Generally speaking we are seeing a more balanced market for Vancouver East and West.  Sales are up significantly over last month, but down a little from Feb 2011.  The number of new listings are up over last February, and generally speaking we saw a slight increase in price.  Click here to view the detailed stats...

Karoleena Homes brought a pre-fab house with them to the Home & Garden Show for visitors to walk through and bid on.  Yes, bid on it too!  They were auctioning off the Kitsilano Home at the Show and installing it on a view lot in Naramata.  Fantastic idea, I'd say!  The house itself was gorgeous...modern, big windows, massive sliding doors, high ceilings....check, check, check!  And have you been to Naramata?  It's one of the prettiest places in the world.  Did I mention the winery tours?  Check out this house and learn more about pre-fab homes...

Check out my February 2012 Newsletter.
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February 2012 The Feds announced rates will stay low until 2014.  Some lenders have just increased their fixed rates, (yes the 2.99% is gone) but they are still at an all time low, and prime is still 3%.  We are approaching what is typically the busiest time of the year for real estate, and after our slow fall market, I predict this spring will be a busy one.  In 2011, the month of March saw the highest volume of sales in Downtown Vancouver, the Westside, and East Vancouver.  So if you are wondering when the best time is to sell, I would say now is the time.  I've had a busy couple of weeks with multiple offers, buyers securing a great investment unit in a cool new project, LIDO, complete with a roof top pool, heated outdoor Wi-Fi stations, & coffee in the lobby for the residents, and a great new listing with ocean views & 500 square feet of decks.  I hope you had a great weekend, and don't forget your loved ones tomorrow...it is Valentine's Day after all!       New Listings! I have 2 new loft listings both with huge decks & amazing ocean & mountain views.  View these great properties, and more of my listings, under the Properties tab on my site.   Market Statistics Selection broadens and demand eases to kick off 2012 in the Greater Vancouver housing market.  For the detailed stats by neighbourhood and price range,  Read More...  For the 2011 Year End Market Update video by the president of the Real Estate Board, click here.   Laneway Housing Are you interested in building a laneway house on your property?  The City of Vancouver has published a How-To Guide  that is loaded with great information to get you started.  ..     .  .   .   follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend

I'll be doing at open house today and tomorrow from 2-4pm at this fabulous penthouse, P6-2410 Cornwall.  Drop in to see the incredible views and private roof deck!

Congrats to the lucky buyer of this fabulous house on the Westside!

The HST/PST transitional rules have finally been announced.  Click here to read the new ruling, and call me if you need some clarification on your own situation.

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 2012 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 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.