January 2010

Featuring Fairmont Rim Estates, Coal Harbour, Vancouver Waterfront

by Maggie Chandler January 31, 2010 Coal Harbour

Fairmont Rim Estates at 1011 West Cordova Street, Vancouver, BC.,V6C OB8. One of 8 luxury waterfront condos on Coal Harbour’s exclusive quarter mile of waterfront.

Built – 2010 and due to open end of February or early March

Architect – James Cheng

Developer – Westbank and Peterson Group. Developer’s website. They built Shangri-la, Shaw Tower and Woodwards Redevelopment

Landscape Architect – Phillips, …

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UBC Study Reports the Effects of the Olympics on Real Estate Prices

by Maggie Chandler January 30, 2010 Olympic Village

Cities that win Olympic bids experience neither boom nor bust in their real estate prices, but gain construction jobs as they prepare for the Games.

We do not find support for the argument of host city backers that the Olympics delivers positive economic benefits, nor of the arguments made by opponents that there is some post-Olympic …

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British Columbia’s Housing Starts Expected to Rise 50%

by Maggie Chandler January 29, 2010 How's The Market

Central Credit Union says BC’s housing rebound is the “strongest and sharpest” on record and credits “record low mortgage rates” for the increase

Lower Mainland sales increased 72% over the past year. “some slowing of the rebound is likely over the short term” says CCU in its latest economic outlook but it believes that higher prices …

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BCREA – BC Real Estate Recovery Limited by Economy, Affordability

by Maggie Chandler January 29, 2010 How's The Market

BCREA Housing Forecast Update – First Quarter 2010 Vancouver, BC – January 29, 2010.
The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) released its Housing Forecast Update for the first quarter of 2010 today. BC Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) residential sales are forecast to increase 6 per cent from 85,028 units in 2009 to 90,100 units this …

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Canada Real Estate Roundup

by Maggie Chandler January 28, 2010 Home Prices and Trends

The average Canadian real estate price in December 2009 saw the big cities of Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal all higher than a year ago. As well, all Provincial average prices were higher than December 2008, except for Prince Edward Island. Fredricton was the only exception to the rule, being a tad less than a …

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New Vancouver Condo Projects

by Maggie Chandler January 27, 2010 Buyers

Looking for a new condo to purchase? Here are a few suggestions for you

1) Lumen at Granville Island. Completed and ready to move in. Lowrise concrete building. Starting at $339,000. A limited selection (36) of studios, l bedrooms, l & dens and 2 bedrooms remain. Grand Opening January 30th from 12 noon

2) Pinnacle Living on …

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Wordless Wednesdays

by Maggie Chandler January 27, 2010 Wordless Wednesdays

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Vancouver Downtown Building Heights Rejected by City Hall

by Maggie Chandler January 26, 2010 Downtown

Today Vancouver’s City Council rejected the staff report which proposed four sites in Downtown Vancouver be redeveloped into condo buildings over 40 storeys.

Instead they will allow two fifteen storey buildings in the Victory Square neighbourhood and some others in Chinatown South.

view my recent post on the topic

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Canada Immigration and Tax

by Maggie Chandler January 26, 2010 Buyers

IMMIGRATION AND TAX Most, but not all, immigrants to Canada become tax residents. In this sense Canada is different from the USA where all immigrants (ie. “green card” holders) and all citizens are automatically tax residents even if they do not live or spend time in the USA. In Canada some immigrants can legally avoid paying …

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City of Vancouver Reviewing Downtown Building Heights

by Maggie Chandler January 25, 2010 Downtown

Currently on the table at City Hall are two staff reports pertaining to 1) the future of the city’s 27 view corridors and whether they should be retained. The second pertains to the Historic Area Height Review (Gastown, Victory square, Chinatown and Main/Hastings).

Brent Toderian, Chief City Planner, reports that in recent years many buildings have …

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