The affordability of Vancouver housing prices continues to be buzz-worthy topic for anyone interested in investing (or holding) property the market. In Van City, I think the affordability issue rates high on people’s general conversational radar ~ so much so, that the question “where do you live” seems to go hand in hand with “what do you do?” in a first-time introduction. Now granted, I’m in the Real Estate Business; but I notice more and more that this topic comes up in every day conversation *outside* of what I would consider my work sphere. It seems to me that property talk ranks as high as general comments about the current weather ~ which ultimately, speaks to the high level of saturation we’re exposed to via media the about state of the market here.

We live in a hot city for Real Estate. It’s just the truth ~ and people in the industry would be happy to tell you how fortunate buyers, sellers and professionals are to live here and participate in market conditions like these. But I’ve always noticed that Real Estate talk here in Vancouver appears to be driven by fear ~ even in what is lauded as one of the best markets in North America. As a general comment on the media, it seems to me that the only time people aren’t worried about a looming drop in home values or a predicted bubble burst is when the Market is actually in a significant downturn or correction (like we saw in 2009). You can look at articles published every day between 2009 and now; the same concerns have been raised time and time again.

So why are we so afraid? One year ago, I wasn’t thinking that housing prices on the West side would be up 20% in a year. I don’t think anyone really predicted that type of average price increase, which is really the zenith of the conundrum to an extent I guess. The truth is that even the most astute economists can’t predict with total accuracy what will happen in the market. The very nature of free enterprise disables accurate market forecasting. We can’t be completely sure what will happen any more than we can predict the weather for 6 months from now. So the idea of timing the market is in itself a fallacy; the choice becomes much more about how to get the current market to work *for* you and your circumstances, whatever they may be.

What I do know is this: Real Estate Prices in Vancouver have increased every year. The variables upon which fluxes are often repudiated to be dependent haven’t affected the market as much as we feared ~ be it immigration, the economy or a looming bubble pop. The truth is simply that Vancouver continues to be one of the most popular places to live in Canada; and the space here is limited. Unless a major economic catastrophe hits, you can safely assume that as a general trend, prices will steadily continue to increase, just as they have in other international, high-demand markets such as San Fran, New York, London, etc.

I have found myself wondering if Vancouver is simply behind the trends of global Real Estate. We as Canadians have had the luxury of unlimited space for centuries ~ Canadian writers like J.R Saul say that it’s part of what truly defines our Canadian identity. I think cities like Toronto and Vancouver have had to grow into an awareness of being international markets, and are now wrestling with the pros and cons that go with such a title.

Sometimes, I think being truly Canadian is to have an identity that is allowed the generosity of flux. Perhaps the market is simply mirroring this value back to us… and soon, we may just have it figured out.

No related posts.

Grandview Homes for Sale (Grandview Condos only) – 53

For the third month in a row, July 2009 saw Active Listings in the Grandview Vancouver real estate market decline. There were only 46 Active Listings in Grandview (Commercial Drive) in July 2009 while there were 53 in June 2009.

Grandview Homes Sold (Grandview Condos only) – 21

Sales remained unchanged from June in Grandview. There were 21 Sales last month and July 2009 also saw 21 sales. This is just off the peak of 24 Sales that was reached in May 2009 (there were only 3 Sales as recently as March 2009).

The Average Sale Price of Grandview condos rose to $410,000 (from $403,000). The Average Per Square Foot Price was $419, down slightly from $420. The Cumulative Days on Market of the homes that sold was 37, down significantly from 61 the previous month.

Grandview Home Sale Prices (Grandview Condos only)

There was 1 sale below $200,000, 5 sales between $200,000 and $300,000, 5 sales between $300,000 and $400,000, 4 sales between $400,000 and $500,000, 1 sale between $500,000 and $600,000 and 5 sales between $600,000 and $700,000.

The least expensive listing sold for $192,000 which was a 679 sq ft 29 year old 1 bedroom and 1 bath. The most expensive sale sold for $665,000 for a new 3 bed, 3 bath that is 1338 sq ft.

Grandview MLS Real Estate Statistics - July 2009

Looking for More Information on Vancouver Real Estate?

You can find every home for sale in Grandview Vancouver (Commercial Drive) right here. Before making any decisions, you might want to learn more about the Vancouver real estate market generally.

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

Copyright © 2009 Grandview / Commercial Drive Real Estate in theVancouver Realtor Blog by Sebastian Albrecht, Vancouver Real Estatewith Royal LePage Vancouver ”Grandview Vancouver Real Estate MLS Statistics and Chart for July 2009”

No related posts.

Grandview MLS Real Estate Statistics - June 2009

Grandview Homes for Sale (Grandview Condos only) – 53

June 2009 saw Active Listings in the Grandview Vancouver real estate market fall for just the second month in a row. There were 53 Active Listings in Grandview (Commercial Drive) in June 2009 while there had been 56 in May 2009.

Grandview Homes Sold (Grandview Condos only) – 21

There were only 3 Sales as recently as March 2009. Sales rose to 24 in May 2009 but fell slightly in June 2009. There were 21 Sales in Grandview (Commercial Drive) in the month of June 2009.

The Average Sale Price of Grandview condos rose to $403,000 (from $373,000). The Average Per Square Foot Price was $420, down from $489. The Cumulative Days on Market of the homes that sold was 61, down from 68 the previous month.

Grandview Home Sale Prices (Grandview Condos only)

There was 1 sale below $200,000, 6 sales between $200,000 and $300,000, 8 sales between $300,000 and $400,000, 2 sales between $500,000 and $600,000, 1 sale between $600,000 and $700,000 and 3 sales between $700,000 and $800,000.

The least expensive listing sold for $165,000 which was a 809 sq ft 35 year 1 bedroom and 1 bath. The most expensive sale sold for $769.900 for a new 3 bed, 3 bath that is 1678 sq ft.

Please Donate

On June 22nd, 2009 I broke the record for the most ascents of the Grouse Grind for charity. The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation is an incredible organization which is there to help women and children suffering from domestic abuse. Of every dollar donated, 100% goes directly to those in need (Royal LePage covers all administrative costs of the charity).

Donate to the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation

Looking for More Information on Vancouver Real Estate?

You can find every home for sale in Grandview Vancouver (Commercial Drive) right here. Before making any decisions, you might want to learn more about the Vancouver real estate market generally.

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

Copyright © 2009 Grandview / Commercial Drive Real Estate in the Vancouver Realtor Blog by Sebastian Albrecht, Vancouver Real Estate with Royal LePage Vancouver ”Grandview Vancouver Real Estate MLS Statistics and Chart for June 2009”

No related posts.

Grandview MLS Real Estate Statistics - May 2009

May 2009 was a very strong month in the Vancouver real estate market. In my regular series of updates, we now turn our attention to the Vancouver neighborhood of Grandview (Commercial Drive) where the trend played out. However, the Grandview market has not been as strong as many communities in Vancouver.

Grandview Homes for Sale (Grandview Condos only) – 56

May 2009 saw Active Listings in Grandview fall to 56 (from 64 in April). This is on par with the number of Active Listings in May of 2008 but still well above the low of 41 reached in January 2009.

Grandview Homes Sold (Grandview Condos only) – 24

From a low of just 3 Sales in March 2009 Sales skyrocketed to 24 units sold in May 2009. This number of Sales hasn’t been seen in Grandview since April 2008 (23 sales).

The Average Sale Price of Grandview condos fell to $373,000 (from $435,000). The Average Per Square Foot Price was $379, down from $400. The Cumulative Days on Market of the homes that sold was 68, up from 60 the previous month.

Grandview Home Sale Prices (Grandview Condos only)

There was 1 sale below $200,000, 11 sales between $200,000 and $300,000, 6 sales $300,000 and $400,000, 1 sale between $400,000 and $500,000, 2 sales between $500,000 and $600,000, 2 sales between $600,000 and $700,000 and 1 sale between $700,000 and $800,000.

The least expensive listing sold for $162,500 which was a 666 sq ft 34 year old studio. The most expensive sale sold for $790,000 for a 2 year old 2 bed, 3 bath that is 1616 sq ft.

Please Donate

On June 22nd, 2009 I will be attempting to break the record for the most ascents of the Grouse Grind for charity. The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation is an incredible organization which is there to help women and children suffering from domestic abuse. Of every dollar donated, 100% goes directly to those in need (Royal LePage covers all administrative costs of the charity).

Donate to the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation

Looking for More Information on Vancouver Real Estate?

You can find every home for sale in Grandview Vancouver (Commercial Drive) right here. Before making any decisions, you might want to learn more about the Vancouver real estate market generally.

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

Copyright © 2009 Grandview / Commercial Drive Real Estate in the Vancouver Realtor Blog by Sebastian Albrecht, Vancouver Real Estate with Royal LePage Vancouver ”Grandview Vancouver Real Estate MLS Statistics and Chart for May 2009”

No related posts.

This update is for the Grandview area of Vancouver (aka Commercial Drive) in March 2009.

Grandview Vancouver MLS Real Estate Statistics - March 2009

Grandview Vancouver Homes for Sale (Grandview Vancouver Condos only) – 42

In March 2009 the Grandview area of Vancouver had 42 Active Listings. Prior to February, Listings had dropped for three straight months (from 74 in October) but February saw a slight increase (up from 41). There was no change from February to March.

Grandview Vancouver Homes Sold (Grandview Vancouver Condos only) – 3

The majority of the rest of the Vancouver real estate market is seeing steady increases in Sales the last couple months. Grandview is the exception. We saw a big drop from 8 Sales in February, to 3 Sales in March (a low for the past 14 months).

The Average Sale price fell for the fourth month in a row to $353,000 (down from $370,000).

The Average Days on Market fell significantly after rising sharply two months in a row and is now down to 106 (from 141). The Average Per Square Foot Price was $400 (up from $367) for Grandview (Commercial Drive) Vancouver condos in March 2009.

Grandview Vancouver Home Sale Prices (Grandview Vancouver Condos only)

There were 2 sales between $200,000 and $300,000 and 1 sale between 5200,000 and $600,000.

The least expensive sale was a 654 sq ft, 33 year old one bedroom for $242,000. The most expensive sale was a 1350 sq ft, 27 year old 3 bedroom for $528,500.

Looking for More Information on Vancouver Real Estate?

You can find every home for sale in Grandview Vancouver (Commercial Drive) right here. Before making any decisions, you might want to learn more about the Vancouver real estate market generally.

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

Copyright © 2009 Grandview / Commercial Drive Real Estate in the Vancouver Realtor Blog by Sebastian Albrecht, Vancouver Real Estate with Royal LePage Vancouver ”Grandview Vancouver Real Estate MLS Statistics and Chart for March 2009”

No related posts.

Grandview / Commercial Drive Vancouver Real Estate MLS Stats - Feb 2009

This update is for the Grandview area of Vancouver (aka Commercial Drive) in February 2009.

Grandview Vancouver Homes for Sale (Grandview Vancouver Condos only) – 42

In February 2009 the Grandview area of Vancouver had 42 Active Listings. Listings had dropped for three straight months, but this past month saw a slight increase (up from 41).

Grandview Vancouver Homes Sold (Grandview Vancouver Condos only) – 8

Sales had fallen to a low of just 4 in January 2009. February 2009 saw this number double to 8 Sales in the Grandview/Commercial Drive real estate market.

The Average Sale price fell for the third month in a row to $370,000 (down from $394,000).

Average Sale Price dropped back down to the same level as November 2008 at $394,000 (from $450,000 in December). The Average Days on Market rose significantly for the second month in a row to 141 (from 112). The Average Per Square Foot Price was $367 (down from $397) for Grandview (Commercial Drive) Vancouver condos in February 2009.

Grandview Vancouver Home Sale Prices (Grandview Vancouver Condos only)

There was 1 sale under $200,000, 3 sales between $200,000 and $300,000, 3 sales between $400,000 and $500,000 and 1 sale between $700,000 and $800,000.

The least expensive sale was a 440 sq ft, 31 year old studio  for $128,000. The most expensive sale was a 1951 sq ft, 1 year old 3 bedroom for $760,000.

Looking for More Information on Vancouver Real Estate?

You can find every home for sale in Grandview Vancouver (Commercial Drive) right here. Before making any decisions, you might want to learn more about the Vancouver real estate market generally.

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

Copyright © 2009 Grandview / Commercial Drive Real Estate in the Vancouver Realtor Blog by Sebastian Albrecht, Vancouver Real Estate with Royal LePage Vancouver ”Grandview Vancouver Real Estate MLS Statistics and Chart for February 2009”

No related posts.

Grandview Vancouver MLS Stats - January 2009

This update is for the Grandview area of Vancouver (aka Commercial Drive) in January 2009.

Grandview Vancouver Homes for Sale (Grandview Vancouver Condos only)

- 41

In January 2009 the Grandview area of Vancouver had 41 Active Listings. This is the third month in a row that we`ve seen listings drop. We’ve seen a steady, and consistent decline in the number of listings since the high of 74 in October 2008.

Grandview Vancouver Homes Sold (Grandview Vancouver Condos only)

- 4

After two flat months (at 7), Sales fell to the lowly number of just 4 for Grandview in January. This number of Sales matches the low set back in August 2008.

Average Sale Price dropped back down to the same level as November 2008 at $394,000 (from $450,000 in December). The Average Days on Market rose significantly, meanwhile, up to 112 (from 67). The Average Per Square Foot Price was $397 (down from $415) for Grandview (Commercial Drive) Vancouver condos in January 2009.

Grandview Vancouver Home Sale Prices (Grandview Vancouver Condos only)

With a total of just four sales in the month, I think that I’ll just list them here for you. The following is the sale price for each of the four sales: $249,000, $325,000, $450,000 and $550,000.

The least expensive sale was a 790 sq ft, 17 year old 2 bedroom for $249,000. The most expensive sale was a 1463 sq ft, 16 year old 2 bedroom for $550,000.

Looking for More Information on Vancouver Real Estate?

You can find every home for sale in Grandview Vancouver (Commercial Drive) right here. Before making any decisions, you might want to learn more about the Vancouver real estate market generally.

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

Copyright © 2009 Vancouver Realtor Blog by Sebastian Albrecht, Vancouver Realtor with Royal LePage Westside ”Grandview Vancouver Real Estate MLS Statistics and Chart for January 2009”

No related posts.

This update is for the Grandview area of Vancouver (aka Commercial Drive) in December 2008.

Grandview Vancouver Homes for Sale (Grandview Vancouver Condos only) – 46

The Grandview area of Vancouver had 46 Active Listings in the month of December 2008. This is the second month in a row that we`ve seen listings drop, and it`s a healthy decline from the 74 we saw in October.

Grandview Vancouver Homes Sold (Grandview Vancouver Condos only) – 7

Once again, we saw only 7 Sales in Grandview. This is on par with what was seen in November, and a slight increase from the 5 in October.

Average Sale Price rose significantly once again to $450,000 (from $394,000). The Average Days on Market fell ever so slightly to 67 (from 68). The Average Per Square Foot Price was $415 (up from $394) for Grandview (Commercial Drive) Vancouver condos in October, 2008.

Grandview Vancouver Home Sale Prices (Grandview Vancouver Condos only)

There wer 3 sale between $200,000 and $300,000, 2 sales between $500,000 and $600,000, and 2 sales between $600,000 and $700,000.

The least expensive sale was a 500 sq ft, 26 year old studio for $200,000. The most expensive sale was a 1515 sq ft, brand new 2 bedroom for $665,000.

Looking for More Information on Vancouver Real Estate?

You can find every home for sale in Grandview Vancouver (Commercial Drive) right here. Before making any decisions, you might want to learn more about the Vancouver real estate market generally.

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

Copyright © 2008 Vancouver Real Estate Blog by Sebastian Albrecht, Vancouver Realtor with Royal LePage Westside ”Grandview Vancouver Real Estate MLS Statistics and Chart for December 2008”

No related posts.

This is my last Vancouver community market update for the month of November. My goal is to keep you as informed as possible as to what’s happening in the Vancouver real estate market. With the information at your fingertips, the tough decisions are easier to make.

This last update is for the Grandview area of Vancouver (aka Commercial Drive) in November 2008. I’ve included the chart above so that you can see visually what’s been happening in the Grandview real estate market over the course of the past year.

Grandview Vancouver Homes for Sale (Grandview Vancouver Condos only) – 64

The Grandview area of Vancouver had 64 Active Listings in the month of November 2008. This is down from 74 in October which was the high for the year. As we’ve seen in most of my other market areas, the trend last month was generally down (other than in the West End)

Grandview Vancouver Homes Sold (Grandview Vancouver Condos only) – 7

With only 7 sales in the area, there is little to celebrate. However, one bright light is that this is a rise from the previous month’s sales of only 5 in Grandview.

Average Sale Price rose significantly to $394,000. The Average Days on Market also rose up to 68 days from the previous month’s unusual number of just 23. The Average Per Square Foot Price was $394 for Grandview (Commercial Drive) Vancouver condos in October, 2008.

Grandview Vancouver Home Sale Prices (Grandview Vancouver Condos only)

There wer 3 sale between $200,000 and $300,000, 1 sale between $300,000 and $400,000, 2 sales between $400,000 and $500,000 and 1 sale between $700,000 and $800,000.

The least expensive sale was a 850 sq ft, 16 year old two bedroom for $242,000. The most expensive sale was a 1951 sq ft, brand new 2 bedroom for $750,000.

Looking for More Information on Vancouver Real Estate?

You can find every home for in Grandview Vancouver (Commercial Drive) right here. Before making any decisions, you might want to learn more about the Vancouver real estate market generally.

If you’d like to review some other current and in depth statistics, you might want to take a brief look at some other Vancouver real estate statistics that I compile:

• Vancouver real estate MLS statistics – Monthly
  
• Vancouver real estate MLS statistics – Weekly
  

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

Copyright © 2008 Vancouver Real Estate Blog by Sebastian Albrecht, Vancouver Realtor with Royal LePage Westside ”Grandview Vancouver Real Estate MLS Statistics and Chart for November 2008”

No related posts.

Here are the Grandview Vancouver real estate market statistics for October, 2008. I’ve included the chart above so that you can see visually what’s been happening in the Grandview Vancouver real estate market over the course of the year.

Grandview Vancouver Homes for Sale (Grandview Condos only) -74

Total condo listings rose up to 74. This total is a high for the year, coming off last month’s previous high of 68.

Grandview Vancouver Homes Sold (Grandview Condos only) – 5

Only 5 Grandview homes sold (condos) in the month of October in the Grandview Vancouver real estate market. The average sale price was only $358,000 (or $391/sq ft), the lowest average we’ve seen this year and the second lowest number of sales. The average days on market for those sales was only 23, a low for the year.

Given the trends (more listings, fewer sales, and lower average sale price) I suspect that the DOM average being so low is an anomaly. Since there was such a small sample (only 5 sales) this could vary greatly from month to month.

Grandview Vancouver Home Sale Prices (Grandview Condos only)

There were 2 sales under $300,000, 2 sales between $300,000 and $400,000, and 1 sale at $625,000.

More Info 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:

• Vancouver Monthly real estate statistics
• Vancouver Weekly real estate statistics

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

• Coal Harbour real estate
• Downtown Vancouver real estate
• Fairview real estate
• Kitsilano real estate
• Mount Pleasant Vancouver real estate

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

Copyright © 2008 by  Sebastian Albrecht, Vancouver Realtor with Royal LePage Westside ”Fairview Vancouver Real Estate Statistics and Chart for September 2008”

No related posts.