VANCOUVER, B.C. – January 4, 2012 – The 2011 Greater Vancouver housing market began with heightened demand in regional hot spots and concluded with greater balance between seller supply and buyer demand.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that total sales of detached, attached and apartment properties in 2011 reached 32,390, a 5.9 per cent increase from the 30,595 sales recorded in 2010, and a 9.2 per cent decrease from the 35,669 residential sales in 2009. Last year’s home sale total was 6.3 per cent below the ten-year average for annual Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) sales in the region.

FOR FULL STATS PACKAGE CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW:

rebgvstatspackage_dec2011

Rising a dramatic 19-storeys and surrounded by mature trees, estate homes and next to the private Vancouver Golf Club, these 133 homes will offer unparalleled 360 degree views from the 5th floor and above.

Ranging from Junior 1 bedrooms to the spacious, well-appointed penthouses of “The Heights Collection”, all homes will include efficient layouts, oversized windows, warm laminate flooring, quartz countertops, gourmet kitchens with stainless steel appliances, and most homes feature 2 outdoor living spaces.

Jr 1 Bedrooms from the $190’s

1 Bedrooms from the $260’s

2 Bedrooms from the $340’s

Townhomes from the $500’s

Important Information:

20% deposit with $5,000 due at time of offer, increased to 5% after 7 days.

1 parking stall included with every home. For “The Heights Collection” and the 3 bedroom townhomes, 2 stalls will be included.

1 storage locker included with every home.

Amenities include a fully integrated gym/yoga room, dynamic multi-purpose lounge with wet bar, guest suite and landscaped outdoor terrace with children’s playground, BBQ area and outdoor ‘living room’

Tentative completion is Spring 2014

Visit theaustin.ca to view floorplans.

Introducing - “The 258″

The Lowest priced High-Rise in British Columbia with 2 Bedrooms from $238,900*

We promised to keep you in ahead of the pack with our information about the 16-storey concrete high-rise we are selling just steps from Queens Park! As more information arrives, we will continue to send it your way. The Developer has just now given us the go-ahead to release this initial information below and we wanted you to be the first to know about the “258″!

The 258 is the most affordable high-rise in New Westminster (and the Province) with 2 Bedrooms starting from an incredible $238,900…yes, $238,900…and yes, two bedrooms!

The 258 is an incredibly modern, 16 storey concrete high-rise featuring stainless steel appliances, granite counter-tops, laminate flooring, exceptional outdoor and indoor amenity spaces including media rooms, party rooms, sky terraces, BBQ areas and some of the most spectacular views in New Westminster!!

“VANCOUVER, B.C. – May 3, 2011 – Greater Vancouver saw a typical, solid month of residential home sales on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in April, in contrast to the near record pace witnessed in the two preceding months.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential property sales of detached, attached and apartment properties in Greater Vancouver reached 3,225 in April 2011, an 8.2 per cent decrease compared to the 3,512 sales in April 2010 and a 21 per cent decline compared to the 4,080 sales in March 2011…”

FOR FULL STATS PACKAGE CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW:

rebgv_statspackage_april2011

VANCOUVER, B.C. – April 4, 2011 - Activity in the Greater Vancouver housing market continued to strengthen in March with both the number of homes sold and added to the region’s Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) reaching near record levels.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential property sales of detached, attached and apartment properties in Greater Vancouver reached 4,080 in March 2011. This represents a 31.7 per cent increase compared to the 3,097 sales recorded in February 2011, an increase of 30.1 per cent compared to the 3,137 sales in March 2010 and an 80.1 per cent increase from the 2,265 home sales in March 2009. The all-time sales record for March occurred in 2004 when 4,371 transactions were recorded.

“Our market has had a very strong start to the spring season,” Rosario Setticasi, REBGV president said. “With home sales above 4,000 and nearly 7,000 home listings added to the MLS® in March, it’s clear that home buyers and sellers view this as a good time to be active in their local housing market.”

statsrelease_march2011

VANCOUVER, B.C. – March 2, 2011 – Demand for detached homes continues to be strong across Greater Vancouver, with particularly high sales volumes occurring in Richmond and Vancouver Westside.

For the past two months, the number of properties listed for sale and those sold on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in Greater Vancouver outpaced the 10-year average in both categories. From a historical perspective, February’s 3,097 homes sales outpace the 2,742 home-sale average recorded in the region over the last ten years.

“We saw an increase in demand across our region last month as more buyers entered the market in advance of the spring season,” said Jake Moldowan, president of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV). “The intensity of this activity varied between communities. Our statistics tell us that single detached homes in Richmond and the west side of Vancouver remain the most sought after properties in our marketplace.”

Between November 2010 and February 2011, the MLSLink® Housing Price Index (HPI) benchmark price of a detached home in Richmond increased $190,739 to $1,099,679; in Vancouver West, detached home prices increased $222,185 to $1,850,072. In comparison, detached home prices across the region increased $51,762 between November 2010 and February 2011 to $848,645.

“To effectively analyse real estate statistics for the purpose of buying or selling a home, it’s critical to focus on your neighbourhood of choice because, like we see today, conditions and prices can fluctuate significantly within the same city or municipality,” Moldowan said.

FOR FULL STATS PACKAGE CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW:

rebgv-stats-package-february-2011

• Reduce the maximum amortization period to 30 years from 35 years for new government-backed insured mortgages with loan-to-value ratios of more than 80 per cent. This will significantly reduce the total interest payments Canadian families make on their mortgages, allow Canadian families to build up equity in their homes more quickly, and help Canadians pay off their mortgages before they retire.
• Lower the maximum amount Canadians can borrow in refinancing their mortgages to 85 per cent from 90 per cent of the value of their homes. This will promote saving through home ownership and limit the repackaging of consumer debt into mortgages guaranteed by taxpayers.
• Withdraw government insurance backing on lines of credit secured by homes, such as home equity lines of credit, or HELOCs. This will ensure that risks associated with consumer debt products used to borrow funds unrelated to house purchases are managed by the financial institutions and not borne by taxpayers.

To read the full article go to http://www.fin.gc.ca/n11/11-003-eng.asp

Taken from the Department of Finance Canada, Ottawa, January 17, 2011
2011-003

VANCOUVER, B.C. – February 2, 2011 – The Greater Vancouver housing market remained in balanced market conditions in January, although higher levels of buyer demand were seen in some of the region’s largest communities.

The number of properties listed for sale and those sold on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) last month outpaced the 10-year average in both categories for January.

“There was a healthy balance between the number of home buyers and sellers in our market in January, but there’s always variation in activity from region to region,” said Jake Moldowan, president of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV). “We’re seeing strong sellers’ market conditions in areas like Richmond and the west side of Vancouver.”

Over the last 12 months, the MLSLink® Housing Price Index (HPI) benchmark price of detached homes increased 22.6 per cent in Richmond and 12.2 per cent in Vancouver West. In comparison, detached home prices across the region increased 2.7 per cent over the same period.

“When you’re looking to buy or sell a home, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the wider trends in the market. It’s equally important to seek out knowledge of your local area so you understand current market conditions in your neighbourhood,”

Moldowan said Looking across the region, the REBGV reports that residential property sales in Greater Vancouver reached 1,819 on the MLS® in January 2011. This represents a 4.2 per cent decline compared to the 1,899 sales recorded in December 2010, a decrease of 5.4 per cent compared to the 1,923 sales in January 2010 and a 138.7 per cent increase from the 762 home sales in January 2009.

Click on the link below for full Stats Package:

rebgv-stats-package-january-2011

VANCOUVER, B.C. – January 5, 2011 – The Greater Vancouver residential housing market entered three distinctive phases in 2010. Continued buoyancy from the post-recession recovery began the year, followed by a summer lull and, throughout the fall, a sustained period of stability.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that total sales of detached, attached and apartment properties in 2010 reached 30,595, a 14.2 per cent decrease from the 35,669 sales recorded in 2009, but a 24.2 per cent increase from the 24,626 residential sales in 2008. Last year’s number of housing sales was 10.3 per cent below the ten-year average for annual Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) sales in the region.

The number of residential properties listed for sale on the MLS® in Greater Vancouver increased 9.7 per cent in 2010 to 58,009 compared to the 52,869 properties listed in 2009. Compared to 2008, last year’s total represents a 7.3 per cent decline compared to the 62,561 residential properties listed in 2008. The number of properties added to the MLS® peaked in April and generally declined for the remainder of the year.

“The last two years have been a bit of a rollercoaster for the real estate market. However, sales over the past six months have definitely shown a trend toward stability. We think that’s good news for home buyers and sellers,” Jake Moldowan, REBGV president said. “The Greater Vancouver housing market experienced a modest increase in home prices in 2010, and a continual decrease in the number of properties being listed for sale.”

FOR FULL REAL ESTATE STATS PACKAGE CLICK BELOW:

rebgv_stats_package_december_2010

Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver Average Price Graph - January 1999 to December 2010