Multiple Offers On That Foreclosure Listing? You Bet! - 02/23/07 05:33 PM
The follwong article was sent to all REALTORs in British Columbia by the BCREA (British Columbia Real Estate Association) and and further underscores what I have ben telling people for years, foreclosures are very rarely a good deal.
 Multiple bids in foreclosure sales: a lawyer's perspective
By Jack Micner
The buoyant real estate market has created a significant demand for property, including foreclosure property. This has resulted in unprecedented numbers of individuals over the past few years bidding on such properties, in foreclosure actions. In the hope it will help REALTORS®, I offer my view of how the procedure should be conducted (with … (1 comments)

BC Budget Announces Increase in First Time Homebuyers Program - 02/21/07 01:20 PM
Today Finance Minister Carole Taylor announced that the 2007 budget would include an increase in the threshold for the first time homebuyers exemption from the Propetry Transfer Tax (1% on the 1st $100,000 and 2% on the balalce for any home purchase). Now if they would just do away with the tax altogether we'd really be onto something.
Really though this will help some first time homebuyers in Vancouver where at least on the Westside it has become very difficult to get a decent one bedroom for under $325,000.
A run down on the 2007 BC Budget can be found here.
… (2 comments)

Amber alert-type system for REALTORs: Realtywatch - 02/16/07 04:14 PM
REALTORs in Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley can now help law enforcement agencies through the Realty Watch program. This is a crime prevention and reduction program designed to allow REALTOR's to report crimes they witness to police, but more importantly it works as a kind or Amber Alert for REALTORs. When local police forces and the RCMP are looking for a lost or missing person they can request a Fan-out. A Fan-out is then sent out to REALTOR's (through the Touchbase system) on their cell phones, PDA or by email.
As REALTORs spend so much of their time out and about … (1 comments)

Everyone Is Collecting Points - 02/12/07 05:07 PM
I have noticed lately that you can collect points for everything these days. Of course there are Active Rain points, Point2Homes has a perfmance index, it seems many of the local Vancouver radio stations have points programs (Z95.3,JACK FM, Clear FM) and almost everyone collects some kind of air miles or travel rewards points. Plust there are the department stores. It is a national (international?) addiction. Who doesn't want more point of course? You must be a better person if you have more points! What do the points really do for you?
It is like some new currency. Is it subject to money … (2 comments)

Traffic Alert: New No-left-hand Turn - 02/12/07 04:08 PM
I got my first traffic ticket in more than 10 years last Thursday and by some mriacle it was not a speeding ticket. Not that drive I that fast, but of all the tickets you expect to get as a REALTOR speeding is the one you expect to get. No, I got a ticket for an turning left at a 2-way stop where left hand turns are no longer allowed. The corner is E. 1st and Quebec and you are no longer allowed to turn left from E.1st eastbound onto Quebec northbound. This is one of the worst changes in traffic rules … (0 comments)

New Condo Project in Vancoouver is a TV Show: Donovan Life - 02/07/07 06:19 PM
The new tower by Cressey Developments in Vancouver, B.C. has created a 5-part, or act sit-com series called Donovan life. There has been lots of commentary on this in the blogoshere today. See The Future of Real Estate Marketing and on the Ubertor blog. One of the"stars" of the show is Crystal Buble. Is this Michael Buble's sister? It would appear so. Is her profile on IMBD.com.
See the Show at http://www.donovanlife.com .
… (0 comments)

New financing options make homes for affordable - 02/07/07 05:36 PM
One of the great mortgage brokers I work with, Ray Mayer, sent me the following information regarding some new lending programs.
Pre-Sales nearing Completion? For those wishing to take advantage of their equity gains during the construction period; we can now provide financing based on the present value vs. the original pre-construction purchase price.
Relaxed Debt Service Requirements: Until recently most lenders followed the standard Debt Service Ratios of 32% GDS and 40% TDS.  With a good credit score we have programs that will now ignore the GDS (Gross Debt Service ratio and only look at the TDS (Total Debt Service … (0 comments)

Cheapest Home For Sale in Point Grey is $900,000! - 02/06/07 07:11 PM
Today I listed what is now the cheapest home in Point Grey. Listed at $900,000 it is actaully almost $12,000 under its 2007 assessment (assessed value as of July 2006)! The next most expensive home was listed last week for $985,000. Both homes are older bugalows with some developement upstairs that are in need of serious updating or a tender loving wrecking ball. Click here for my listing at 4649 W 11th Ave. Click here for the one listed for $985,000.
The assessments on the Westside of Vancouver this year are crazy with many homes assessed well above their market value. The … (2 comments)

Traffic ALERT: Canada Line Ties Up Cambie St Bridge - 02/03/07 12:15 PM
Traffic was backed up bumper to bumper on the Cambie Street bridge Thursday as Canada Line construction has limited Cambie Street to one lane each way from the south end of the bridge deck all the up to W. 16th Ave. This will stay like this for the next few months. If you are headed out of Downtown plan to use any other route. Granville Street bridge, Burrard, Main, or even east to Knight street. Just stay several blocks away from Cambie. Heather Ash and Yukon streets will also be affected by people attempting to short cut the mess.
Do support those … (0 comments)

Open Bar a REALTOR Preview For New Tower Downtown: Vancouver, BC - 02/03/07 12:07 PM
They say that the better the market the less developed spend on wooing the REALTORS. Last week I attended the REALTOR preview for Cressey Develeopments new "Yaletown" tower names Donovan. Now this one has beena  long time coming. I pre-registered for this on 13 MONTHS AGO! Apparently there were some delays to do with a couple of heritage homes on the site.
Well they tried some new tactic to build up the excitement including mailing out "key cards" that would be "required" for access to the preview. Mine didn't make it in the mail but  they let me in with a business card and … (0 comments)

 
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Matthew Collinge REALTOR®, Vancouver Real Estate

Vancouver, BC

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Royal LePage Westside

Address: 5970 East Boulevard , Vancouver, BC, V6H3P4

Office Phone: (604) 261-9311

Cell Phone: (604) 916-4663

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A blog about Matt's life as a REALTOR in Vancouver. Vancouver real estate market info. and updates, city info and anecdotes about and my life and business in Vancouver, BC, Canada.


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