This cool new development in the hip and trendy Main St. area features a fabulous roof top pool, with heated outdoor Wi-Fi stations.  Very California, I'd say!  LIDO is expected to complete in the spring of 2014, and since the developer is the reliable and on-time, BOSA, you will probably be spending 2014 lounging pool side.  Call me for more details.

The Feds announced they don't expect rates to change until 2014.  Just a couple of days after this announcement however, RBC announced a rate increase is happening today, so if you are buyer and don't have your rate hold in place yet, call your mortgage broker asap.  The fixed rates are so low right now, perhaps we'll see a little movement with these rates, but not much movement with the prime rate.  Guess we'll have to wait and see...

The Bank of Canada rate remains unchanged at 1 percent.  Great news for those on a variable rate, or those buyers still wanting to get in to the market.   Read more...

Monthly Real Estate Newsletter   Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. January 2011 Happy New Year!  With all of the excitement of the holidays over, and everyone getting back into their old routines, and maybe some new ones, I thought it was time to give you a quick update of the market.  It is generally slower over the holidays, and this year was no exception.  But January seems to be off to a good start.  After a slow fall season, I think the spring market is going to be busy.  If you are looking to buy, the next couple of months could be a good time to get a jump start ahead of those still recovering from the holidays.  Last year, the month of March saw the highest number of sales for Downtown and Vancouver West.  If the same holds true for 2012, Sellers should be listing soon. Stay Tuned for New Listings! I will be listing a number of new properties in the next couple of weeks so stay tuned.  Are you looking for a fabulous loft with a massive outdoor deck, walls of windows, mountain views, and modern appeal?  How about a 2 bedroom + solarium in Yaletown?  Or maybe a gorgeous, modern house on the Westside?  Or a live/work loft with over height ceilings, heated floors, in a great building in a highly desirable neighbourhood?  What ever your style is, your perfect home awaits!   Contact me if you are eager for more information on these and other great homes. Market Statistics The 2011 Greater Vancouver housing market began with heightened demand in regional hot spots and concluded with great balance between seller supply and buyer demand.  Sales were down in December over November for Downtown & the Westside, but prices hold fairly steady.   Read More... BC Home & Garden Show 2012 The BC Home & Garden Show is back, February 22-26, 2012.  Haven't seen the new roof on BC Place Stadium yet?  Here's your chance.  Visit their website for updates on celebrity guests, and more, BC Home & Garden Show.  follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Copyright © 2011 Krista Freeborn Our mailing address is: 1428 W. 7th Ave, Vancouver BC V6H 1C1 This communication is not intended to induce a breach of an extisting agency relationship.  unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences

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"Low mortgage interest rates are expected to persist through 2012 keeping affordability on an even keel." says Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist.  Click here to read more.

Prefer to watch the stats update via video instead of reading it?  Go to my YouTube Channel and click on Market Updates on the right side of the page.

 Greater Vancouver Real Estate Board Stats for October 2011; What's happening with the market right now?; RE/MAX #1; Grey Cup Festivities for 2011

Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. November 2011 I've been hard at work designing new marketing materials, and as you can see, this includes my monthly newsletter.  I hope you like the new format!  Feel free to give me some feedback if you wish.  A new website offering you quick and easy access to property information, pre-defined searches , and tools for number crunching, has also been on the agenda.  So, after months of brainstorming, and tweaking here and there, I'm happy to announce my new website is finally live, www.kristafreeborn.com.  Check it out, and let me know what you think.  I'm getting a lot of questions about what's happening with the market right now, so I thought I'd give you the quick run down.  The market was quite stagnet from the middle of September to the middle of October.  Lots of new listings, but no buyers to be found.  In the last two weeks though, the buyers seem to be getting off the sidelines, realizing that with interest rates at an all time low, this buyers market offers them time to view properties a couple of times before making an offer.  That's a nice change to the days when you had 20 minutes to decide if that was the home for you.  So, if you want to make the move, but are not sure if it's the right time, call me, and I can help you decide. My Listings! I have sold one of my new listings, maybe two by the time you read this.  My office, RE/MAX Crest Realty Westside has recently taken over top spot, now the #1 RE/MAX office worldwide.  Yup, worldwide!  Pretty cool, eh?  I'd like to think I've helped out a little with that!   Click here to view my current listings and sales.   Market Statistics With a sales-to-active property listings ratio of 15 per cent, the Greater Vancouver Housing market continues to hover at the lower end of a balanced market and has been trending in that direction over the past five months. Read More... Grey Cup 2011 The new roof on BC Place Stadium is complete, and just in time for the big game.  The 99th Grey Cup festivities run November 24-27, 2011.  I'll be at the game, so if you are also, make sure you say hello!   Grey Cup 2011 festival information  follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Copyright © 2011 Krista Freeborn Our mailing address is: 1428 W. 7th Ave, Vancouver BC V6H 1C1 This communication is not intended to induce a breach of an extisting agency relationship.  unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences

The people in the know are saying there is no bubble, it's the lack of the transitional rules for taking out the HST that is causing some buyers to sit on the sidelines.  

There is no real estate bubble in Vancouver but, according to a panel of speakers at a recent Board of Trade event, a lack of clear transitional rules leading up to the return of the provincial sales tax is having a negative effect on the real estate industry.

That was the message delivered by the panel of three real estate industry experts, including the Board’ President-Elect Eugen Klein, to a packed house at the Board of Trade’s Bubble Trouble event on October 21 at the Fairmont Hotel in Vancouver.

Other panelists included Ward McAllister, president of Ledingham McAllister Properties, and Richard Wozny, of Site Economics Ltd. The panel was moderated by David Podmore, CEO of Concert Properties Ltd.

Each of the speakers presented information that helped to set the overall picture of what they consider to be a solid overall market that is not in the midst of a bubble. But they directed their strongest comments towards the impact that the lack of transitional rules is having on the market right now.

“Potential buyers, especially the under-25 group, are sitting on the sidelines,” said Klein. “It’s also affecting home renovation projects with HST on them because consumers don’t know what to do.”

McAllister was the most vocal in his criticisms, noting that he and his company have been “literally begging” the provincial government for transitional rules since the results of the referendum to repeal the HST were announced.

“What is amazing to me is that it took the government three days to bring this new tax in and now they are telling us it is going to take up to 18 months to unravel,” said McAllister. “This is really hurting us in the new home business just because of the uncertainty.”

Both Klein and McAllister noted that they are seeing developers taking on a portion, or even all, of the HST on their product to try and remove that uncertainty for potential buyers.

Other information provided by the speakers suggested that the Metro Vancouver real estate market is healthy and stable.

Wozny forecasted that low interest rates will hold steady into the foreseeable future, which will translate into continuing sales, and McAllister highlighted immigration data that shows that approximately 52,700 immigrants will move to British Columbia in 2011. Of that total, some 42,000 will move into the Metro Vancouver area, meaning that the need for new housing will remain strong.

Klein pointed to steady residential sales driven by high-end property demand in Richmond, West Vancouver and the Westside of Vancouver. He also updated major commercial projects that will add approximately five million square feet of retail space and 1.5 million square feet of office space to Metro Vancouver by 2015.

“Putting the residential and commercial real estate sectors in perspective, the Lower Mainland remains a very desirable place to live and work,” said Klein.

The Bank of Canada has announced they are leaving the rate unchanged at 1 percent.  Click here to read the full article.

If you own a condo, you may be starting to hear about the upcoming changes to the Strata Property Act for mandatory reports in the near future.  The goal with these reports is to offer owners, and those buyers looking to own, a detailed report on length of life of the buildings and those items comprising the building, with dollar values for replacement associated with those items.  The idea being that there can be more accurate budgeting for the strata corporation, decreased emergency repairs/replacements, and decreased levies due to property maintenance.  Read this article by the Director of the Condominium Home Owners' Association.  

Home sales trend toward buyers' market over the summer.  August marked the third consecutive month that home sales activity was below the 10 year average for the month.  And listing activity has exceeded the 10 year norm every month since the beginning of the year.  Detailed stats for August 2011 available here.

Home listings continue to rise in the Greater Vancouver housing market.  Listings are up, sales were down over the summer, and now we are in buyers' market.  With interest rates at an all time low, this is the time to get into the market if you haven't already done so.  Click to view the September 2011 stats

I love this website!  If you like modern architecture, you'll love scrolling through this site, the Contemporist.