Sure it's expensive to buy a place in the Lower Mainland but I have to wonder if some of the frustrated people calling into the Bill Good show have actually talked to an experienced Realtor, gave him a budget and had a look at what's available in their price range. Not everything is priced over a million dollars as the media would have you believe and with today's record low interest rates it might be more affordable than you think. I just sold a young family of 4 their first home. It's a fully renovated 3 bedroom condo in West Richmond which is steps to shopping, Steveston Village and plenty of recreational facilities for $300K. That's a good value for living in a prime Richmond location and being only 25 min t ...

Thought I'd share with you a few deals that came across on my daily hot sheets this week. First is the GOOD - an 18 year old 1,300 sq ft Yaletown condo sold for under $600/sq ft with 2 parking spots. That's a good buy for a large Yaletown condo. I'm skipping the BAD and going straight to the UGLY - a pre-sale condo out at UBC. Sure it's a very nice West side location but at 1.1 million for 1000 Sq ft., on leased (rented land) and won't be built until late 2013. Hope this was a lifestyle purchase. For not much more you can buy a fully detached starter home on the West side or a very nice East side home in a HOT neighborhood. That detached home will increase in value much better than a condo on leased land in my opinion.

Owen Bigland blogs about how there are 3 different types of value that are attached to any piece of residential real estate. Appraised Value: This is done by your bank or lending institution if you are borrowing money via a mortgage to purchase the home. The banks want to make sure that the house you are buying and borrowing money for is actually worth what you are paying. Occasionally deals can collapse when someone buys an overpriced property and the bank appraises it for less than what was paid. As a result they will usually require the borrower to increase their down payment if they want to secure the mortgage and close the deal.Assessed Value: This is done by the Province (BC Assessment), they estimate the value o ...

I just finished uploading this Townhouse for sale, 6 12438 BRUNSWICK Place, Richmond, British Columbia"Brunswick Garden" Deluxe 3-level end unit townhome located at the South side of Steveston. 3-bedroom plus family room on the top floor. 2.5 bathrooms, master bdrm has a large closet, full 4-piece ensuite & a balcony. Newer kitchen cupboards & appliances. Beautiful H/W floors in the living room & dining room. Cozy gas F/P, enclosed garage plus the 2nd parking space at you door. Fully fenced rear yard. Short walk to Homma Elementary School & Steveston Village.

Owen Bigland blog about two fairly sizeable expenses that homeowners sometimes forget when purchasing a property in British Columbia. Most people know about the HST payable on new homes but there are 2 other substantial expenses you will need to shell out when you buy your home. The first is Property Transfer Tax (PTT) which is 1% on the first $200,000 and 2% on the balance. If you are a first time buyer, meet all the requirements and your purchase price is under $425,000 you can apply for an exemption. The second is CHHC default insurance. If you are putting less than 20% down (High-ratio mortgage) you need to have default coverage. If you are putting more than 20% down (Conventional mortgage) you do not need t ...

I just finished uploading this Condo for sale, 212 1175 FERGUSON Road, Tsawwassen, British ColumbialARGE 1 -BEDROOM SOUTH FACING APARTMENT IN CENTURY HOUSE. HUGE LIVING ROOM AND DINING ROOM WITH SLIDING GLASS DOOR TO AN OPEN BALCONY. NICE WHITE KITCHEN AND A GOOD SIZE MASTER BEDROOM.INSUITE LAUNDRY AND SECURE UNDERGROUND PARKING. GREAT LOCATION IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN TSAWWASSEN. JUST STEPS TO SHOPPING, RESTAURANTS AND TRANSIT.

I just finished uploading this House for sale, 3491 BARMOND Ave, Richmond, British ColumbiaGreat Location in West Richmond, North facing backyard (66 xl20 lot) in the 'MONDS" neighbourhood in Seafair. Walking distance to Dyke, French Immersion Gilmore Elementary and Dixon Elementary, Hugh Boyd High school, Seafair Shopping mall and Public Transportation. Home has been updated with newer windows, hotwater tank, fumance, deck all 3yrs old and roof (12yrs). Excellent property to live in now and build later or go ahead and build your "Dream Home" today!

Owen blogs about the most critical aspect of selling your home, which is the right PRICE. "If it's not priced correctly from the start all my marketing efforts become greatly diminished. It's the main reason why almost half of all MLS listings never get sold. Coming up with the proper price for your home is not a quick and easy process. It starts with a tour of your home or condo from there I put to use a powerful software system that will compare your home to active listings and solds. There are many other factors I will take into account including current inventory levels, pricing trends and forecasts, average days on market, current market activity and interest rates. As well as the + and - your home has ...

Last month, the Bank of Montreal, in an attempt to gain market share during the slower winter housing months, surprised the mortgage industry by introducing a posted 2.99% 5-year fixed rate mortgage to the marketplace. The move prompted a bit of a mortgage war as other lenders played catch-up to match what was done by BMO. The result of all of this maneuvering is that consumers now have some of the lowest rate options in history. But why would the Bank of Montreal want to start a mortgage price war? The reason is that many of the big banks see mortgage lending as an effective loss-leader in order to capture more overall banking market share. After all, a mortgage is often a 20+ year commitment. During that time, ...

I just finished uploading this House for sale, 4651 LANCELOT Drive, Richmond, British ColumbiaWonderful 2,300 sq ft rancher on 60x117 foot lot. Located in quiet subdivision. Large rec room addition 2003 with wet bar and full bath. High end S/S appliances incl. gas range & Sakura range hood. Large garage has room for 2 cars as well as workshop (has 220 volt) and storage. Wide hallways and spacious baths. Well suited for wheelchair. Backs on to quiet greenbelt. New roof 2003 - heavy duty pressure treated cedar. Close to Hugh Boyd High School, transit Seafair Shops & West RMD Rec Centre.