Navio at the Creek Prices Released to Public Navio at the Creek by Concert, is a new pre sale condo development in the False Creek area. I wrote a whole piece about the development here. Anyways, I previewed the sales centre at the Realtor only event yesterday and so the purpose of this post is to discuss the prices and the sales process. Navio at the Creek Prices:  South tower One bedroom units: One bedroom Plan A1- square feet 562 from $609,900-$709,900 One bedroom Plan A2- square feet 584 from $579,900-$689,900 One bedroom Plan A3- square feet 590 from $619,900-$719,900 One bedroom Plan A4- square feet 674 from $721,900-$757,900 One bedroom & den Plan B2- square feet 798 from $859,900-$944,900 South tower Two bedroom units: Two bedroom Plan C- square feet 849 from $779,900 Two bedroom Plan C1- square feet 875 from $991,900-$1,079,900 Two bedroom Plan C2- square feet 940 from $1,081,900-$1,305,900 Two bedroom Plan C4- square feet 1,197 from $1,459,900-$1,681,900 Two bedroom Plan C5- square feet 1,358 from $1,929,900-$2,247,900 Two bedroom Sub Penthouse- square feet 1,078 from $1,489,900 Two bedroom & den penthouse- square feet 1,670 from $3,309,900 Townhouse units: Two bedroom townhouse Plan TH2- square feet 1,235 from

Top 5 Biggest Mistakes When Buying a Condo Are you thinking about buying a condo in Vancouver? No doubt it’s an exciting time, but many buyers let their emotions get the best of them and make some big mistakes in the process. Here’s the top 5 biggest mistakes when buying a condo. Are you making any of them? 1. Fear of Missing Out Let’s be honest, Vancouver real estate is all the buzz these days. Everyone wants a piece of the pie before it’s too late. It’s what we call FOMO or fear of missing out. Just because everyone is buying real estate or because prices are soaring doesn’t mean you need to or should be getting in on the action. For many people they end up stretching their budgets and becoming house poor. They’re no longer able to do the things they love because they’re putting every dollar they have into paying off a mortgage. Stick to a budget and don’t buy just for the sake of buying, sometimes renting makes more sense for the time being. 2. Not Getting Pre-Approved Here’s the deal. The Vancouver real estate market moves quickly. Once you find a home you like you

Empty Home Tax Provides Minimal Relief to Housing Crisis Big news today in Vancouver as Mayor Gregor Robertson announced with or without the support of the provincial government, Vancouver will impose an empty home tax. Gregor Robertson has plenty of critics but kudos to him for stepping up and being the first to take some real action on the Vancouver housing crisis. Here’s what The Mayor of Vancouver has proposed: Option 1: increase property taxes on empty homes with the help of the provincial government. Option 2: introduce a new business tax on empty or under occupied properties. Now he and the rest of us here in Vancouver await Christy Clark and the provincial government to respond by August 1. However a tax will go ahead with or without them come August 1. Don’t hold your breath waiting to hear back from the provincial government though. “Robertson said he wrote Premier Christy Clark last year asking for the province to support a speculation tax but hasn’t heard back.” So what impact will the empty home tax have on the Vancouver housing market? It will most likely have little to no effect on housing prices. What it will do is encourage many

Evidence of Vancouver Real Estate Speculation Piling up There are always two sides to every story. Such a statement has never been more true when determining the causes of Vancouver’s surging home prices. Is it supply and demand? Or is it speculation? I have my theories, but theories are, well, theories. I believe Vancouver real estate prices are heavily encouraged by massive amounts of speculation. People, not just investors are trading Vancouver real estate like it’s a cheap penny stock. Buying and flipping properties within a short period of time, sometimes as short as a month or two, cashing in on massive profits. But I know talk is cheap and numbers matter, I needed evidence to prove Vancouver real estate speculation. I went onto my Realtor’s MLS system to see what I could dig up. What I found even surprised me. I searched all the sold houses for Vancouver West detached homes for the month of May 2016. Here’s what I found: Houses sold in May for Vancouver West: 179 Houses sold in May that were also sold within the last year: 28 Percentage of homes flipped for a profit: 15.6% Average profit made per house flipped: $1,140,957.83 Here’s a

Looking for Summer Date Ideas in Vancouver? Vancouver offers a wealth of unique summer date ideas and venues, but a measure of wealth isn’t necessarily required to enjoy them. Whatever amount you’re prepared to spend, if you’re looking for a place to bring a date in this vibrant city, you are fortunate indeed. There are many terrific ideas for a summer date in Vancouver. Stanley Park For a potentially cheap date that is rich in enjoyment, you could go for a summer date at Stanley Park, Vancouver’s “crown jewel.” Whereas the famed seawall is typically well-populated, Stanley Park offers quiet forest trails and tranquil but breathtaking views. Pose for a couple selfies next to English Bay and enjoy the waterfront breeze. Take a leisurely climb to Prospect Point, where the views are even more impressive and you can enjoy burgers, ice cream, fish and chips, coffee, and/or beer. There you will also be able to watch boats in the inlet from a comfortable deck. On Tuesday nights in summer, enjoy an outdoor movie. The Evo Summer Cinema Series at Stanley Park in Vancouver is as excellent an idea as any for a date in summer. Bard on the Beach Shakespeare

New Development Proposed for Gastown A proposed development located at 33 West Cordova is awaiting final approval from the city. The 19,071 square foot site located in the Gastown area backs onto Blood Alley. The site was previously used as homeless shelters operated by a non profit organization. The proposed development by Westbank will consist of 11 storeys and 214 rental apartments (80 social housing units/134 secured market rental units). There will be commercial space on the ground floor. Commercial space will include a wine bar. The development will also create new southern frontages for 33 West Cordova. The project will also provide 267 bicycle parking spots. No changes are currently proposed for Blood Alley. However the city is planning their own separate designs for the redevelopment of the alley. The project is still awaiting final approval as the land is currently zoned as HA-2. The Architect for the project Henriquez Partners Architects was quoted as saying “The Blood Alley project at 33 West Cordova Street will make a significant contribution to the life of Gastown by retaining its heritage facade, providing affordable housing options, reinforcing an active street life through retail, food and performance opportunities, and provide a backdrop