowners -- especially when they've accumulated considerable in the way of possessions. With that in mind, the sales team at High Street has compiled the...

May 16, 2010
Should BC's current cap on rents be relaxed? - No The Residential Tenancy Regulation allows landlords to increase rent every 12 months at a rate of inflation plus two per cent. This formula has...

May 16, 2010
Kelowna downsizing home options - Your ready to take the leap to a smaller home in Kelowna - lifestyle change! At this time there is quite a strong selection to choose from. Not unlike buying any...

May 17, 2010
Vancouver condo's selling from $819 to $2,500 per square foot - More than 12,000 people toured the $1-billion Vancouver Olympic Village's sales office on the weekend, checking out more than...

May 17, 2010
Kelowna condo's selling from $517 to $727 per square foot - Kelowna new condomoniums look like a "bar-goon" compared to Vancouver's Olympic Village condominium prices! Kelowna's...

May 17, 2010
Canadian home sales fall 2.6% in April - Canadian home sales declined 2.6% in April from the previous month, but were still up 20% from a year earlier, the Canadian Real Estate Association said Monday....

May 18, 2010
New housing listings soar as experts expect slowdown - Canadians listed their homes for sale in record numbers in April as countrywide housing inventory hit levels not seen in almost a year,...

May 18, 2010
Pace of Canadian home sales falls back in April - The Canadian housing market is cooling, but the decline will be moderate, thanks to the rebound in the labour market, economists say. Canadian...

May 18, 2010
Housing market cools - Record high prices and a surge of new listings cooled Canada’s hot housing market in April, with the number of sales slipping for the third time in four months. While the market...

May 18, 2010
Pace of Kelowna and area real estate - Real estate pace of Kelowna and area shows increasing monthly sale activity as well as increasing property selection. Year-to-date (Jan to Apr) total number of...

May 19, 2010
House prices for Kelowna and area - Each month of 2010 records respectable sale price gain for Kelowna and area single family residences as well as increasing sale activity. Kelowna and area (Central...

May 20, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Experts make rate calls - Last month the Bank of Canada abandoned its pledge to keep interest rates at a record-low 0.25% through the end of June. The bank cited a faster-than-expected...

May 20, 2010
Demand expected to fall as first-time buyers bow out - Metro Vancouver real estate sales will drop in 2010 compared to last year and flatten out in 2011 because new buyers who would have been in...

May 20, 2010
Housing sales back-off from heady days of late 2009 - British Columbia real estate sales dropped by more than one quarter in the three months of 2010 from the last quarter of 2009 in both the...

May 20, 2010
Recreational properties take back seat - The recovery in Canada's recreational property market hasn't kept pace with the broader housing sector, as fewer Americans venture north and more Canadians look...

May 20, 2010
Retreating prices put rate hikes on back burner - The pressure on central banks to start raising interest rates is fading as the threat of deflation creeps back into the global economy. In the...

May 21, 2010
ECO: Saying it's green doesn't make it so - The green building industry is moving so fast, with technology and products being introduced and improved all the time. It’s really hard for homeowners...

May 21, 2010
A bargain in a recreational buyers' makret - Ucluelet on Vancouver Island appears to be one of the recreational property market's bigger bargains as buyers begin to edge back in after abandoning the...

May 22, 2010
RENO'S: Starting a reno? Notify your insurance company pronto about those upgrades - The long weekend is here and for many of us that means it's reno time. "But many...

May 22, 2010
MORTGAGES: Banks reduce five-year fixed mortgage rates - Five of Canada's biggest banks announced this week that they are lowering their five-year closed mortgage rates for the second time this...

May 22, 2010
Vacation property better left rented - As Baby Boomers near retirement, many may be considering the purchase of a remote cottage to get away from the rat race. the fantasy may even be to retire there,...

May 22, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Expect interest rates hikes from Bank of Canada - What does the Bank of Canada do now with both inflation and retail sales stronger than expected? Will the central bank...

May 22, 2010
MORTGAGES: Your bank may have you in "headlock" with new mortgages - A headlock would be the wrestling term to describe the hold Canadian banks will have on some consumers because of new,...

May 22, 2010
Home prices dip slightly - April saw a blip in the rise of Metro Vancouver housing prices, which is another sign that the market is easing into a balanced state. The Conference Board of Canada noted that...

May 22, 2010
Cottage sales soar across the country - Although the first three months of 2010 saw an upswing in sales of recreational properties in Canada, several factors have kept sales of cottages and back lot...

May 22, 2010
Oasis in the Okanagan - Canada and Austria have just produced the perfect spa lovechild and it is called Sparkling Hill Resort. I’m here, just ahead of the official opening, and I’ve returned to my room...

May 25, 2010
Homeownership costs to rise in Canada: RBC - Home ownership costs in Canada rose for the third straight quarter in early 2010, and those costs are going to get higher as interest rates rise this...

May 25, 2010
Canada home prices expected to drop as costs rise - Canadian home ownership costs are rising and affordability is eroding, while overvalued house prices are due for a correction in the coming year...

May 25, 2010
Real estate correction? - The Canadian Real Estate Association has a new study out that says Canadian homeowners don’t have to fear a U.S.-style correction. “The relationship between average price and...

May 25, 2010
Homes overpriced, bank report says - A new report from one of the country's major banks says house prices in Canada are sitting 14% over their "fair" value. The report from Canadian Imperial...

May 26, 2010
Kelowna farmers' RV parks sow seeds of concern - A new crop sprouting on Kelowna farms is stoking anxieties about the future of agriculture in this picturesque Okanagan Valley city. Faced with...

May 26, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Ready to raise rates - Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney may beat his G7 counterparts in raising interest rates as soon as next week, joining a different club that is profiting from a...

May 26, 2010
Be careful when buying property for adult children - Their partner may end up owning 50% of it. It's one thing to buy your son or daughter a condominium, it's quite another to have their...

May 26, 2010
Homes overpriced - A new report from one of the country's major banks says house prices in Canada are sitting 14% over their "fair" value. The report from Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce says the...

May 26, 2010
Homeownership takes a bigger bite out of our wallets - Home-ownership costs in Canada rose for the third-straight quarter in early 2010 and will get higher as interest rates rise this year, says...

May 26, 2010
Is Canadian housing poised for a correction? - Royal Bank said that during the first quarter, 46.8% of household income was needed to carry a standard two-storey house. At the peak of this cycle in...

May 26, 2010
Chill sets in as prices, rate worries hit housing market - The remarkable recovery in Canada’s resale housing market is cooling, as increasingly expensive properties and the promise of...

May 27, 2010
Monthly increases in home prices beginning to slow down, index shows - The latest home-price index from National Bank of Canada, done in partnership with real-estate technical-services...

May 27, 2010
Canadian homeowners need not fear U.S. pricing corrections, study says - The Canadian Real Estate Association has a new study out that says Canadians homeowners don't have to fear a...

May 27, 2010
House prices are levelling out - Metro Vancouver home prices tipped past their previous peak in the first quarter of this year, but their pace of growth slowed considerably, according to the unique measure...

May 27, 2010
Canadian housing prices to wane slightly - Expect Canadian housing prices to wane slightly in 2011, then stabilize while people's incomes and savings rise enough so they can afford to buy them, the...

May 28, 2010
RENOS: Minimizing the waste of home renos - Upgrading our properties gives us an opportunity to be more environmentally efficient Renovating is a form of recycling: It's about finding new purpose...

May 28, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Bank of Canada June 1 rate hike seen as likely - All of Canada's primary securities dealers and most other global forecasters predict the Bank of Canada will start raising...

May 28, 2010
MORTGAGES: Mortgage risk and reward - As the Bank of Canada appears closer to moving away from the historically low rates that have been in place since financial markets melted down in 2008, the...

May 28, 2010
Best places to live - Over the past three centuries Vienna has produced the visionary composers Joseph Haydn, Franz Schubert and Johann Strauss. This year the culturally and historically vibrant Austrian capital...

May 28, 2010
Don't fear housing bust: DBRS - Canadians will be spared a U.S.-style wave of foreclosures when the housing market corrects and interest rates rise, according to a report from DBRS Ltd. examining Canada’s...

May 29, 2010
ECO: The three Rs that can save you money - Simple changes can bring substantial savings, as well as environmental benefits. The message simply isn't getting through. We all know that conserving...

May 29, 2010
HST: Housing affordability and the hated sales tax - HST, OMG! Can you believe how this thorny issue -day after day after day -continues to dominate the news and commentary? It certainly has hit...

May 29, 2010
High home ownership costs - Home ownership costs in Canada rose for the third straight quarter in early 2010, and those costs are going to get higher as interest rates rise this year, according a housing...

May 29, 2010
Housing to cool - Correction due.Canada's housing market is expected to cool off this year and next, but isn't at risk of falling victim to a U.S.-style foreclosure crisis anytime soon, says a new report by...

May 30, 2010
RENOS: Basement floor cracks are normal and easily repaired - Q: My house is only two years old and I have cracks in the concrete basement floor. Why is this? And how can I repair them? A:...

May 30, 2010
10 steps to a cleaner home - House cleaning is one of those time-consuming chores many busy people would rather not face on their days off. Some have professionals tackle the job. Karen McClean of Merry...

May 31, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Bank rate decision expected - There will be much to talk about concerning the economy this week. As an opening act early today, we get an overall assessment of Canada's economic...

May 31, 2010
Kelowna home for sale in sought-after gated community - Kelowna has many gated communities in different neighbhourhoods however offered for your consideration - today - is one of the premiere...

June 1, 2010
BC leads pack for priciest property on the beach - B.C. residents considering buying a recreational property are mainly motivated by a desire to improve their lifestyle, according to a new survey...

June 1, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Starting the rate hiking cyle - slowly but surely - The Bank of Canada is widely expected to begin its rate hiking cycle on Tuesday, but in an environment in which some...

June 1, 2010
HST: What harmony will cost you - WHAT IS IT? By now, it’s likely you’ve heard about this thing called the Harmonized Sales Tax. The HST already exists in the Atlantic provinces of New Brunswick,...

June 2, 2010
MORTGAGES: As the lending rates go up, a mortgage rate go down - The Bank of Canada raised its lending rate Tuesday. The Bank of Montreal responded by lowering its mortgage rates – what...

June 2, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Global turrmoil clouds rate outlook - Mark Carney is taking a cautious approach to raising interest rates, weighing Canada’s powerful economic rebound against the uncertainty of...

June 2, 2010
Rate increase simply means what? - June 1, 2010 The Bank of Canada raised the target for the overnight rate by 0.25%. This is the first increase since 2007 and has been expected for some time now. As a...

June 3, 2010
BC real estate prices set to dip, report says - Rising interest rates, changes to lending rules and declining affordability are forcing the Canadian Real Estate Association to lower price and sales...

June 3, 2010
Forecast is cool but neighbhourhood is hot - Despite a new forecast that housing prices will drop 3.5 per cent in British Columbia in 2011, Jan Fricker and her husband Steve Lott are confident they...

June 3, 2010
BC to blame for lowered expectations - B.C. saw some of the biggest post-recession rebounds in real estate markets, so a recent cooling of sales in the province is a big reason the Canadian Real Estate...

June 3, 2010
CREA lowers housing market forecast as market weakens - Rapidly changing market conditions have led the Canadian Real Estate Association to lower its forecast for housing sales this year. The...

June 3, 2010
Housing prices, sales in decline - Weaker-than-expected sales in B.C. have helped convince the Canadian Real Estate Association to lower its forecast for housing sales this year. The Ottawa-based group...

June 3, 2010
House prices forecast to fall 2.2% in 2010: CREA - A "demand-driven downturn" will drive house prices lower by the end of 2011, the association which represents the country’s 100,000...

June 4, 2010
(Real estate) Market's jagged pill - It isn't all bidding wars out there, as some buyers and sellers are finding out. Earlier this spring, when Allison and Regan Janz went looking for a scenic...

June 4, 2010
Real estate flattens in May - Buyers now have more control in the Fraser Valley real estate market due to more listings, fewer sales and lower prices in a lot of locations, the Fraser Valley Real Estate...

June 4, 2010
Housing sales in May post abrupt about-face - Canada’s resale housing boom has run out of steam. After a year of solid gains, monthly sales in major cities took their first step back in May as...

June 5, 2010
Metro sales down, listings up - Metro Vancouver's housing market showed a drop in sales in May, an increase in listings and stagnating prices. "The wait syndrome" is how realtor Ron Antalek...

June 5, 2010
It's still growth, but a tad slower - The Canadian Real Estate Association cut its 2010 forecast for resale house prices and sales Wednesday, saying sales in British Columbia were not as strong as...

June 7, 2010
Latest Canadian housing market numbers on its way - The Canadian housing market gets a few indicators in the coming week, following the past week's warning from the Canadian Real Estate...

June 8, 2010
Age profile of homeowners relatively stable over generations, StatCan finds - More Canadians are owning homes later into life, according to a new report by Statistics Canada. The...

June 8, 2010
BC home sales expected to slow this year but rise in 2011: Survey - Residential sales across the province are expected to ease by three per cent this year to 82,350 units before increasing...

June 8, 2010
Home building quickly running out of steam - Housing construction in Canada is quickly coming off the boil, economists say, pointing to weaker-than-expected levels of new home starts in May. The...

June 9, 2010
Healthy increase in (housing) starts - Huge (housing) hike (starts) in Vancouver while national figures falter. Housing starts across the Vancouver area showed healthy increases in May, posting a...

June 9, 2010
New housing construction starts ease along with market state - The pace of new-housing construction in Metro Vancouver eased off in May from that of previous months yet remains at a level...

June 9, 2010
Forget market timing, buying a house is about life timing - Homes are a long term investment. 'You know, you're making the biggest mistake of your life. The housing market is going to...

June 9, 2010
Kelowna recyling drop-off locations for "old" alkaline batteries and cellphones - Today we all recognize the importance to commit to zero waste, or toxics in the enviroment and to...

June 9, 2010
Apartment buildings: slow, steady and sizzling hot - Low mortgage rates have made income-generating properties some of the most desireable real estate available in Canada. For a few days in...

June 10, 2010
Kelowna real estate facts Jan - May 2010 - Working through the Okanagan Real Estate Board Mainline database here are some Kelowna single family residential real estate facts for the first five months...

June 11, 2010
How homes really woo their owners - Forget square footage, parking spots and conventional real-estate rules when selling a home. Some deals are sealed thanks to the quirkiest of features, as At Home...

June 11, 2010
House prices regained peak levels in April - Metro Vancouver's new-home prices have followed the resale-home market upward to previous peaks during real estate's rebound, developers and consultants...

June 11, 2010
RENOVATIONS: Reno rulers - Bitten by the spring home-renovation bug? A quick coat of paint won't break the bank, but bigger renovations can get out of hand, leaving you with a glittering new kitchen or a...

June 11, 2010
Mainland China pours wealth into BC housing - As Vancouver’s once hot real estate market hits the skids, a rush of buyers from China may help the city sidestep a sharp correction in prices....

June 12, 2010
Kelowna - Cottage check-up - May 24 marked the unofficial start of summer, and that means cottagers across Canada are flocking to seasonal getaways to begin a yearly rite of cleaning, checking for winter...

June 12, 2010
Housing outlook starts positive: survey - Residential construction is a bright spot in the Canadian economy, according to a national survey that points to good short-and long-term prospects for housing...

June 12, 2010
New haunts, old problems (Stigmatized properties) - 'Stigmatized properties' that were crime sites often leave buyers and renters wondering who to call. They are the scenes of crimes, murders,...

June 13, 2010
PUBLIC OPEN for 55+: Kelowna Sandhaven residence - PUBLIC OPEN for 55+! SUNDAY 1-3 June 13, 2010. $339,000 for a detached 1,280 sf one level two bedroom, two full home in one of Kelowna's...

June 13, 2010
Growth in housing good for economy - Residential construction is a bright spot in the Canadian economy, according to a national survey that points to good short-and long-term prospects for housing starts...

June 14, 2010
What to expect when you are inspecting a home - Is it a fixer-upper or a money pit? For about $500, you can find out with a home inspection that analyzes the structure and major systems: the roof,...

June 14, 2010
Kelowna home inspectors - The best source for a Kelowna home inspector is by far a "word of mouth" referral. Check wtih a friend, family or co-worker if they can recommend a home inspector they have...

June 15, 2010
Home sales down, prices to remain flat - Residential home sales were down substantially in May from the same month a year ago, with Victoria and Metro Vancouver showing the sharpest drop, according to...

June 16, 2010
It's top dollar for Vancouver two bedroom apartments - Vancouver has Canada's highest monthly rents for two-bedroom apartments, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. Monthly...

June 16, 2010
CMHC report finds slight increase in local vacancy rate - Metro Vancouver’s apartment vacancy rate edged up to 2.2 per cent in the spring, more or less in step with most markets in B. C. and...

June 16, 2010
Kelowna vacancy rate today - Rising vacancy rates is not characteristic of just Kelowna. Below are vacancy rates and average rents (with percentage change from last year) for two-bedroom apartments in...

June 17, 2010
Kelowna home sales drop - Kelowna home sale activity trend is not other communities across Canada. Existing-home sales fell 9.5 per cent in May from the previous month as Canada's housing market began to wind...

June 17, 2010
New rules, rate hike cool housing market - Existing-home sales fell 9.5% in May from the previous month as Canada's housing market began to wind down from near-record activity as new mortgage rules...

June 17, 2010
Many home sales sputter, prices flatten - Buyers backed away from Canada’s housing market in May, driving sales lower in what is traditionally the busiest month of the year for the country’s real...

June 18, 2010
ECO: Hydro offering a choice with smart meters - BC Hydro is making room for both technophiles and technophobes on the $930-million smart meter network it will introduce in 2012. Hydro expects...

June 18, 2010
ECO: It's possible to 'green-up' an old home - I’ m often asked how to “ green” an older home — how to improve its efficiency and make it more sustainable. If you are building a new home and...

June 18, 2010
Need to top off your deposit for your Kelowna home purchase? - This is a long shot to top off that deposit for your Kelowna home purchase but you never know! A few years back a friend...

June 18, 2010
Downtown office market rebounds - Downtown Vancouver's office leasing market has bounced back due to a stream of infrastructure projects while Metro Vancouver suburban markets continue to struggle with the...

June 18, 2010
Homeowners now competeing in renters' market - Bidding wars have moved from the bungalow to the two-bedroom rental apartment. Many homeowners who cashed out at the peak of the market are putting...

June 18, 2010
The third wave - The economic impact of wealthy buyers from Mainland China has gone all but unnoticed by the average Vancouverite – but it’s no secret to the city’s real estate industry. And unlike the...

June 19, 2010
Housing resales slow dramatically - Home sales fell 9.5% in May from the previous month as Canada’s housing market began to wind down from record activity. Sales totalled 37,576 on a seasonally...

June 19, 2010
Today's pulse with Kelowna home sale activity - Kelowna home sale activity ytd is up +23.6%. Working through Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board data, $1mil+ homes sales have catapulted +125% in...

June 20, 2010
Addressing wasp infestation on your Kelowna home - It's that time of the year again we homeowners notice wasps building nests above the patio, below the deck, or under our home's eaves. Oh my -...

June 21, 2010
Kelowna's most expensive homes - Million dollar Kelowna home sales are up year-to-date from last year, up +125%. Kelowna luxury real estate does not reach the steep prices of US luxury real estate. US...

June 22, 2010
Average BC household to be hit hard by HST: analysis - The average B.C. household could take a $520 hit next year due to the harmonized sales tax, according to a model by Statistics Canada....

June 23, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Interest rates to rise again in July - Tuesday’s tame inflation report will not deter the Bank of Canada from raising its key lending rate for the second time in two months...

June 24, 2010
Kelowna real estate market numbers - Kelowna real estate market is not unlike other's across Canada which have to date experienced year-to-date stronger home sales numbers. Experts are saying changes to...

June 26, 2010
Welcome to the water world of Kelowna - For family summer fun, why not try Kelowna? As the largest city on the 110-km-long Okanagan Lake, it's no surprise that Kelowna is all about summer at the...

June 26, 2010
MORTGAGE: Banks lower fixed rate mortgages - Bank of Nova Scotia, CIBC, National Bank and Laurentian Bank are the latest Canadian banks to lower fixed mortgage rates, matching the average 0.10...

June 26, 2010
HST: It's just around the corner - The harmonized sales tax is almost upon us, and how it will affect individuals is still a question of much heated debate. Last week two studies came out, both based...

June 26, 2010
If buying new (home), buy what you need to beat the HST - The excitement is building. There are only five more sleeps until HST becomes a reality in B.C. Facetiousness aside, and despite the...

June 27, 2010
MORTGAGE: Banks cut mortgage rates - Bank of Nova Scotia, CIBC and National Bank are the latest to lower fixed-mortgage rates, matching an earlier average 0.10-percentage-point cut by Royal Bank of...

June 27, 2010
Smoke alarm in your Kelowna home - Heads up Kelowna homeowners......the B.C. Fire Code requires that every residential building built before March 31, 1979 shall have a smoke alarm installed by May 1,...

June 28, 2010
Wealthy Chinese put house hunting on Vancouver vacation itinerary - Mainland Chinese interest in Metro Vancouver property is so strong that it's fuelling a market for real estate tourism,...

June 28, 2010
Home insurance tips for Kelowna buyers - "You’ve told friends, your banker and your mom: You’ve found your (Kelowna) dream house. But have you told your insurance agent? Henry Blumenthal...

June 29, 2010
BC a draw for China's rich real estate tourist - Chinese interest in Vancouver-area real estate is so strong that it's fuelling a market for real estate tourism, with groups of wealthy travellers...

June 29, 2010
Buyers take control with Okanagan slow to recover - The shine is off Okanagan real estate, with a buyer's market returning to the sun-drenched region and some developers not only delaying projects...

June 30, 2010
Real estate market in Kelowna - Each month into 2010 has been showing an increase in Kelowna's active listing inventory contrary to the decreasing trend of monthly sales. What does all this mean - great...

July 1, 2010
Home prices keep rising, but contraditions lie ahead - Home prices in some of Canada's biggest cities rose 0.8 per cent in April, according to the latest Teranet-National Bank house-price index...

July 2, 2010
HST: Mo' money, the same problems: The higher cost of living compared - The HST means many higher costs for British Columbia consumers. Here’s how an average day may break down before...

July 2, 2010
Home ownership comes with hassles - and with tax breaks - Some people have the worst kind of luck. I think about my friend Janice. She bought a home seven years ago and has had nothing but...

July 2, 2010
Home prices rise - Home prices in some of Canada's biggest cities rose 0.8% in April, said the latest Teranet-National Bank house-price index released on Wednesday. That followed a 0.3% rise for March, and marked...

July 3, 2010
Real estate numbers are transitory, but value is forever - Real estate news can mean different things to different people. A headline announcing either a dramatic drop or a wild increase in...

July 5, 2010
Build a luxury, sustainable modular Kelowna home - For many of us, the term prefabricated homes brings images of mobile home or cheap, temporary house with little connection to luxury and...

July 6, 2010
Housing market holds steady in June - Metro Vancouver's housing market experienced steady activity in June despite sales that were 30 per cent lower than the same time last year, according to the Real...

July 6, 2010
First-time buyers in BC more likely to buy a condo than a house - And they do their financial homework. First-time homebuyers in British Columbia are opting for condominiums, not houses,...

July 7, 2010
MORTGAGES: More lenders lower mortgage rates - Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce announced Tuesday a reduction in its mortgage rates. It’s benchmark five-year closed rate was to decline 10...

July 7, 2010
BC building permit values soar to new high - B.C. has recorded one of the country's largest increases in the value of building permits over the past year, according to a Statistics Canada report...

July 7, 2010
Kelowna home owners available e-waste services - B.C.’s e-waste recycling program expanded July 1 to include old portable electronics: portable players such as CD and DVD players and radios and...

July 7, 2010
House prices and sales to decline across Canada: Real Estate Market Survey - House prices continued to climb higher across Canada in the second quarter of 2010, but sales and prices...

July 7, 2010
Drop in home sales may be sign of peak - Existing home sales dropped sharply in Canada's two most expensive markets, a further indication that the real estate market may have peaked. The Toronto...

July 8, 2010
Home prices will ease - I think what’s happening now is that there are still buyers out there, but they’re being a little more cautious, a little more price sensitive.....says Tom Gradecak, realtor....

July 9, 2010
New home prices rise - New-home prices in Metro Vancouver continued to rise in May, according to Statistics Canada's new-housing price index, but with buyers feeling less urgency to purchase, the pace of the...

July 9, 2010
Central Okanagan housing market enters buyers' cycle - Kelowna, BC - The Central Zone of the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) reported June 2010 sales activity of all MLS® property...

July 10, 2010
June drop in housing starts signals moderate levels for rest of year: CMHC - Housing starts fell in June to 189,300 units, down 3.1% from May Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp....

July 10, 2010
Resales dip in June, 23% - Having just started my term as Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) president, I am excited to write my first article for National Post. This comes at an interesting time, as the GTA...

July 10, 2010
High marks for Canada's real estate market - Canada may no longer be the most transparent housing market in the world, but it's close, according to a biannual survey of 81 countries. Canada came...

July 11, 2010
Kelowna's real estate market offers a great time to buy, sell or both - Half way through 2010 Kelowna and area real estate market is shifting. Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Boarad stats...

July 12, 2010
Sunshine caution for Kelowna home owners - Past week Kelowna homeowners have been experiencing high temperatures, for example, +30 degrees Celsius. This morning I came across an article in the...

July 14, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Recovery report points to rate hike - Canada's frothy economic recovery fueled an import surge in May, boosting the country's modest trade deficit and suggesting another interest...

July 14, 2010
Canadians top foreign buyers of US properties - Canadians bought more U.S. properties than the citizens of any other country in the last year, although financing was a hurdle for many of them. A...

July 14, 2010
China's latest export: home buyer - Half a world away, a handful of Chinese citizens are feverishly planning a Canadian real-estate shopping excursion. A farmer, an engineer, a furniture maker and a...

July 15, 2010
Home sales continue to drop - Existing home sales continued their rapid decline last month with 70% of markets showing a drop in sales in June from May, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association....

July 16, 2010
BC is homebuyer's territory - Active listings sit at the highest levels since March 2009 economist says...... When Maple Ridge's Monika Novosadova went house hunting this spring, she faced an...

July 16, 2010
Home sales on downward slide - Home sales in B.C. tumbled 23 per cent last month, the B.C. Real Estate Association says. Residential sales through the Multiple Listing Service in the province plunged to...

July 16, 2010
Drop in home sales - Existing home sales continued their rapid decline last month, with 70% of markets showing a drop in sales in June from May, the Canadian Real Estate Association says. But at least one...

July 16, 2010
Housing prices post year's first drop - First-time buyers disappeared from the usual bustling spring real estate market and homeowners opted to stay put rather than risk losing money on a sale, pushing...

July 16, 2010
Newcomers to the Kelowna real estate market - Are you a newcomer to the Kelowna area and wanting to make it home. Tired of scouring the paper and MLS sites looking for homes for sale? Sit back,...

July 17, 2010
Non-residential building climbs 1.2% - Investment in non-residential building construction reached $10.1-billion in the second quarter of 2010, up 1.2% from the previous quarter, Statistics Canada said...

July 17, 2010
ECO: Prefab, eco-friendlly, and -- round American homebuilder cuts no corners - An American homebuilder specializing in eco-friendly, circular prefabs is making inroads in Canada....

July 17, 2010
HST: HST blues - A growing family, particularly one with a bunch of boisterous teenagers, takes up quite a bit of space. A home that once had plenty of room for you and the kids may now feel rather cramped. If...

July 18, 2010
Oh my.....oh my......Kelowna real estate activity first six months over the past ten years - First half of 2010 shows Kelowna homes sales and average price have increased...

July 19, 2010
Kudo's to Kelowna's Alaina Podmorow - We do take for granted what we have here living in Kelowna or the bigger picture, living in Canada! Here is a young Kelowna girl making a difference! At 13,...

July 19, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Bank of Canada expected to boost interest rate - Analysts predict repeat of June’s increase Two major announcements bookending the coming week’s economic news will...

July 19, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Bank of Canada poised to raise interest rates - Mark Carney is likely to raise borrowing costs for the second straight time Tuesday, while continuing to sound a cautious tone...

July 19, 2010
Canada expected to follow US as economy slows - The mighty U.S. economy is slowing again, and with it Canada’s chances of escaping the global downdraft. A sudden plunge Friday in a closely...

July 19, 2010
Real estate note - Despite warnings from market watchers, mortgage rates remain at historic lows, at least for now. And while lenders expect upward pressure in coming weeks, there's is no quarantee it will...

July 20, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Bank of Canada raises key overnight interest rate 0.75% - The Bank of Canada raised its benchmark policy rate Tuesday to 0.75% even though it scaled back its growth...

July 21, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Expect another rate hike soon - "The Bank of Canada is like a poker player with a pair of jacks -- not sure it has the winning hand, but comfortable throwing in another...

July 21, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Bank of Canada boosts benchmark rate - The Bank of Canada raised its benchmark policy rate Tuesday by 25 basis points to 0.75 per cent, even though it scaled back its growth...

July 22, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Bank of Canada tips its hand on rates - The Bank of Canada may have let the cat out of bag on interest rates Thursday, analysts say, when it indicated that “gradual” hikes...

July 22, 2010
What Kelowna homes are selling and what's not - as quickly - Kelowna single family residence sales are up +22.39% and 10.17% first half of 2010 and year-to-date in comparison to 2009...

July 23, 2010
Developers push wave of pre-sales into slow market - Metro Vancouver developers may have got ahead of themselves with the number of housing projects they are pushing into the pre-sale marketing...

July 23, 2010
MORTGAGES: Mortgages are about more than just the rate - With interest rates still near all-time lows, despite the recent increases in the Bank of Canada's overnight target rate, it may be time...

July 23, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Rate-hike future clouded - The Bank of Canada may have let the cat out of bag on interest rates Thursday, analysts say, when it indicated that "gradual" hikes are forecast to...

July 24, 2010
Summer home maintenace tips for Kelowna homeowners - Summer is a great time to take care of some of those home maintenance items that can sneak up on you when you’re not looking. Here’s a...

July 25, 2010
City versus the Burbs - Box in the sky -- or house in the 'burbs? For many young couples in Vancouver today, that's the million-dollar question (or, more accurately, the $600,000 question) that arises as soon...

July 26, 2010
Condo's aimed at minimum-wage earners - Developer cut perks to make new housing affordable: No parking. No fancy finishes. No costly marketing program. No speculators. No one who isn’t willing to do...

July 27, 2010
INTEREST RATES: With rates low, is it time to reconsider your mortgage? - With mortgage rates low and more likely to go up than down, some borrowers may want to think long and hard...

July 27, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Bank of Canada and Interest Rates: Higher Is Not Always Bad - On Tuesday, the Bank of Canada raised its key lending rate from 0.50 per cent to 0.75 per cent....

July 28, 2010
MORTGAGES: Variable may no longer win - Not that there are a lot of people buying houses these days, but the answer to the age-old question of whether to go long or short on your mortgage is unclear yet...

July 28, 2010
INTEREST RATES: Almost "inevitable" interest rates will rise: Bank of Canada deputy govenor - The pace of Bank of Canada rate moves remains uncertain, but it is "almost...

July 28, 2010
Kelowna firms score high in "Happiness is being Boss" - This morning reading online I came across an article about.......a TD Small Business Happiness Index that found people in Vancouver and...

July 29, 2010
MORTGAGES: Variable may not longer be the best mortgage - Fixed rates are falling fast so do your homework. Not that there are a lot of people buying houses these days, but the answer to the...

July 29, 2010
(House) Prices highest in Vancouver - Vancouver house prices led Canada in May with a 17.1-per-cent year-over-year increase, according to the Teranet-National Bank composite house-price index, released...

July 30, 2010
Slower economic expansion upon us - Slower economic expansion is upon us judging by data released Friday that indicated U.S. GDP posted its weakest pace of three-month growth in nearly a year, while...

July 31, 2010
BC Government introduces greater flexibility in renting - It's complicated is more than the name of the movie in which Meryl Streep figures out where her heart lies. It is also the...

July 31, 2010
Price gains - Canadian resale home prices rose 1.3% in May, the largest monthly gain since last September, according to this week's Teranet-National Bank composite house price index. On an annual basis, prices...

July 31, 2010
Real estate sales slow more than expected - Real estate markets have slowed a bit more than the B.C. Real Estate Association's earlier predictions, prompting a downward revision in the group's latest...

July 31, 2010
BC brokers expect fewer transactions this year - Where those of us who own residential property may have been this year and where we might be for the rest of this year and next year were the...

August 1, 2010
Vascilating with notions of a Kelowna move? - Does the thought of changing your (Kelowna) neighbourhood go through your mind more often than not? Here are some key indicators on when you really...

August 2, 2010
Build a Kelowna 6,445 sf home in the heart of city - 0.74 acre view lot is offered for sale in Kelowna's newly established "Highpointe" gated community. Highpointe is adjacent to Knox...

August 3, 2010
Instant equity found in this Kelowna home - Kelowna's Lower Mission neighbhourhood is adjacent to Kelowna city core. Offered for sale is 0.34 acre with a two level home with approx 1,110 sf on each...

August 4, 2010
Summer property sales cool - A chill swept Greater Victoria's summer real estate market last month when both the volume of sales and average prices dropped significantly. In July, 527 properties changed...

August 4, 2010
Kelowna and area property selection is up and sales are down - Good news for Kelowna and area sellers and more good news for buyers! The number of active homes for sale is up and home...

August 5, 2010
Cooling housing market - Almost half of its real estate agents say the main reason for the cooling (Toronto) housing market is the harmonized sales tax, according to a survey from Royal LePage Real Estate...

August 5, 2010
Home sales plummet - Yvonne Viel had hoped to get in the low $700,000s for her south Vancouver home. But in a July where home sales plummeted by almost half from last summer's red-hot market, she was happy...

August 5, 2010
Housing sales slump despite low mortgage rates - The malaise in Canada’s housing market is deepening, as record-low interest rates and a vast selection of homes prove to be insufficient...

August 5, 2010
Real estate now Buyer's market - Greater Vancouver’s housing market has caught a chill in the middle of summer. Residential property sales in Greater Vancouver tumbled 45.2 per cent in July from the...

August 6, 2010
Misconception about HST slowing home sales: poll - Realtors say the new tax -- which does not apply to the purchase of resale homes -- is a bigger threat than rising interest rates. Royal...

August 6, 2010
June good for builiding permits in BC - A small surge in residential building-permit applications in June pushed British Columbia to the second-highest month this year for stated building intentions....

August 6, 2010
HST chilling home sales - Survey shows tax -- not interest hikes -- blamed for (home sales) decline. Royal LePage Real Estate Services says almost half of its agents believe the main reason for the...

August 6, 2010
Interest rates, HST help cool housing sales - Economists cite a shortage of first-time buyers as one of the key reasons for a sharp drop in housing sales in July, though the HST and rising interest...

August 7, 2010
Shaky days in the housing market - After several months of small pullbacks, the number of houses sold in some of Canada’s largest markets plummeted in July. There are plenty of factors at work – most...

August 7, 2010
MORTGAGES: Reverse mortgage a no panacea - A reverse mortgage is often described as a way seniors -- those who are house rich but cash poor -- can continue to live in their homes and generate extra...

August 7, 2010
Being a home owner doesn't have to keep you up all night - Living in Canada's most expensive housing market, residents of the Lower Mainland are obsessed with real estate prices and mortgage...

August 9, 2010
Why (real estate) prices matter - The (real estate) market is important, even if you don't own a home. The red-hot housing market is cooling through the summer. Depending on which economist you ask, it...

August 9, 2010
Central Okanagan and Kelowna home prices - Kelowna total home sales through the first seven months of 2010 was up 7.12% compared to 2009 and 40.07% percentage drop compared to 2007. July home sale...

August 10, 2010
Housing starts slow down as market cools off - July housing starts that showed an easing from earlier levels is another sign that British Columbia’s real estate markets are in transition from the...

August 10, 2010
Canada sees "dramatic" housing slow down, global report says - Canada led in the global housing recovery in the first quarter of 2010, but moderating global growth, heightened financial...

August 10, 2010
Microscopic look at Kelowna's housing market - Currently 2,227 homes actively listed in the Central Okanagan of which almost 76% are in the City of Kelowna.Central Okanagan includes...

August 11, 2010
Housing no longer a driver - Canadian housing starts fell in July for a third-straight month and new-home prices rose less than expected in June, further evidence that the housing boom that helped drive the...

August 11, 2010
Housing market keeps cooling - The slowdown in the Canadian resale housing market was "dramatic" last month, but the sector got a boost yesterday from statistics that show new-home construction is...

August 11, 2010
Kelowna real estate August market update - The worst recession since the Great Depression had a serious impact on housing performance during 2008 and the first quarter of 2009. Consumers adjusted to...

August 11, 2010
BC housing starts dip in July as sales decrease countrywide - July housing starts that showed an easing from earlier levels is another sign that British Columbia’s real estate markets are...

August 13, 2010
Home sales tumble in BC's biggest markets - A year ago, B.C.'s real estate markets were rising to a peak in sales. In July, they dramatically fell off it. Sharp drops in sales in B.C.'s biggest...

August 13, 2010
July supply favourable for buyers - The average house price in B.C. rose six per cent to $491,832 in July from the same month last year, the B.C. Real Estate Association said. But year-over-year sales in...

August 15, 2010
Transitional Kelowna real estate market - Today I am in the midst of providing an out-town-colleaque with an opinion of value for a family members Kelowna home.  It has been on the market for four...

August 19, 2010
Kelowna and area weakening sale activity not like other areas of Canada - Everytime I read a newspaper on-line this week real estate descriptors have a common theme..... "slump",...

August 25, 2010
Excellent time to explore your Kelowna housing options - With interest rates still at historical low levels, steady home prices and a good selction of Kelowna homes to choose from, you have...

September 2, 2010
Kelowna real estate market bright spots - I had a sense the past couple of months which is validated by Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board records that Kelowna summer monthly house sales totals...

September 6, 2010
Fundamentally a healthy Kelowna housing market - Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) reports that Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) residential sales in the Central Okanagan declined...

September 9, 2010
Kelowna real estate is my forte - The Central Zone of the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) report August 2010 sales activity of al MLS property types picked up as summer comes to an end and the...

September 22, 2010
Is now a good time to buy or sell a Kelowna home? - Without hesitation I say "Absolutely!"   Kelowna Buyers and Sellers with a good sense of timing are taking action now.  Mortgage rates are...

September 28, 2010
Your first Kelowna home-sweet-home - I understand when buying your first Kelowna home it's important to find the home that fits your lifestyle with a monthly payment that allows you to sleep at night....

October 1, 2010
Kelowna homes sales decline in September - Kelowna home sales on a year-on-year overall basis were down in September for the fourth consecutive month.  In September, there were  88 single family...

October 6, 2010
Take advantage of Kelowna real estate opportunities where other's don't! - Yes, Kelowna single family residential sale numbers continued sliding downwards in September, hitting a low...

October 7, 2010
Attractive Kelowna level entry residence just listed - You've been toying with the idea to make Kelowna home or you live in Kelowna on larger property and wanting to settle a quiet setting as...

October 8, 2010
Kelowna household eco-nasties round up Oct 16th - Kelowna's last Household Hazardous Waste Round Up is being held Saturday, October 16, 2010 at the KLO Campus of Okanagan College.  It runs between...

October 16, 2010
Make Kelowna's Big White your recreational choice to invest - Kelowna's Big White has 118 runs fanning from it's summit, 2,565 acres of skiable terrain, 16 ski lifts and great selection of...

October 19, 2010
Breakout West 2010 Festival and Kelowna real estate - If you are attending Kelowna's Breakout West 2010 Festival this weekend and fallen in love with our Okanagan Valley - I can find you that...

October 20, 2010
Kelowna real estate market "reset" - The Kelowna real estate market is not "dead" but rather, not unlike other Canadian communities real estate markets, it has just "reset".  Despite the housing sale...

October 27, 2010
Commit to major renovations for your Kelowna home or just sell and move? - To help you with your decision making I came across Renova, an interactive web-based guide provided by the...

October 28, 2010
Mortgage broker contacts for your Kelowna real estate purchase - My how times have changed.  When I first started my real estate career in 1988 most of my clients were leary to consider...

October 31, 2010
Kelowna real estate bargins abound - Everyday we are bombarded with news lines such as "home prices are dropping",  "slowdown in housing market is unfolding", "correction in the housing market",...

November 3, 2010
Overall performance of Kelowna's real estate market back to 2004 - For the fifth month in a row Kelowna residential home sales fell.  October sales were down 25.5% compared to October...

November 8, 2010
Okanagan Market Watch past 7 days..... - Graphs say it all.  Snap shot of our local market activity.  Welcome your contact if you have any questions!    

November 13, 2010
Okanagan snapshot of residential sale activity - All real estate talk lately repeatedly is saying that no facet of the real estate market - new, existing or rental - is expected to have dramatic...

November 20, 2010
Calmer Central Okanagan housing market - Beginnng of 2010 the Central Okanagan single family residential housing market sale activity totals increased monthly as the year unfolded.  Buyers acted...

November 24, 2010
Chilling out! - Off to Singapore for 10 days commencing Nov 24th, then Dec 5th catching a 17 day cruise  from Singapore with  two port calls to Vietnam, one in Benoa, and four in Australia arriving in Sydney,...

January 4, 2011
Mortgage rates - what to expect in 2011? - This morning I attended a meeting with Chris Murphy of Dominion Lending Centres giving his take of what to expect this year with mortgage rates.  First...

January 8, 2011
Kelowna 2010 average house price is above the Canadian average - Good news!  Every morinig since the turn of the new year I've been reading positive on-line headlines.  Canadian real...

January 13, 2011
2011 Kelowna Market Trends Outlook - Consumer confidence will be the key factor in the transition of Kelowna's real estate market in 2011.  With softer sales conditions and flat home prices, savvy...

January 15, 2011
Okanagan real estate facts - With 2010 behind us Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board mulitple listing numbers are in for the *Central Okanagan: 11,850 properties were listed which was down 7% over...

January 16, 2011
AFFORDABLE: $349,500 OPEN HOUSE Sunday 1-3 pm JAN 19th, 2011 - Okay I got it!  Have you? All the real estate experts are predicting "rosey" news for the 2011 Canadian real estate...

January 16, 2011
Kelowna home sales in review - 2000 to 2010 - Kelowna home sales last year were strong in the first half of the year.  The pace of residential sales slowed as the year progressed but over all,...

January 18, 2011
Mortgage Chatter - This morning e-news headlines were full with talk about the resulting new mortgage rules and anticipated effect. At a meeting this morning with my realtor colleagues, Chris Murphy, mortgage...

January 20, 2011
Kelowna house prices and sale activity - Fifteen neigbourhoods comprise the City of Kelowna.  Of course some neighbourhoods..... are larger than others may have a greater selection of new or...

January 21, 2011
Renovate or sell your home? - To help you with your decision making I came across Renova, an interactive web-based guide provided by the Appraisal Institute of Canada (AIC).  Click on the above mentioned...

February 9, 2011
RE/MAX Barometer Report for Kelowna - RE/MAX of Western Canada, RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic and RE/MAX Quebec released the RE/MAX Housing Barometer Report 2011 to the Canadian Media on February 8, 2011....

February 11, 2011
Kelowna real estate tweets expanded beyond 140 characters - My recent tweets on twitterverse vary about real estate and limited to 140 characters.  First blush it may just appear as real...

February 17, 2011
"Wild Card" props up Canadian housing markets over past decade - TIghter inventory levels heped to make the last decade one of the healthiest periods on record for Canadian real estate,...

March 13, 2011
Kelowna's Housing Market Continues Normalization Trend - Sales activity of all MLS property types improved over last month but were down from sales reported at this time last year as buyer...

April 4, 2011
Quarterly Look at Central Okanagan's real estate market -Single family residential - As the new year advances so is Central Okanagan real estate activity.  Monthly house...

April 6, 2011
First-time homebuyers boosting housing market this year: Re/Max - RE/MAX Canada yesterday released its 2011 First-Time Buyers Report which indicates that first-time buyers are contributing...

April 11, 2011
Ever wonder who is buying homes in the Okanagan - Shuswap? - Recently Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board [OMREB] initiated a Monthly Buyers Survey to its Board realtors.  Survey...

April 19, 2011
Kelowna's Buyer's Market Conditions - Buyer's market conditions have contributed to an upswing in home-buying activity in  Kelowna, with first-time purchasers taking advantage of pricing, selection and...

April 25, 2011
Graphic snapshot of Central Okanagan, Kelowna and West Kelowna house market - Visual illustrations assist to comprehend market trends.   As a result, below is my April 4th blog:...

April 30, 2011
It's a buyers market in the Okanagan! While it lasts whose buying? - Results are just in for Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board March 2011 Buyer Survey which profiles who the...

April 30, 2011
Market watch of Kelowna and area - The Central Zone of the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) reported March 2011 sales activity of all MLS property types improved over February but dipped...

May 2, 2011
Just a blip or a trend for more to come? - Numbers are not yet finalized with the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board but it looks like the trend for Kelowna and area first quarter is changing........

May 4, 2011
Finding the right fit! - Great news for anyone considering a strata purchase in the Kelowna area!  There are currently 1,434 strata properties to choose from.  Appreciate we all have a buget and specific...

May 6, 2011
Housing market tempers going into spring - The Central Zone of the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Borad (OMREB) reported April 2011 sales activity of all MLS property types dipped compared to sales...

May 7, 2011
Market watch weigh-in - At the present time the Okanagan real estate market is weighing heavy with properties for sale in contrast to sale activity. Currently 8,305 properties for sale with the Okanagan...

May 8, 2011
Is Kelowna area an affordable move option for you? - Vacationing in the Okanagan has been your introduction to the area. You love it! Now opportunity allows a move and you are seriously...

May 11, 2011
Markedly moderate housing market - Sale activity of all MLS property types dipped this April compared to sales reported at this time last year thus slowing the busier than normal start we had in 2011...

May 13, 2011
B.C. market activity and the Okanagan area - The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that Mulltiple Listing Service (MLS) residential unit sales in B.C. declined 14% to 7,187...

May 14, 2011
Real Estate Recap - It's the weekend,  time to chill out and catch up! Real estate recap is my weekly one-stop read of the past weeks real estate, mortgage, home maintenance, decor and weird news  that perked...

May 16, 2011
The numbers say... - RESIDENTIAL There are a lot of  properties for sale in the Okanagan area! The weekly graphs from the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) show listing activity continues to be...

May 18, 2011
Luxury home demand - Demand for Kelowna and area luxury homes continues to fall short of last year's levels, down -8.3%. 22 Central Okangan homes selling over 1 million have changed hands from January to April...

May 21, 2011
Real Estate Recap - At this time the Kelowna orchards are blanketed with taraxacum seedheads and it's.....Victoria Day weekend!  A public holiday across Canada celebrating Queen Victoria's birthday on Monday,...

May 22, 2011
Can't see the upside in today's market? - Week after week you're hearing the same old story that there are gazillion homes on the market and sales are precious.  You like to move but think that the...

May 23, 2011
Sold on the Okanagan area - Local yokols were the predominate players and successful shoppers of Okanagan real estate this past month.  Albertans were next.  As it warms up so does the Albertan interest to...

May 27, 2011
What price home can I afford? - As a "rule of thumb" you can afford to buy a home equal in price to twice your gross annual income. More precisely, the price you can afford to pay for a home will depend on...

May 28, 2011
Real Estate Recap - Living in the Okanagan amongst world class vintners and a vibrant wine community we can include winery tastings as a weekend activity ~ YES!   In addition to wine tastings this weekend here...

May 29, 2011
Got your eye on something? - Timing is everything! Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) weekly graphs show lots of properties continue to be listed as well as downward price adjustments. Weekly sale...

May 30, 2011
Canadian housing market stablizing in 2011 - OTTAWA, May 30, 2011 — Housing starts are forecast to stabilize at levels consistent with demographic fundamentals in 2011 and 2012, according to...

June 3, 2011
Kelowna area spring market - The Kelowna area single family residential market is "somewhat" following the typical springtime fashion of residential sales upswing however not with the strength and...

June 3, 2011
Real Estate Recap - Yippee, its the weekend. The weatherman is saying lots of sunshine with highs today of 27C and Sunday 29C! So grab the kids, spouse, or signifcant other and check out some of the Kelowna area...

June 5, 2011
Getting sold in today's market - Your a homeowner. You've been watching the Kelowna area real estate market. You want to move but hesitant as you notice where ever your driving around for whatever that...

June 7, 2011
Housing pulse - May market numbers are in for the Central Okanagan! Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) May stats show active listings, sales, average and median price are all slightly down from last...

June 8, 2011
CMHC May 2011 Housing Starts - CMHC, Canada's national housing agency provides the housing industry and consumers with the latest statistical information and analysis of housing trends. The agency released...

June 8, 2011
Kelowna and Southern Interior housing starts - Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) just released their national May 2011 Housing Starts report as well as regional ones which includes...

June 10, 2011
Kelowna area market dynamics - Sales of existing homes are forecast to move higher in 2011 and 2012.  Favourable interest rates combined with strong price competition will support modest growth in demand...

June 12, 2011
Weekend tidbits & Real estate recap - I know what I am up to this weekend ~ work and play of course!  I can make that happen and why I love Kelowna and what I do! How about you? Undecided?  Well maybe...

June 13, 2011
Okanagan area Market Watch - Week after week a good supply of Okanagan area residential properties continue to come onto the market as shown by Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) weekly Market...

June 14, 2011
Kelowna area recreational properties - RE/MAX of Western Canada just released yesterday a recreational property report saying...."the Canadian recreational property market is gaining serious traction...

June 17, 2011
Okanagan buyers - On the average during the first 5 months of 2011, Okanagan home buyers have been coming from within the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) area (60.3%); Alberta (13.64%; other areas of...

June 18, 2011
Real Estate Recap & Weekend Tidbits - The weekend is upon us and it's time to catch up on things.  For some of us it is simply doing things around the house such as housekeeping, maintenance, gardening...

June 19, 2011
Close look at housing activity - We're almost half way through 2011 so we have some sale history to compare market activity with last year.  We know from Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board's (OMREB)...

June 20, 2011
Wallet size of Kelowna area buyers YTD - Again and again you hear that Kelowna area housing market is  in favor of buyers. What does that mean?  A buyer's market is simply a market which has more...

June 21, 2011
Kelowna luxury market - Kelowna's luxury market ~ selling over one million dollars accounts for 3.35% of single family residences sold year-to-date* (ytd) and 4.7% in 2010.  Reality is, today's active real...

June 25, 2011
Kelowna activities & Real Estate Recap - Summer officially kicked in June 21st and Kelowna continues to have 'iky' weather~unusual to say the least but appears not unlike abnormal weather trends other...

June 26, 2011
Okanagan real estate update - Here is my update on the Okanagan real estate market. Previous week's numbers are in brackets. For the past 7 days for residential real estate: New Listings: 346 (341, 413,...

July 1, 2011
A Song For Canada -   Canada's Walk of Fame is creating A SONG FOR CANADA and we want you to participate!   Canadian musicians Rane Maida and Chantal Kreviazuk join pianist, producer and songwriter Stephen...

July 1, 2011
Kelowna house numbers are in! - The past six months has whizzed by and whooh ~ numbers are in to give us a feel how the Kelowna house market is doing in comparison to past years.  We haven't quite topped...

July 2, 2011
Kelowna and West Kelowna house markets - If you're visiting the Kelowna area you may not know that William R. Bennett Bridge over Okanagan Lake connects the District of West Kelowna 28,793 citizens*...

July 3, 2011
Scoop on Kelowna's strata market - Interest to purchase Kelowna strata is a runner up to single family residential!  First six months of this year shows folk's purchase focus has been: 37.26% strata...

July 4, 2011
Kelowna's manufactured home market - Kelowna offers many housing choices to buy which incudes manufactured homes (MH) in parks where property ownership is not necessary.  2.75% of Kelowna's purchases...

July 5, 2011
Kelowna lots and acreage activity - At this time there is a good selection of Kelowna lot and acreage oppotunities if you've worked your way through the existing Kelowna house supply and just can't find...

July 6, 2011
Who is buying homes in Okanagan - Shuswap? - Ever wonder where home buyers come from?  Since September 2010, the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) has been collecting information from...

July 7, 2011
Okanagan Second Quarter Housing Forecast - The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) represents 11 member real estate boards and just released its 2011 Second Quarter Housing Forecast June...

July 8, 2011
Kelowna area housing market conditions - The Central Zone of the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) reported June 2011 sales activity of all MLS property types were down compared to sales...

July 9, 2011
Kelowna area events & Real Estate Recap - Overall weekend weather forecasts say mainly sunny with highs of 26C to 27C with a titch of wind ~4km.  For some  of you this is a bit cool for this time of...

July 11, 2011
Okanagan weekly market watch - SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL seven days advance of July 11th SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL seven days advance of July 4, 2011 Here is my update on the Okanagan real estate market....

July 18, 2011
Weekly Okanagan Market Watch - Here is an update on the Okanagan residential real Estate market.  A quick scan of weekly numbers continues to show new listings out weigh sale numbers.  Buyers continue to...

July 20, 2011
Folks sold on the Okanagan - Shuswap! - Since September 2010, the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) has been collecting information from its members with regards to where buyers are coming...

July 21, 2011
How does your neighborhood score? - Drive and Walk Score are two nifty, cool sites that will rate a street address according to proximity of local amenities. Drive Score shows a map of what...

July 25, 2011
Close look at Okanagan's residential market - Here is a weekly update on the Okanagan residential real estate market.  Weekly numbers since the onset of 2011 continue to show supply is greater than...

July 26, 2011
Save money, save energy - If history repeats itself home inspector Bill Johnson has a busy year ahead of him. Why? The government has renewed its popular ecoEnergy Retrofit Homes program, an initiative that...

July 27, 2011
Beware of impostors at the door - What if some one comes to your door, trying to sell you a new vacuum cleaner?  Will you bite? If you have a vacuum cleaner that works, you probably tell the salesman to...

July 28, 2011
Okanagan summer music festivals - There is more to the Okanagan area than wine and golf!  Time it right you can enjoy some great weekend music festivals that the Okanagan area offers.  Here are few that...

July 29, 2011
Non-smokers can change strata bylaws - The Heart and Stroke Foundation of B.C. and Yukon commissioned  BC Stats to conduct a survey of British Columbians living in condominiums and apartments about...

July 31, 2011
Must-have house hold documents - Running a household is a veritable never-ending to-do list.  There's always something that needs to be taken care of, from groceries to gardening or just trying to keep...

August 1, 2011
Kelowna house market update - Kelowna house sales were up approximately +31% this July compared to July 2010, down -26% from last month [June] and down -9.5% year-to-date from last year's first seven...

August 2, 2011
Weekly Okanagan Market Watch - Here is my weekly update on the Okanagan residential real estate market. Contrary to some Canadian city markets year-to date Okanagan home prices are not accerlerating as...

August 3, 2011
West Kelowna & Kelowna house market update -   If you're a newcomer to the Kelowna area it is quite easy to assume that all the housing (single family residential) you see on either side of William...

August 4, 2011
Kelowna strata update - Kelowna's latest strata figures show a surge in July sales ~ the strongest month year-to-date!  July strata sale numbers were up 58.5% from June and 91% from July 2010.  Inspite of...

August 5, 2011
West Kelowna & Kelowna strata update - West Kelowna strata market is quite a bit smaller than Kelowna's nonetheless when making a purchase in the Kelowna area, it's a location to make certain to look...

August 9, 2011
Kelowna area lots & acreage update - You've been actively looking for the right Kelowna house fit and haven't found it ~ now what?  Build your own home?  Why not!  Good timing as lot supply is ample,...

August 10, 2011
Buyers market prevails as summer continues - The Central Zone of the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) reported July 2011 sales activity of all MLS property types improved significantly...

August 11, 2011
Okanagan Weekly Market Watch - New listings keep coming onto the Okanagan real estate market week after week but according to Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) the supply is slowly declining...

August 12, 2011
Real Estate Acronyms - An acronym is an abbreviation formed from initial letters, for example, Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board is known by the acronym 'OMREB' and Multiple Listing Service as 'MLS'. Often...

August 15, 2011
Summer buyers sold on the Okanagan-Shuswap - Ever wonder where home buyers come from?  Since September 2010, the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) has been collecting information from its...

August 16, 2011
Okanagan Real Estate Weekly Snapshot - Here is the past week snapshot of Okanagan resdential real estate activity with previous weeks and month in brackets to compare and notice it is not a Sellers...

August 17, 2011
Kelowna area hard real estate market facts - The past couple of days news headlines report Canadian Real Estate Association's (CREA) revised  real estate market forecast of "stronger than expected...

August 18, 2011
The Kelowna Apple Triathlon this weekend! - The Kelowna Apple Triathlon features a very spectacular spectator-friendly course in the heart of downtown Kelowna.  Multiple loops are used for various...

August 19, 2011
Province launches interactive maps of flood-prone areas - Rising sea levels could cause flooding in Metro Vancouver communities that never had to worry about it before, such as False Creek and...

August 20, 2011
The case for freehold townhomes - B.C.'s land title laws are standing in the way of Vancouver welcoming a form of housing that could add to diversity in the city and help to improve housing...

August 21, 2011
Unclaimed property and funds - Millions of dollars goes unclaimed by British Columbians every year.  Forgotten credit union accounts, unpaid wages, overpayment to debt collectors, as well as unclaimed...

August 22, 2011
Okanagan: 5 Things to do with Peaches, other than Pie - During July and August, when sweet and juicy white and yellow peaches are in season, I get more excited than a twelve-year-old girl at a...

August 23, 2011
Chinese buyers take a shine to Okanagan Wines - Painted Rock Vineyards, on of the Okanagan's top new wineries, has signed a distribution agreement with a Chinese wine brokerage in a stategic...

August 24, 2011
Kelowna Housing Market Outlook - CMHC - Kelowna Highlights: Demand for new and existing homes is forecast to pickup in 2011.  Stronger employment growth will boost demand through 2012. Sales of...

August 25, 2011
PNE 2011 prize home settles in Kelowna! - The 2011 PNE craftmans-style home that Vancouver's PNE vistors have been veiwing will settle in Kelowna's Upper Mission neighborhood overlookiing Okanagan...

August 26, 2011
B.C's. home sales, property values to slow as job growth ebbs: BCREA - Slower job growth in British Columbia's economy will mean slower increases in home sales and property values...

August 27, 2011
Where there's a will, there's protection for your possessions - Coquitlam resident Maureen Zaraycki was ony 62 when she died of complications from diabetes last July. After she died, her...

August 29, 2011
Unsexy, but essential, repairs - What did you think would happen?  I know I'm going to sound like an old guy here, but I can't believe how little common sense people seem to have these days.  I've just...

August 30, 2011
On 'Consumed', one person's junk is another person's TV treasure - The house is a block from the ocean in Richmond, B.C..  Inside it is dark and has the faint smell of ... stuff. ...

August 31, 2011
EcoEnergy Retrofit returns - I'm happy to report in July the federal government renewed the ecoENERBY Retrofit program -- a great program that ended earlier this year.  For the next eight months -- until...

September 1, 2011
Kelowna house market activity ytd - Gosh ~ the summer months of July and August seem to me to have whizzed by!  Today, being September 1st is a reminder 'Fall' is around the corner. Being the first day...

September 2, 2011
Kelowna strata market activity ytd - Kelowna strata sale activity is not unlike single family residential.  August strata sales were less than the month before as well as year-to-date: 2011 August vs...

September 4, 2011
Fluffling the rental pad - The rental apartment had good bones -- high ceilings, original woodwork, abundant light -- and its city location unbeatable. But when Alice Danino moved into her two-bedroom home,...

September 5, 2011
Kelowna lot and acreage activity ytd - Kelowna lots and acreages sale activity is not unlike Kelowna's single family residential and strata - August sale numbers came in less than the previous month ~...

September 6, 2011
West Kelowna house market activity ytd - If your a visitor to the Kelowna area first blush, you may not know that there is the District of West Kelowna and a City of Kelowna.  West Kelowna is on the...

September 7, 2011
Summer finishes with steady home sales - The Central Zone of the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) reported August 2011 sales activity of all MLS property types slower than this time last...

September 9, 2011
A Natural StairMaster: Knox Mountain - Knox Mountain Park is located walking minutes north of Kelowna's downtown core, adjacent to Okanagan Lake.  The 230 hectares park offers stunning vistas of...

September 10, 2011
Staying on top of real estate - RE/MAX Western Canada just made available a free mobile app to keep you on top of real estate to find your home-sweet-home!  The app enables you to search for Western...

September 16, 2011
8 Unexpected Awesome Wine Regions - It's easy to be blinded by the stars. In the world of wine, you might argue that this is especially true, where the superstar regions of France, Italy, California, and...

September 17, 2011
Personalized home search - A 'personalized home search' is a customized MLS home search function that can be sent to your inbox ~ it's as easy as that!  Once your search criteria is set-up the first email...

September 19, 2011
Switch the old thermostat - Do you have a mercury-filled thermostat that dates back to the days when avocado appliances were modern? Well, the heating and cooling industry thinks it's time to toss those...

September 20, 2011
Small appliance recycling program - Commencing October 1st, 2011, British Columbians will be able to drop off old or broken small appliances such as toasters, electric shavers, garment steamers, vacuum...

September 21, 2011
Protecting your investment with seasonal maintenance - Fall is the best time to get all those seasonal home maintenace projects done around the house before the winter rains.  People in the...

September 22, 2011
RCMP on-line list of grow-up addresses - You can now visit  a website listing the addresses of homes, outbuildings in residential, rural or commercial and industrial areas where Royal Canadian...

September 22, 2011
Who's buying homes in the Okanagan-Shuswap? - Ever wonder where home buyers come from?  Since September 2010, the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) has been collecting from our members...

September 23, 2011
Is your home inspection out-of-date? - Most people think about getting a home inspetion when they buy a house, and with good reason.  I think anyone who buys a house without paying for a professional...

September 26, 2011
5 Reasons this might be a good time to buy a home - According to a recent news release from British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA), August 2011 versus 2010 year-to-date residential...

September 30, 2011
The most reliable source of real estate information - Housing market information orginating from the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) has long been recognized as the most reliable and...

September 30, 2011
One of the many benefits of living in the Okanagan! - The Okanagan celebrates four wine festivals each year ~ Spring, Summer and Fall as well as the Icewine Festival.  Yesterday was the...

October 3, 2011
September 2011 Single Family Residential Numbers - Numbers are in from Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB)  to give us a picture of the Kelowna area real estate activity for September as...

October 4, 2011
Happening price ranges - Wow, how times flies ~ it seems only yesterday we were anticipating how Kelowna's 2011 real estate market would unfold. Today we have nine months of sales history to see which price...

October 6, 2011
Housing market showing signs of stability going into Fall - The Central Zone of the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) reported September 2011 sales activity of all MLS property...

October 11, 2011
Canada's home building steams ahead - Home construction rose more than expected in September, led by multiple-units activity, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. CMHC said Tuesday that...

October 15, 2011
Investors keep running to the arms of housing - It's going to crash, it's going to crash.  How many times have we heard this about the Canadian housing market?  Sometimes commentators use more...

October 18, 2011
National market tightens, but still balanced - On a monthly basis the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) puts together statistics of existing homes and properties sold through the Multiple...

October 21, 2011
Portable, on-the-go real estate information - The most visited real estate website in Canada is REALTOR.ca which is operated by the Canadian Real Estate Assocation (CREA) on behalf of REALTORS...

October 22, 2011
Okanagan-Shuswap buying dynamics - Approximately 60% Okanagan-Shuswap homebuyers have been coming from within the region and the balance, a sizable proportion of approximately 40% from buyers that...

October 25, 2011
Bank of Canada interest rate announcement - As was universally anticipated, the Bank of Canada opted to hold its target overnight rate at 1 per cent this morning.  Ongoing uncertainty in the...

October 28, 2011
Regular inspections prevent occurance of problems - Inspecting your home on a regular basis and following good maintenance practises are the best way to protect your investment in your home. ...

October 31, 2011
October 2011 Kelowna area numbers - MLS numbers are yet to be finalized nontheless we can still get a good picture of what has been happening this October with Kelowna and West Kelowna housing market....

November 6, 2011
Peek inside Christmas glitzed Kelowna homes - Get in the festive holiday spirit  this coming weekend by attending Ballet Kelowna's inaugural self-guided tour of six incredible, private residences...

November 8, 2011
Kelowna house prices climbed 156% - New construction, more than infill and renovation, has served to support rising prices in Kelowna over the past decade.  The strength of new construction exceeded the...

November 8, 2011
Okanagan market continues to stablize - The Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) reported October 2011 sales activity of all MLS property types remained similar to this time last year and were...

November 12, 2011
Kelowna's popular selling price range - 1,073 Kelowna homes have sold year-to-date. The way the numbers are trending with only a month and a half away from year end we could be 'nip-and-tuck' with 2010...

November 15, 2011
Home sales climb higher outside Vancouver - The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that Multiple Listing Service (MLS) residential unit sales in the province rose 6.5% to 5,865...

November 17, 2011
Insight into Kelowna foreclosure activity - The number of court ordered sale activity has increased over the last couple of years according to data available on Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board...

November 21, 2011
Kelowna's $1-Million Plus Club - One of 22 Kelowna homes sold for more than a million dollars year-to-date (ytd) and one of 25 in West Kelowna. 71.43% of the home sale activity ytd (1,526) is in Kelowna...

November 24, 2011
'The Skinny' on Okanagan Buyers - Serious buyers are taking advantage of the Okanagan's current buyers market and leveraging their positive purchasing power while it lasts. Okanagan home buyers have been...

November 25, 2011
Okanagan, Kelowna residential forecast: 2011 and 2012 - MLS residential sales through the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board are estimated to edge down 1 per cent to 4,790 units this year. ...

November 26, 2011
Okanagan Weekly Real Estate Market Watch - The following is a recap on the Okanagan* real estate market for the past seven days. # New listings: 164 # Sales: 84 Ratio: 51% # Price Changes: 152 #...

December 1, 2011
House sale momentum - Historically it is not unusual for Kelowna's single family residential sale activity to soften at this time of the year as folks become focused on seasonal obligations. November's 69 house...

December 2, 2011
Winter Selling Tips To Help Get SOLD - RE/MAX Agents Share Ten Ways to Get the Best of Winter When Selling Your Home If your home will be for sale this winter, it is important to master certain...

December 3, 2011
Kelowna Real Estate Market Watch Dec 3, 2011 - Here's a recap of Kelowna and West Kelowna residential real estate activity in the past seven days..... # new listings: 74 (22); # sales: 50 (12);...

December 6, 2011
Kelowna Housing Market Outlook 2012 - 2011 marked a year of stabilization for Kelowna's residential real estate market, as activity and prices firmed up.  Entry-level buyers led the charge, while the...

December 9, 2011
New Construction Ups and Downs - Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation (CMHC) 'Preliminary Housing Start Data' is a monthly publication giving up-to-date stats on housing starts provincially as well as...

December 10, 2011
Kelowna Real Estate Market Watch Dec 10, 2011 - Here's a recap of Kelowna and West Kelowna residential (single family residential, strata, manufactured homes, recreational and lots & acreages)...

December 13, 2011
Faster and easier net real estate experience! - Earlier this month REALTOR.ca upgraded the site to improve and simplify your real estate search net experience.  This new version offers great new...

December 16, 2011
Nationally Home Sales Edge Higher - Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) just released its monthly stats on national housing activity which shows sales edged higher in November 2011 from the previous...

December 17, 2011
Kelowna Real Estate Market Watch Dec 17, 2011 - HO! HO! HO! Here's a close-up of Kelowna and West Kelowna residential real estate activity in the past seven days. Active listings are holding on...

December 21, 2011
Okanagan Market Continues Normalization Trend - The Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) reported November 2011 sales activity of all MLS property types were up 9% over this time last year...

December 31, 2011
HAPPY NEW YEAR! - With only hours away from the new year my curiousity could not wait for Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) MLS stats to be finalized for 2011 sometime in the new year.  So here is what...

January 1, 2012
2012 - First day of the 2012 is a great time to anticipate where Kelowna area real estate market activity is heading. With 2011 behind us we know that 2011 total sale activity numbers were similar to 2010 and the...

January 2, 2012
Supply - Demand - If no one listed their residential property today, at the current rate of Kelowna and West Kelowna residential* property sales it would take over 16 and 27 months respectively to sell off all ...

January 3, 2012
Prices & Sales over the Years - This happy homeowner roped in a sale along with 1,204  Kelowna homeowners in 2011! Overall 2011 Kelowna house sales activity was a little less than 2010 (1,245) and the...

January 4, 2012
Property Assessments - Kelowna area homeonwers can anticipate lower property assessments this year according to BC Assessment Authority (BCA) 2012 assessment information posted on their interactive online...

January 6, 2012
Million-Dollar-Plus Homes - Last year million-dollar-plus home sales accounted for 4.48% of Kelowna home sales and 3.56% in West Kelowna. Of Kelowna's 53 million-dollar-plus  home sales, $5.2 mil was the...

January 7, 2012
Central Okanagan Market Report - December - The 2011 real estate market finished on a stronger note than it began.  December's residential sales were up over 9% over the same time last year but more...

January 10, 2012
Canadian Housing Starts - British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) just released it's 'BCREA Economics Now' regarding Canadian Housing Starts: "Canadian housing starts rose almost 8% month over month...

January 20, 2012
First 20 days of 2012's residential market -   60 buyers have taken advantage of purchasing a Kelowna area home in the first twenty days of 2012. And 1,321 Kelowna area sellers have their homes...

January 25, 2012
What's moving our local real estate market? - Up to 40% of Kelowna area sales come from non-local buyers. In the past 16 months Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) has been collecting...

January 27, 2012
Typical regional real estate sales patterns in 2012 - The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) just released its 2012 First Quarter Housing Forecast Update today. "British Columbia...

February 3, 2012
January house shoppers - Kelowna area home sales activity is typical for the first month of the year~ a lower number of sales likely improving in the months ahead. According to Okanagan Mainline Real Estate...

February 6, 2012
Serious strata buyers are active anytime of the year! - As we ushered in the new year Kelowna area January strata market activity was not unlike houses. Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board...

February 8, 2012
We are off to a good start - The Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board reported "overall sales in the Central Zone (Peachland to Lake Country) slipped by 0.9% to 211 units ($74.8 million) compared to 213...

February 10, 2012
Million Dollar Homes - Forty-one days into 2012 there has been 1 one million-plus Kelowna home sale, approximately 1 percent of the year-to-date home sales and none yet in West Kelowna.  Our local real estate...

February 15, 2012
Home sales rise outside Lower Mainland - The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) just released its report 'that the dollar volume of homes sold through Multiple Listing Service (MLS) in...

February 16, 2012
Foreclosed properties a deal? - 'Home Foreclosures Skyrocket in Kelowna', 'Number of Foreclosures Rising in the Central Okanagan' are news titles hitting the air and net waves the past couple of days....

February 21, 2012
Buying a new-home? New-vacation or recreational property? - February 17, 2012 the BC government released information regarding the HST to PST transition measures for the purchases of...

February 23, 2012
New reg's improve BC strata corporation accountability - Potential strata property buyers have more information available to them as a result of changes made to the BC Strata Property...

February 25, 2012
Kelowna Real Estate Weekly Market Watch - Feb 24/12 - Here is a seven day picture of the Kelowna and West Kelowna residential real estate market: KELOWNA Feb 18-24 NEW LISTINGS 112 #...

March 1, 2012
Kelowna house selection broadens, demand improves - February 2012 numbers are in to give us a picture of how the Kelowna and West Kelowna housing market is unfolding.  Crunching the MLS numbers...

March 2, 2012
Notable Kelowna strata trends - Kelowna strata market is not unlike the single family residential market with sales and active listings numbers picking up In February compared to January.  Even though...

March 3, 2012
Interesting Okanagan buyer profiles -   Each month the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) asks the Okanagan Realtors to respond to a survey with regards to where buyers are coming from both...

March 4, 2012
Kelowna Real Estate Weelkly Market Watch - Mar 2/12 - As the weather warms so does Kelowna weekly sale activity.  This trend is not unlike many real estate markets.  What continues to make...

March 9, 2012
How's the market? - We anticipate that newly released HST Transitional Rules, continued low interest rates and abundant supply will spur the market in 2012 as first-time home buyers, new home buyers and...

March 10, 2012
Kelowna Real Estate Weekly Market Watch - Mar 10/12 - Sieving through the past weeks variety of opinon about the direction of Canadian home prices it looks like through 2013 "flat is the new...

March 16, 2012
Home Sales in Interior/North Outpace Province - The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that the dollar volume of homes sold through Multiple Listing Service (MLS) in BC...

March 17, 2012
Use cutting edge real estate technology - First to the real estate market in Canada, RE/MAX of Western Canada is pleased to announce its new Augmented Reality feature, 'Live View' on the free RE/MAX...

March 18, 2012
Kelowna Real Estate Weekly Market Watch - Mar 17/12 - The Kelowna area real estate market momentum is shadowing 2011's as we approach the spring and summer seasons.  The residential supply...

March 22, 2012
A more competitive real estate market takes shape - According to s report just released by RE/MAX, 'Major Canadian real estate markets continued to show exceptional resiliency throughout the...

March 25, 2012
Kelowna Real Estate Weekly Market Watch - Mar 24/12 - Unlike the sizzling real estate markets of Vancouver, Toronto and Canadian resource-rich areas where demand is strong and supply...

April 1, 2012
Kelowna price and activity trend - Month after month new listings continue to outpace sales in Kelowna and West Kelowna.  Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board's (OMREB) final MLS March numbers will be...

April 3, 2012
2012 First Quarter Kelowna Real Estate - First three months of 2012 have past and we now have year-to-date (1st Qtr) results for Kelowna and West Kelowna real estate markets. 2012 1st Qrt sales totals...

April 8, 2012
How's the market? - The Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board  (OMREB) reported March sales activity of MLS propery types was down slightly over the same month last year as consumers cautiously enter the market....

April 11, 2012
Kelowna new construction growth - A news release from British Columbia Real Estate Assocation (BCREA) says "Canadian housing starts jumped 5 per cent in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR)...

April 17, 2012
Interest Rate Decision April 17, 2012 - British Columbia Real Estate Association just released its 'BCREA Economic Now' saying "The Bank of Canada left its overnight rate unchanged at 1 per cent for...

April 20, 2012
Who are the Okanagan-Shuswap serious buyers? - Here is a little insignt of who the 'movers and shakers'  of our local real estate market during the first quarter of 2012 (January to March) ...

May 1, 2012
Spring Market - Typically as Spring and Summer approaches in the Kelowna area* real estate sale numbers improve month-to-month.  Year-to-date single family residential has been following this typical 'warming'...

May 7, 2012
How's the market? - Things are looking up in the Okanagan real estate market as the 'Okanagan Sunflower', also know as 'Arrowleaf Balsamroot' blankets the local slopes in splashes of bright yellow! The Okanagan...

May 8, 2012
Pricing pressure - Kelowna area home sales are increasing month after month giving the impression the real estate market is improving but the number of homes sold - and the number of homes listed on MLS for sale...

May 16, 2012
Graphic representation of Okanagan Buyers - 1,756 properties have sold in the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB)  area in the first four months of 2012.  OMREB covers the Central Okanagan,...

May 18, 2012
Kelowna Upper-end Enthusiasm - RE/MAX just recently released an 'Upper-End Report'  examining 16 major Canadian markets.  The first quarter of 2012 report of high-end real estate used price points that...

May 20, 2012
How much home could your rent buy? - Elaine Rustad, a Kelowna area mortgage consultant wtih Invis dropped by my open house this weekend with a great info sheet mentioning: "Mortgage rates continue to be...

May 24, 2012
Rental Property Still A Good Bet For Investors? - A close look at my stomping grounds show that from 1995 to 2011 the average sale price for a home in: Kelowna increased from $182,319 to $514,217...

May 30, 2012
RE/MAX & JUNE CONWAY Did You Know? - A full-time RE/MAX'ER since 1989 and achieved "Hall of Fame"  award 1996, "Platinum Club" 2006 and "Lifetime Achievement" award 2007!

June 4, 2012
Market Strength - How is Kelowna residential real estate market holding out? It's picking up! Each of the first three months of 2012 fell short of home sales compared to the year before however this past April...

June 5, 2012
Real Estate Numbers Reality - News chatter today is that Vancouvers' real estate market is showing signs of slowdown as listings continue to rise and sales drop. Well hello ~ welcome to our world!  Kelowna...

June 7, 2012
Digitization of Homes - It's happening and closer than you think. Digitized home technology is already here but apparently slow to be implemented.  It's just a matter of short time that new technology will...

June 14, 2012
Advantageous Market Conditions - Ultra low interest rates and Kelowna's current ample housing supply are advantageous market conditions for Buyers! Since 2002  the past month had the highest May active...

June 20, 2012
Market Dynamics - Real estate markets can be driven by local demand, demand stemming from outside the region or province, by international sources, or by a combination of all three. Knowing how many homes are...

July 3, 2012
Close-up: Kelowna real estate - With half the year behind us we can see how Kelowna's single family residential (SFR) real estate market is doing compared to other years! Highlights for the first six...

July 5, 2012
Purchase in West Kelowna? Kelowna? - The two communities, City of Kelowna and the Municipality of West Kelowna are separated by a natural boundary, Lake Okanagan.  A five lane bridge structure called...

July 6, 2012
Housing Market Shift - The Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) reported June 2012 sales activity of all MLS® property types showed marked improvement compared to the same month last year and the...

July 12, 2012
Kelowna Luxury Market - Kelowna area* luxury home market, $mil+, completed with 26 sales at the end of June compared with 29 in the first six months of 2011 and 47 in 2007. *Kelowna area includes the City of...

September 28, 2012
Kelowna Market Influences - Every real estate market has its own story to tell.  The story here in Kelowna is even though August had fewer sales than July, it outpaced August of last year by almost 30% with...

September 28, 2012
Overheated Real Estate Market - Over the past couple months we've been hearing that the Greater Vancouver real estate market is 'just' starting to cool off.  In contrast Kelowna's cooling off started way...

November 3, 2012
Kelowna High-End Properties - Annual sale totals of $Million-plus homes in Central Okanagan's residential market is falling behind previous year  totals.  In the past ten years 2007 was a record year with...

November 15, 2012
Nation-wide Real Estate Outlook - Not unlike most Canadian markets, Kelowna's residential activity started strong in 2012 but tapering as the year closes.  Have a look at Okanagan Mainline Real Estate...

January 11, 2013
Real Estate Power House - Two skilled, professional REALTOR®s have combined forces! It is with pleasure to announce my affiliation with Brent Eilers of RE/MAX Kelowna. The two of us have lots of great real...

January 18, 2013
Happy Kelowna area Buyers - Who is buying homes in the Okanagan‐Shuswap?  Folks who thought it was time to buy! Since September 2010, the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) has been collecting...

January 30, 2013
House Supply Strong - It's not hard to find a home to buy in the Kelowna real estate market! Active single family residential listings are up this January compared to the same time last year.  Other than...

March 20, 2013
Exceptional Kelowna Residence - Kelowna's Magic Estates is one of a number of major developments in the Glenmore area including Mount Royal and Golfview. Magic Estates is adjacent to Knox Mountain. A...

April 3, 2013
How's Kelowna housing market doing? - Since the economic downturn in 2008 most Kelowna house prices continue to adjust down as monthly sales numbers weaken and active listings continue to rise.  It's...

April 4, 2013
How's West Kelowna's market doing? - The Okanagan Sunflower is just starting to smother West Kelowna slopes with color and so are house For Sale signs! West Kelowna's residential median sale price...

April 9, 2013
Kelowna Housing Starts - British Columbia Real Estate Association's just released BCREA ECONOMICS NOW reports 'Canadian home-builders broke ground on 184,208 new units at a seasonally adjusted annual rate...

April 12, 2013
ATTN: Discerning Buyers - Offered for your consideration is a beautifully appointed, gorgeous family home with a traditional floor plan ~ four bedrooms up.  The main floor living areas include a formal living...

April 15, 2013
OPEN SUNDAY 2-4:30 pm APRIL 21, 2013 Precious Kelowna Property - Kelonwa's Upper Mission is primarily an upscale residential area made up of many large subdivisions of new and older homes....

April 15, 2013
Impressive West Kelowna home - West Kelowna's hub is Westbank Centre. A growing concern so-to-speak for a changing landscape of commercial and housing construction. Right in this outstanding central West...

April 25, 2013
Perfect Kelowna Retirement Home - In the heart of Kelowna is a sought-after 55+ gated community called 'Sandstone'. It is a quiet, peaceful development of 189 detached homes located just a short walking...

April 26, 2013
Kelowna Residential Property Value - Kelowna had the fifth highest average value per dwelling in Canada in 2011 according to a Statistics Canada report released yesterday, April 25th, 2013. Statistics...

April 26, 2013
Delightful Kelowna Executive Home - Found in Kelowna's Glenmore neighborhood is a gracious styled executive family home on one of 'Magic Estates' most desired and quiet cul-de-sacs. This wonderfully...

May 9, 2013
Kelowna Still A Buyer's Market - After a year when the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board posted the most MLS® residential sales since 2009, home sales are expected to edge back 2.8 per cent to 5,250...

June 4, 2013
Helpful Buyer Guides - For most of us, buying a home is one of the largest financial decisions of our life. Here are a number of helpful buying guides: The Real Estate Council of British Columbia (RECBC)...

June 8, 2013
Close Look at Kelowna Real Estate - Kelowna home sales in May were up 31% compared to the same month a year ago and up 9% from April 2013.  But don't let these improved monthly home sales to date fool...

June 10, 2013
A Look at West Kelowna Real Estate - Not unlike Kelowna, West Kelowna home sales were up 30% in May compared to the same month a year ago and up 37% from April 2013. In addition, though West Kelowna's...



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Kelowna Realtor - June Conway

Recently Featured Blog Posts:
June 10, 2013
A Look at West Kelowna Real Estate - Not unlike Kelowna, West Kelowna home sales were up 30% in May compared to the same month a year ago and...

June 8, 2013
Close Look at Kelowna Real Estate - Kelowna home sales in May were up 31% compared to the same month a year ago and up 9% from April 2013. ...

June 4, 2013
Helpful Buyer Guides - For most of us, buying a home is one of the largest financial decisions of our life. Here are a number of helpful buying...

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RE/MAX Kelowna BC

Affiliated with BrentEilers.com

JUNE CONWAY personal real estate corporation
100-1553 Harvey Ave, Kelowna, BC V1Y 6G1
Office: 250.717.5000 Fax: 250.861.8462
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