How To Find A Realtor:

-Get referrals from your family or friends.
-Contact a local real estate office.
-Go to open houses in your area to meet some local REALTORS®.
-Check For Sale signs in neighbourhoods to get names of local agents.
-Check the Yellow Pages in the phone book.
-Use the Find a REALTOR® tool to search for REALTORS®.

When choosing a Realtor, look for an agent who:

-Understands economic trends and the market.
-Knows your local area.
-Listens attentively and instills confidence.
-Provides you with a written evaluation of your property. Read more on The Vancouver Real Estate Blog.com

The West Side has some of the most expensive housing in the Greater Vancouver region. See our Market Tracker for current house prices.

The West Side contains different types of housing ranging from small bungalows, through condominium complexes to multimillion-dollar waterfront estates. Older "character" houses are popular on the West Side and you can expect to pay a lot for them.

Although much of the housing is single family housing, several neighbourhoods such as Downtown, the West End, False Creek and Fairview Slopes have primarily apartments and townhouse developments.

The West Side is a shopper's paradise and attracts people from all over Greater Vancouver. Downtown shopping revolves around Robson Street, with its designer fashion stores, and Gastown, a popular tourist destination full of small boutiques and gift shops.

Fourth Avenue, in the heart of Kitsilano, is another trendy shopping spot. Browse through the upscale boutiques, gift stores and bookstores or grab a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants and cafes. South Granville Street and 10th Avenue also have excellent shopping.

Downtown is home to General Motors Place (hockey), BC Place (football), the Queen Elizabeth theatre, the Vogue and Orpheum theatres and "movie theatre row" on Granville Street.

The West Side is blessed with an abundance of parkland and over 50 kilometres of beaches. Walking along the water you can go from Kits beach to Jericho, Locarno, Spanish Banks and "clothing optional" Wreck Beach.

Stanley Park, Pacific Spirit Regional Park, VanDusen Botanical Gardens, Queen Elizabeth Park, and dozens of smaller neighbourhood parks offer a wealth of recreational opportunities within the city.

For more information visit the City of Vancouver Parks and Recreation site. Read more on The Vancouver Real Estate Blog.com

Welcome to Townlines last of six Residential Buidling in the Vancouver's downtown core. Located at the cross streets of Seymour and Nelson, 999 Seymour offers 110 homes over 21 stories in the vibrant Yaletown neigborhood.Thoughtful modern architecture and crips clean interiors seperate 999 Seymour from its competition. Situated on the North West corner of the cross streets, 999 Seymour offers modern living in Downtown Vancouver's vibrant Yaletown community. Modern crisp architecture, clean interiors, open concrete designs, wide balconines, moveable sun screens and effecient floorplans. 999 Seymour kitchens include 3/4 quartzite countertops / blacksplash, horizontal folding cabinetry with highgloss finish, Blanco undermount sinks, Miele 4 burner stainless steel cooktop and Broan hoodfan, Miele stainless steel refridgerator, Miele dishwashwer, and Panasonic stainless steel microwave. 999 Seymour Bathrooms include 3/4" quatzite slab countertops, exposed concrete walls, stainless steel undermount sink basinm deep soaker tub, flow wise faucet, and energy effecient vanity lighting
Click here to visit RyanSoldit.ca
Click here to receive listings in your area
Click here to contact Ryan Lalonde or Ryan Hawk
. Read more on The Vancouver Real Estate Blog.com

Property Transfer Tax is a land registration tax. Property transfer tax is required to be paid anytime an application is made at the Land Title Office in British Columbia to register changes to a certificate of title. Property transfer tax is calculated and payed on the determed fair market value of the peice of real estate being transferred. Property Transfer Tax is a calculated tax that is paid on the established purchase price for the property being transferred.

What is fair market value and how does it relate to Property Transfer Tax? Fair market value is the established price that a buyer and seller reach through negotiations for which the buyer is willing to pay and the seller is willing to sell for. in relation to the Vancouver Real Estate market, fair market value is often reached through listing your the proeprty on the Multiple Listing Service through a real estate agent. Fair market value is an important component of property transfer tax since any land title transfer applicant may be asked to produce evidence as to who fair market value was realized.

In some situations, property transfer tax is applied to transactions where no money changes hands, and the transaction occurs outside of the open real estate market. In such instances, independent appraisal or comparable sales are required to establish an accurate real estate property value. Property transfer tax can also be calculated based of BC Property Value Assesment.

BC Assessment property assessments reflect fair market value as at July 1 of the previous year. For example, the assessed values for the 2007 tax year are based on what the property would have sold for in the open market as at July 1, 2006. Because property markets can change rapidly, you may need a more recent valuation, such as an independent appraisal, of what the property is worth at the time of registration.
Click here to visit RyanSoldit.ca
Click here to receive listings in your area
Click here to contact Ryan Lalonde or Ryan Hawk Read more on The Vancouver Real Estate Blog.com

It seems that the massive demand for Recreational type properties is slowing as the British Columbia markets approaches the Summer months. In a report provided by the CMHC on Friday June 27, 2008, market analysts predict that recreational type properties will likely follow the primary residence markets, and experience moderate price gains, more listings, and less overall activity.

This in the face of the ever changing Canadian Real Estate market has set many buyer and sellers questioning the long term viability of current real estate values.
"Recreational real estate is obviously a luxury purchase versus a basic necessity," Phil Soper, CEO of Royal LePage Real Estate Services, said in an interview.
"As such, when people's ... confidence in their ability to continue purchasing things like luxury properties wanes somewhat, they tend to put off [those] purchases."

While many predict a more stagnant recreational type property market in the years to come,
Soper noted that such Canadian markets have traditionally been "the most supply-constrained" of any market sub-components, which makes this year's rise in listings welcome compared to previous years.

When comparing these facts to B.C., especially Okanagan and surrounding Interior, new builders and development companies are reaching a critical oversupply value, according to a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. analyst in the region. Preliminary reports state that although the Okanagan / Interior has not surpassed this value yet, it will have to par back developments to ensure long term value," Paul Fabri of CMHC said in an interview.
It is important to note that demand for Vancouver Island and Interior recreational property is still very strong, Fabri added, however ever decreasing prices, and slash and sell marketing techniques in the US housing market has pulled many Canadians south of the border that may have previously considered Canadian products

Relative to previous year, as appreciation levels decrease, fewer and fewer Alberta buyers are making the transition in BC recreational properties. Slumping returns, and increasing oil and gas prices are some of the many concerns plaguing Alberta buyers. As the Canadian housing markets cools, primary owners are finding less equity and less leverage to secure second homes.

Riley Twyford, broker-owner of Royal LePage Downtown Realty in Vernon, said that demand and market sales have slumped nearly 28% when compared to the previous year. Although prices remain constant, the number of active buyers has decreased. Although prices are going backward, the market has significantly changed over the previous years.
Click here to contact Vancouver's Real Estate Specialists
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Read more on The Vancouver Real Estate Blog.com

Exceptionally renovated Commercial Street home located across from the tree lined streets of Woodland Park. Exquisite finishing & craftsmanship with flawless interior design. The main floor features 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom through an effecient open floor plan design. Finishings include granite countertops, Jenn Air Stainless Steel, Appliances, Wide plank hardwood floors, crown moldings, and more. Enjoy sun drenched afternoons in your professionally landscapped yard or summer barbecues on your private patio. This Commercial area estate has it all. Read more on The Vancouver Real Estate Blog.com

Growing supply helps stabilize market conditions
VANCOUVER, B.C. - June 3, 2008 - The Greater Vancouver housing market continued its re-balance between sales and listings last month. The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential property sales in Greater Vancouver declined 30.7 per cent in May 2008 to 3,002 from the 4,331 sales recorded in May 2007.
New listings for detached, attached and apartment properties increased 20.2 per cent to 7,390 in May 2008 compared to May 2007, when 6,149 new units were listed.
"With more property listings and a decline in the number of sales, prices are not increasing as rapidly, now down to single digits overall, which is good news from an affordability standpoint," said REBGV president, Dave Watt. "The housing market is at a balanced state, sellers have more competition and buyers have more selection to choose from."
Sales of detached properties in May 2008 declined 33.4 per cent to 1,203 from the 1,805 sales recorded during the same period in 2007. The benchmark price, as calculated by the MLSLink Housing Price Index®, for detached properties rose 8.4 per cent from May 2007 to $771,250.
Sales of apartment properties declined 30.5 per cent last month to 1,244, compared to 1,789 sales in May 2007. The benchmark price of an apartment property increased 8.7 per cent from May 2007 to $389,668.
Attached property sales in May 2008 decreased 24.7 per cent to 555, compared with the 737 sales in May 2007. The benchmark price of an attached unit increased 9 per cent between May 2007 and 2008 to $478,931.
Bright spots in Greater Vancouver in May 2008 compared to May 2007:
Attached:
Coquitlam
up 45.2 per cent (45 units sold from 31)

Apartments:
New Westminster
up 13.6 per cent (100 units sold from 88)
The Real Estate industry is a key economic driver in British Columbia. In 2007, 38,050 homes changed hands in the Board's area generating $1.065 billion in spin-offs. Total dollar volume of residential sales set a new record at $22.25 billion and total dollar volume of all sales set a record at $22.77 billion. The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver is an association representing more than 9,500 REALTORS®. The Real Estate Board provides a variety of membership services, including the Multiple Listing Service®. For more information on real estate, statistics, and buying or selling a home, contact a local REALTOR® or visit www.realtylink.org.
*In August 2004, the Greater Vancouver and Fraser Valley boards upgraded our existing MLS systems to a common system called MLSLink. MLSLink® HPI is the latest version of the Board’s Housing Price Index (HPI) and is designed to accommodate the MLS upgrade and improve the legacy HPI product. For more information on real estate, statistics, and buying or selling a home, visit http://www.realtylink.org/.
Read more on The Vancouver Real Estate Blog.com