North Shore Realty.ca Blog

We’re seeing signs that the standoff between buyers and sellers is coming to an end. Open houses are busier, listing inquiries are through the roof, and we’re experiencing more first-time homebuyers putting pen to paper than over the last 6 months, especially in these first few weeks of March

Sales are still down over last year by about 30% in Greater Vancouver; 27% in Vancouver West, 24% in North Vancouver and a whopping 51% in West Vancouver. The good new is that sales are up 33% over last month in Greater Vancouver. North Vancouver sales have increased by 47% while sales in West Van seem to be stagnant with relatively no change. Vancouver West is a bit below average at 27%.

Sellers need to take all market factors into consideration before listing…

Perspective homebuyers continue to disagree with sellers on the issue of price. Despite the market being quite active, this is leading to reduced sales and property values continue to be relatively stable, considering. 

The first month of 2013 brought us similar market conditions to what we saw in greater Vancouver throughout the last half of 2012. There were 1351 homes sold on the region’s MLS in January. That’s a 14% decline compared to January 2012 but an 18% increase from last month.

The number of listings in January 2013 was also down. They were 11% below January 2012. We are finding that some home sellers are opting to remove their properties from the market rather than settle for a price it doesn’t meet their expectations.

We are also…

The holidays and 2012 are officially over. Buyers and sellers are content to get off the sidelines. Supply is steadily increasing as sellers list their homes for sale and begin to prepare for the spring market as well. Buyers are actively looking and showing requests have recently spiked.

We believe there’s a backlog of property to be listed in the coming months. Sellers should be aware that a staged home will sell up to 90% faster, it’s that simple. The majority of buyers are looking for a turnkey property so it's more important than ever to ensure your home is marketed to it’s fullest potential. Contact us for more information on how to get your home sold quickly while earning top dollar.

Stats are provided by the Real Estate Board of Greater…

Sales are up, listings are down, and for the first time this year our sales-to-active-listing ratio has increased. In spite of recent conditions, prices continue to subtly adjust in most markets with a few exceptions.

In West Vancouver, Vancouver’s Westside and Richmond, we saw record level price increases and all time highs this spring. Due to more selection and less demand, these values have dropped by about 6% in the past 6 months.

In North Vancouver, where pricing remained relatively stable throughout the year, the housing market remains strong in all areas. Detached sales have nearly doubled compared to last month and total inventory is also down. While condo sales have only increased slightly, the average ‘days on market’ has dropped from 76…

Vancouver sales are down, with the exception of the detached housing market where sales have doubled in West Van and are slightly up in North Van and Vancouver's Westside. The number of new listings continues to grow however, prices remain stable in many areas. Serious buy ers are out there, taking advantage of the increased inventory and slower pace, resulting in great deals, while others are watching and waiting.

Serious sellers need to be realistic about asking prices and home preparation. Most buyers are looking for turnkey properties so it's imperative that your home shows to its fullest potential. Contact us for more information on how to get your home sold quickly while earning top dollar.

Stats are provided by the Real Estate Board of…

Back to school and back to work! While August was slower than normal, September is definitely busier than normal. Our buyer clients are out in full swing, still cautious but happy about the growing selection of homes for sale. Sellers have some tough competition out there in many, but not all, communities. The number of detached homes and condos being listed continues to increase at a steady pace this September, contrary to what we've experienced in recent months.

In North Vancouver all market areas (detached, attached and apartment condos) are up in value from last year while in Vancouver and West Vancouver, condos are marginally down in value. Not bad considering our somewhat slumpy summer... at least the weather was awesome!

Sellers: be realistic…

Tighter mortgage insurance rules, global economic uncertainly and calls for a price correction in the Vancouver real estate market will cause some buyers to delay purchasing. The effect of weaker consumer confidence is expected to dissipate and give way to a more aggressive rebound heading into 2013. Sales are low but the number of new listings is also on a decline which is a key factor in local, stable prices. A positive sales trajectory is expected by the end of 2012 or early next year leading to annual sales gains of 7% in 2013 and 8% in 2014… lacklustre but steady.

The average number of days on market has also increased, giving buyers a bit of breathing room and very limited multiple offer situations to contend with. However, when properties are…

Although the real estate market is slowing down in terms of sales, that's also pretty typical for May and June. Many areas of The North Shore and Vancouver continue to see multiple offers although they are less common compared to last month. On average, the price differential has tightened up too. North Vancouver's detached sales are the strongest with 34 out of 123 homes being sold for list price or higher. The most popular communites are (still) Capilano Highlands, Lynn Valley and Upper Lonsdale. 

The strongest apartment condo market is in Vancouver West. There were 402 sales, up from last month's 361, and 47 of those units sold for list price or higher. University wins out for the hottest community in May, followed by Kits, Downtown, the West End…

We've had quite a busy this spring thus far, especially in the detached real estate market. Single family homes continue to be in high demand as you can see (below) by the number of properties selling at list price or higher. Capilano Highlands and Canyon Heights in North Vancouver, Ambleside and Dundarave in West Van, and Kitsalano in Vancouver West are among the most popular for buyers and developers alike.

The attached market is moving at a slower pace on the North Shore comapred to Vancouver but the market remains fairly steady. If a buyer is looking for more than 3 bedrooms, choices are limited and fast action is required. However, typically, buyers can look at many options before making a decision. Due to the high number of listings in the…

When it comes to obtaining a mortgage loan, your credit report is a key piece of the puzzle that will be used to determine how much of a loan you can take out as well as what your interest rate will be. Therefore, it is important for you to have a solid understanding of what your credit report is as well as how it will impact your mortgage loan terms. To that end, here is a look at the type of information you can expect to see in your credit report as well as how to fix your report if it contains errors.

Identification Information

The first part of your credit report will simply contain the information necessary to identify who you are. This information includes:

• Name
• Social Insurance Numbers
• Date of Birth
• Current Address
• Previous Addresses
• …