Tuesday, 8 March 2016

Wednesday, 2 March 2016

How To… Choose the Right Neighbourhood for You.


How To… Choose the Right Neighbourhood for You While budget is paramount, you also need to take your lifestyle into consideration  - 


Pre-approved and ready to purchase? Now how to decide where to buy in Metro Vancouver?
 Budget will be a large factor in choosing your neighbourhood. As of February 2016, the average cost for an apartment in Vancouver is $875 per square foot, whereas in New Westminster an average apartment is $475 per square foot, and Surrey is significantly lower at $350 per square foot. 
Although all three cities have access to rapid transit, each provides a unique set of amenities and lifestyle.  And within each city, neighbourhoods vary greatly in price and lifestyle. Marpole and the up-and-coming River District in south Vancouver, for example, have not yet reached price levels compared to the rest of Vancouver. These neighbourhoods offer more per square foot compared to condos closer to the downtown core.
Where you rent and work may not be where you can afford to buy so, in addition to cost, it is very important to consider the benefits of each neighbourhood in relation to your lifestyle, especially when considering a condo as a long-term housing option.

What to consider when making your purchasing decision

To help narrow down the choices, look beyond today, and anticipate your lifestyle needs for the next five to 10 years. Considerations might include:
  • Urban versus suburban? How and where do you like to spend your free time? Is noise a factor? City centres or proximity to transit corridors will be noisier.
  • Transportation. If you commute, transportation will affect your time and your cost of living. Does the municipality you are looking at have access to rapid transit? Are there plans in place to add to transit? It’s a good idea to check with a city’s planning department.
  • Condo amenities. When living in smaller spaces, amenities become more important. New developments often include a variety of communal spaces such as a yoga room, a communal barbecue on a roof-top deck, concierge services, and more. Be sure to compare amenities with strata fees for built-in costs.
  • Municipal amenities. Schools, parks, recreation centres, and restaurants – think about your lifestyle, and what a community has to offer. Do you prefer to shop without a car? Is parking a concern? Will you need schools nearby or is restaurant choice important?
  • Liveability. Consider walkability, cycling paths, and how close are you to your friends and family.
  • Culture. Do you like an artsy neighbourhood, or one with a little more grit? Neighbourhoods and condominium developments themselves all offer unique environments and should be explored before purchasing.
Anticipating your lifestyle and needs and understanding the real estate market will help narrow down your choice of neighbourhoods.  On Wednesday, March 2, the GVHBA’s 22nd annual Home Buyer Seminar will feature industry experts sharing personal advice on all topics of the home-buying process, including a market overview, mortgage choices, and strata obligations, to name a few. This free event is an excellent opportunity to gather market statistics to help with your purchasing needs. 


Are you interested in selling 
your home in the next few months?

Work with award winning realtor, Carmen Leal and her 
team that specialize in Real Estate Downtown Vancouver,

and qualified Buyers that are looking for a home in your area! 
contact carmen to list your home today! 
Get a hold of Carmen directly at 604.218.4846 
or email carmen@carmenleal.ca to arrange an appointment.




Yours, 

Carmen Leal 
Personal Real Estate Corporation
carmen@carmenleal.ca
604-218-4846



Sunday, 28 February 2016

Live Vancouver | Carmen Leal | 604.218.4846 | www.CarmenLeal.ca











Live Yaletown-Live Coal Harbour-Live Gastown



Are you interested in selling

your home in the next few months?

Work with award winning realtor, Carmen Leal and her

team that specialize in Real Estate Downtown Vancouver,

and qualified Buyers that are looking for a home in your area!

contact carmen to list your home today!

Get a hold of Carmen directly at 604.218.4846

or email carmen@carmenleal.ca to arrange an appointment



Thursday, 18 February 2016

Property Transfer Tax Changes: Newly Built Home Exemption





Property Transfer Tax Changes

1. There are no changes to the first time home buyer exemption limits;
2. All buyers (whether first time buyers or not) no longer pay PTT on purchases of NEW homes up to $750,000 in value; note the buyer must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident; there is a partial exemption for homes between $750,000.00 and $800,000.00;
3. PTT has changed so that there is now a 3% tax on amounts over $2,000,000.00. The 3% tax is only paid on the amount over $2,000,000.00, not the full price.
Who is looking to buy some presale condos?! I am now
Here is some more information -




If you have further questions please contact Carmen at 604-218-4846 or send an email to carmen@carmenleal.ca


Yours,
Carmen Leal Personal Real Estate Corporation
www.carmenleal.ca
604.218.4846









Tuesday, 16 February 2016

Blue Mountain Estates | Carmen Leal 604.218.4846 - 360hometours.ca

50% SOLD!!!!!  



Get a unit in this amazing project. Won't last!!!!!  

Contact Carmen Leal @ 604-218-4846 for more details.









Wednesday, 10 February 2016

Carmen Leal- Vancouver Real Estate: Carmen Presents.... Market Update February 2016

Carmen Leal- Vancouver Real Estate: Carmen Presents.... Market Update February 2016:   February 2016        English    |     中文(简体) Strata fees: How much is enough? Inadequate contingency funds,...

Carmen Presents.... Market Update February 2016


header
 

February 2016

   

Strata fees: How much is enough?

Inadequate contingency funds, depreciation reports often set owners up for big surprises
Making sense of condominium strata fees - what is reasonable? what is too little? - is a growing challenge.
Lawyers, industry associations and owners are grappling with such questions at a time when high real estate costs already mean scant disposable income for most households.

January 2016 Real Estate Reports

Click below to find the benchmark price for condos, townhomes and houses in your area last month.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Surrey leads single-family home construction growth

Pace of residential and commercial development in Surrey outstrips that of Vancouver
The City of Surrey is now leading the way in new single-family detached home construction in the Lower Mainland, according to BC Assessment data released last week.
There were approximately 83,600 new homes built in Surrey in 2015 compared with Vancouver's roughly 81,000.Surrey also surpassed Vancouver in all types of new properties being built, including strata, single-family detached homes and commercial/industrial properties.
The only municipality to outpace Surrey in terms of overall new property growth was Burnaby.

Co-ownership of homes increasing in Vancouver due to surging real estate prices

With housing prices in Metro Vancouver flying ever-further out of reach for local incomes, real estate professionals say an increasing number of families are pooling resources to get into the market.
Co-ownership - facilitated by the so-called "mixer mortgages" promoted by banks and credit unions such as VanCity - allows families or friends to own and live in the same residence.
Co-ownership is not new in Vancouver. But with average detached home prices surging to $2.5 million and "runaway" prices increasingly "divorced" from local incomes as Mayor Gregor Robertson said this week, it makes sense that more people are reportedly looking at these financing arrangements.
   


Real Estate News

Lower Mainland News

Whistler News

Victoria & Vancouver Island News

Okanagan News




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