Are Fraser Institute School Rankings Reliable? Guest post contributed by Melissa Hyndes (former School Trustee and Board Chair of Coquitlam School District 43) It is disturbing to continually hear from new immigrants and International families that they have been referred to the Fraser Institute rankings of schools to help pick where they live and their … Read more
Understanding Your Current Market Property Value Want to know what the value of your home is? In British Columbia, homeowners often go to the BC Assessment web page and get the latest assessed valuation. B.C. Assessment information however, is strictly a base for real property taxation, although it is commonly misconstrued as the current market … Read more
BUYER BEWARE: Public Seminar 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, January 20th With a wealth of information available, it’s clear that today’s consumer is quite capable when it comes to buying a home. The irony is that smart people are still buying homes and having problems as a result of relying on much of the … Read more
Port Moody | Micro Vancouver There are good reasons why Vancouver consistently places in the top 20 best cities to live in, in the world. Renowned for its clean air, stunning natural beauty, access to culture and recreation, great beaches and friendly people it attracts people from all over the world as the ideal place … Read more
Port Moody Neighbourhood Profiles Many Canadians, and especially New Canadians, continue to choose the Tri-cities to make their family home. The factors to consider when making that decision, include the access to, schools, transit, amenities, shopping, recreation, hospital, and other services. We developed comprehensive Port Moody neighbourhood profiles in 2012 in collaboration with theV3H.com, Here … Read more
Written Proof of the Depreciation Report As a client looking to buy in a strata apartment or townhouse, I want to have for you written proof of the depreciation report; at least being well underway. Lawyers will always remind a buyer that if you’re seeking peace of mind then, “Get it in writing”! No report, … Read more
Privacy and Transparency in Strata Corporations One of the things we are constantly reminded of in the real estate industry is the importance of disclosure, and any move towards transparency is a big step providing it doesn’t compromise privacy. If you’ve been involved with financing or refinancing in the past year you’ll know communication seems … Read more
Being engaged in the Tri-cities is a requirement for being an effective local REALTOR®. Nothing saddens me more than seeing a new homeowner in a TV report decrying something that was practically discoverable, or even publicly known. My first thought is the buyer(s) obviously didn’t have a local REALTOR® to guide them, and I question, … Read more
Tri-cities 2011 Census Context My interest in the 2011 Canada Census is based on there often being context for my clients in the hyper-local Tri-cities real estate market in which I practice my profession. The Census is a statistical snapshot in time that allows me some personal abstractions (and liberties) for comparison. It was no … Read more
Tri-Cities Housing Mix Trend Continues Five years ago we learned that the inventory of Port Moody multi-family homes surpassed single detached homes. Using December 31, 2007, as a random benchmark, 47.2% of Port Moody’s 10,867 residential homes were multi-family. As at December 31, 2013, the total number of homes in Port Moody climbed to 12,477, … Read more