Vancouver Real Estate Blog - Vancouver Realtor » General

New Kid on the Block… in Riley Park

Sebastian — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:00:25 +0000

My new diggs

As I mentioned earlier, I recently moved to a new neighbourhood. After years of living right off of Commercial Drive, Riley Park (aka Little Mountain) is my new stomping grounds.

I am really enjoying this area and its features. As a dog owner I have to say that firstly, it’s extremely walkable. Being in a residential area is a definite plus because it gives you some shelter from traffic ~ Jake, my 9-year-old Whippet is definitely enjoying the freedom of quiet streets and friendly pedestrians. There are also quite a few dog owners around, often walking with their pals. I’ve gotten to know a few people up at the Queen Elizabeth Offleash Park near 36^th and Ontario.

Queen Elizabeth Park

Being so near to Queen E makes it both tempting and feasible to take a break from the day and enjoy a little nature walk. But I have to say that for me, an even closer option for beautiful vegetation and relaxing, contemplative strolls lay just over the hedge of Prince Edward St along the beautiful cemetery. Although I have not taken to strolling within the grounds themselves, the pathways and walk routes that border the fields are gorgeous, especially this time of year with all of the leaves turning. I often see others out for solitary walks and have enjoyed the apparent commonality of those little escapes.

Perhaps my favourite thing so far is the inherent sense of community I feel I’m picking up on. The sidewalks are well-kept and cosy, filled with young children exploring and spending time in their yards and gardens. I think I’m going to get along quite well here…

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The Thrill of Moving in Vancouver

Sebastian — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 17:15:08 +0000

Moving isn’t fun.

I had a month and a half to prepare ~ and prepare I did. Things were sorted. Bins of clothing were taken to big brothers. My already minimalist lifestyle was condensed down over the weeks to a concentrated pile of belongings I considered essential to my survival. I was determined to make this move a real downsize so that I could adjust comfortably into my little bungalow just off Main Street.

Yet, the truth remained: No one beats a move.
Despite my best efforts, my move kicked my butt ~ and to top it off the stream of frustrations were textbook in every way. Nothing is worse than thinking you’ve finished the last load of scattered little bits, and then you find a tumbleweed of random cable chords you have no idea what to do with and can’t give away. Or how about the false hope of believing all the cleaning is finally done, only to take one last look at some forgotten and find another task of serious scrubbing. And the stairs ~ oh, the apartment stairs. My knees are still recovering.

The only leg up I had on this move found it’s way to me through a friend, and I’d like to share the tip with you all. You see, I’ve always been a pack-it-on-the-day, move-it-with-a-buddy type of traveling nomad who kept the gadgets and moving trinkets to a minimum. But when my pal recommended that he lend me his frog boxes (large plastic bins with collapsible lids) and dollies (the kind with wheels, not pretty faces) I took him up on his offer. And let me tell you ~ they were so helpful in the move itself that I’m now going to recommend them to all my clients. As an added service, I’m purchasing a few sets that I will loan out to help you with your move.

The frog boxes are great because they’ve got great handles and are deep enough to accommodate a lot of items. They stack really well, and can be easily loaded onto the dollies in batches of six. It really makes a difference to be able to load up carts in uniform containers. The efficiency and time saved was… a life saver. Feel free to give me a call if you’d like to borrow them. I assure you, it’s worth it!

I’m going on seven days now and most of the mayhem has been at least temporarily stored. Now the real fun of decorating and outfitting my new place begins. Of course, I’m optimistic this will be my last move for a while. I suppose that’s what we all wish for… here’s hoping.

If you want to stay on top of the Vancouver real estate market, then you’ll want to keep an eye on my Vancouver real estate statistics. You can find detailed numbers on what’s happening broken down by month, week and even by day. In addition, you can see an overview for a variety of different communities in the city.

Contact Sebastian, Vancouver Realtor or send me a quick email.

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Meet Vancouver Realtor Sebastian Albrecht

Sebastian — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:15:00 +0000

Here’s a video introducing you to Sebastian Albrecht, Vancouver Realtor. Sebastian discusses the geographic areas of Vancouver that he specialises in, as well as how he approaches working with his clients.

More Information on Vancouver Real Estate

Should you want to learn more about the Vancouver real estate market generally you can check out this page.

You can also review all of the statistics for Vancouver East and Vancouver West broken down for you here:

Enjoy Vancouver real estate statistics? You can find all of the latest stats by area right here:

If you are thinking of buying or selling, or just have questions, contact me here or send me a quick email.

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Modern Real Estate Sales Techniques – House with Wife Included

Sebastian — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 02:56:08 +0000

I still can’t quite believe that this is real (read the original news story here). I came across this story recently, and was suprised (pleasantly) that news of this event hadn’t reached me yet.

A realtor in Florida attempted to sell her home by advertising on Craigslist and Ebay. Now, for the twist. She’s not just selling her own home, she’s putting herself up as part of the package. The Ebay auction began at $0.99 with a $500,000 delivery charge.

Unfortunately, the ad on Craigslist has expired, and the auction on Ebay was pulled. However, I did find the original text of the Craigslist ad:

<Marry a Princess Lost in America

Create the Magic with this Fairy Tale Princess

Traveling Lady in immediate need of her Prince Charming, someone who wants to share & create magical moments, imaginations & fantasies for LIFE!!!

If you want to live the never ending dream and experience the real love, life and the romance you have always felt was a fairytale then this is the vibrant outstanding woman of your dreams!
To sweep this European Loving Lady off her feet send in your application right now

PROPERTY INFORMATION

Gated 24 hour manned community,Lush landscaping throughout the community & a newly updated clubhouse that offers swimming pools, hot tub, 4 tennis courts, 2 racket ball courts, sand volleyball court,children’s playground and a fitness center with brand new equipment,& more! It’s like living in a five star resort. This Dakotah model has a great room with vaulted ceilings and many windows that bring the outside in. This well maintained , impeccably clean home has neutral colors, Berber carpet, and upgraded tile. The 1ST floor master suite has a double entry door & a master bath with double sinks, a soaking tub & an over sized shower stall. There is also a 1st floor Powder room. The second floor loft/media room overlooks the great room and leads to the 3 full size bedrooms, full bathroom. An extended terrace overlooks the garden. This is a fantastic buy, in a great location.

I know! Can you believe it?

I’ve tried to find an update on this story that broke in late June 2008, but have drawn a blank. I’m suprised that there hasn’t been any follow-up on this to date. I’d like to know whether the sale was a success or not, and there are just so many questions that are raised.

I know that the market in Florida has been one of those hardest hit in the US housing bubble. Will other realtors take similarly drastic actions to help promote sales? If the market in Vancouver continues to slow, I might be one of those realtors selling more than just a property.

Any wealthy women out there looking for a trophy husband?

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Royal LePage Voted Best of Vancouver

Sebastian — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 06:46:25 +0000

The annual Best of Vancouver issue of the Georgia Straight was released last week. This is one of the most interesting issues of the weekly newspaper and for many people, it’s a must read. If you haven’t already picked up a copy, you should before they disappear from newsstands (or save paper and check it out online by visiting www.straight.com).

The Best of Vancouver edition of the Georgia Straight is interesting and insightful. It can help you see your city from different points of view, and if nothing else will likely make you aware of aspects of Vancouver that you never knew existed.

This year’s edition included a category for “Best Real Agency”. In the number three spot was Royal LePage.

http://www.straight.com/article-161994/realestate-agency

Yes, it’s always wonderful to get some public recognition. However, it’s also important for you to know.

Why? Well, when you are working with an agent you aren’t just hiring the individual but you are also hiring the company behind them. The reputation and standing in the community of both the agent, and their company are components of your success.

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What Does Vancouver Expired Listing Mean?

Sebastian — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:47:48 +0000

What exactly IS an expired listing? Just as it sounds, it’s a listing which is dead. Every listing is given a lifespan when a seller and realtor put together a listing contract. The listing goes live on the date that the contract is signed (this is the effective date). The date at which the listing contract terminates (or dies) is the expiry date.

With a buyers market in Vancouver, we are seeing the return of the much feared Vancouver expired listing. Many of us haven’t seen the prominence of the expired listing for years. In the seller’s market that dominated the market for much of the last seven years, the expired listing was a rare breed.

2008 – 2247 (first 8 months)
2007 – 2267
2006 – 2233
2005 – 1748

So far, in the first eight months of 2008 we’ve already had 2247 listings expire. I expect that we will easily see another 50% increase on this number by the end of the year and thus end up surpassing the totals for the last three years.

When your listing expires, you feel a little angry, a little embarrased and quite a bit of frustration. Even the best homes don’t sell sometimes. It’s not time to give up. There are plenty of buyers out there willing to pay full market value for your home.

There can be numerous reasons for an expired listing. To properly understand what went wrong, a real estate agent needs to ask the right questions and listen carefully. As a real estate agent specializing in selling expired listings I know how to help you correct some of those issues and ensure that you meet your goals and make that sale.

If you’d like to ask me a few questions – no pressure, no hassle, no obligation – just a friendly conversation about your plans, please give me a call or send me an email.

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Vancouver Real Estate Blog

Sebastian — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:07:20 +0000

This is just a quick Vancouver real estate blog today. I’ve been hard at work these last few weeks, putting in a lot of hours to ramp up for the busy fall real estate season. The past few weeks have been quite slow (as you’ve no doubt noticed if you’ve been reading my recent posts on weekly and monthly real estate statistics).

Real estate is a seasonal business, as well as cyclical. It’s important to stay on top of what’s happening in the market. Being in touch with a real estate professional allows you to know exactly what’s happening in the market today. Following my real estate blog will keep you informed and knowledgeable and ready to act in the Vancouver real estate market when the moment is right for you.

Feel free to contact me if you have any specific questions, or if you are ready to buy or sell.

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Feds Tighten Up Mortgages – No More 40 Year or Zero Down

Sebastian — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:28:25 +0000

I’m a bit late in referring to this, but I thought that it was better late than never. Last week, the Federal government announced that they were putting a halt to guaranteeing the 40-year and zero-down mortgages. They hope to avoid the type of housing crisis that we’ve seen in the US that’s been caused by their sub-prime mortgages.

Any of you that have ever spoken to me about mortgages knows that I don’t believe our two systems are comparable (US vs Canada). In the US, their mortgage lending practices were far, far more liberal than our own. Even with the 40-year and zero-down mortgages that were introduced in recent years, our lending practices were by far more conservative.

Yes, increasing the amortization of mortgages and reducing the amount of equity a new owner must put down to own a property is not without risk. What these moves did was allow potential homeowners to stretch themselves a little further to purchase a little bit better home. I believe that most Canadians that used these products were doing so in order to take advantage of the flexibility that they allowed for, not as a means to enter into the market in the first place.

The new rules mean that government backed mortgages will require a minimum down payment of five percent (no longer 0%), and will be restricted to a maximum amortization period of 35 years (no longer 40). The changes will take affect on October 15, 2008 so you have lots of time to still take advantage of the old ones for now.

The difference to the homeowner, with a $400,000 mortgage is that on a 35 year amortization they will be paying $81 more per month in mortgage payments than if it was a 40 year amortization.

With a cooling housing market across the country, this might not be the optimum time to make these changes. One could question the governments timing on the policy change. I don’t believe that these are significant changes that would price many people out of the market. However, the market can be fickle and who knows how this might affect market psychology.

Sebastian Albrecht, Vancouver Realtor with Royal LePage Westside

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EcoDensity Charter Approved – How Will it Affect Real Estate?

Sebastian — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 23:02:26 +0000

On June 10th, the Vancouver city council officially (and unanimously) passed the EcoDensity Charter. This unanimous vote took place despite the opposition by more than twenty local community groups.

Most of what is contained in the charter has a long way to go before we see it put into affect. These include such actions as: new types of arterial mid-rise buildings, more options for rental secondary suites, and developing options for back-yard and laneway housing. While the city has indicated that they want to see these in principle, the details still need to be made clear.

That being said, two items from the charter were put immediately into action. This included the rezoning policies for greener buildings, as well as “greener larger sites”. According to the EcoDensity website, this means that applications for rezoning buildings will have to meet a minimum LEED standard. Also, when applying rezoning for tracts of land of 2 acres or more, sustainability measures will be required.

Our city is now committed, through the charter, to make environmental sustainability a primary goal in all city planning decisions while keeping in mind affordability and livability.

Sebastian Albrecht, Vancouver Realtor with Royal LePage Westside

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Mortgage Interest Rates Likely To Rise Modestly

Sebastian — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 07:12:11 +0000

On Tuesday, June 10th 2008 the Bank of Canada announced it’s decision to leave its target for the overnight lending rate at 3% and the bank lending rate at 3.25%. The Bank surprised most observers by leaving rates unchanged and cited concerns about rising inflation for this change in it’s policy (find the full press release here).

An article in the Globe and Mail (read the article here) today discussed the issue. Not only are mortgage interest rates expected to rise due to the shift in the Bank of Canada policy, but also because of the predicted rise in inflation. However, mortgage brokers interviewed in the article foresee only “modest” rises in the mortgage rates offered by banks to consumers.

CBC is reporting that on June 11th, 2008 banks are already making the move to raise interest rates (read the article here). Rates increased by as much as 0.5% for a posted five year rate.

Sebastian Albrecht, Vancouver Realtor with Royal LePage Westside

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