Very rare opportunity to purchase a free hold parking spot in Yaletown. Stall 47 on P1 of Parkview Parkade. See details HERE Never worry about finding parking in Downtown again!
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Vancouver council votes to rezone most single-family areas for duplexes
Vancouver city council has voted 7-4 in favour to allow duplexes in 99 per cent of the city's low- density, single-family areas.
It was a move closely watched because allowing for duplexes is seen as a nod to a “quick-start action” that will pave the way for later allowing triplexes and multi-unit buildings in single-family neighbourhoods and is part of a broader program to increase housing options across the city. Vision Coun. Kerry Jang cast it as a “polemical debate” between “those who fear change and people saying they need a place to live.” It was the last major decision for Vision Vancouver, a party that has ruled for a decade, but will not have a council majority in the next term.
City hall veterans in Vancouver have long described changing single-family neighbourhoods as an issue that is basically to be avoided or untouchable because it can only lead to political ruin.
“There’s no doubt the idea of massive, blanket rezoning of single-family areas is very much a third rail. … There has always been something about keeping the sanctity of single-family zoning,” said former six-term councillor Gordon Price, heading into the evening portion of last night’s public hearing and ahead of knowing the evening’s outcome.
“The parameters of the housing crisis have changed and are changing,” he said. “You have to think about them and what has changed.”
He added, however, that with new supply coming on and a change in sales and prices and other aspects, “you have to sculpt a plan. The demand for consultation is real.” When the vote came late Wednesday, councillors Melissa De Genova, George Affleck, Elizabeth Ball and Adriane Carr opposed.
Councillors who opposed the mass rezoning said the process has been too rushed, with residents given too little time to consider the change.
NPA Coun. Hector Bremner said he supports duplexes as an integral part of middle-class neighbourhoods, but protested the “broken process.”
The NPA’s De Genova, who had tried and failed to have the issue deferred to the new council to be elected on Oct. 20, said she could not support a “one-size-fits-all” proposal.
“Density must be done neighbourhood to neighbourhood,” she said.
Carr, of the Greens, said there are too many outstanding questions, including whether the rezoning would make affordability better or worse.
But Vision’s Kerry Jang said the rezoning was designed to give people options. For example, people could split their home to make room for adult children, who can’t afford to live in Vancouver now.
“Our job as a city government is to provide as many options as possible so people can choose.”
Vision’s Raymond Louie called it “gentle densification.”
And Mayor Gregor Robertson said he supported the rezoning as a minor start to dealing with the terrible unaffordability.
“This is not a silver bullet; it is an important first step,” he said. “We’re going to take a lot more action in the years to come.”
“We have to deal with the fact that more than half of the City’s land base is zoned exclusively for single family homes – homes that are out of reach for the overwhelming majority of residents.”
He likened the impact of the duplex rezoning to the minor effect on neighbourhoods experienced after allowing laneway housing.
Earlier, as council listened to members of the public, they heard criticism of Vision Vancouver for pushing for what they called significant changes without enough discussion “on the eve of an election.”
“There is lots of transition,” in the housing market right now, said Joan Rush, a retired lawyer and west side resident Joan Rush. “Why don’t you wait and see what will happen.”
“There are already areas with duplexes,” said Ronald Hatch, a publisher who described himself as a longtime Vision Vancouver supporter, but one opposed to the rezoning. Instead of blanket zoning across the city, there could be pilot projects in areas where it makes sense, he said.
“We should do it with citizens being more involved,” said Mel Lehan. “I am for adding purpose-built rental and density in certain areas.”
The public hearing heard from 60 speakers over two days. Going into the second day, there were 306 letters against the motion, including two petitions, against 186 letters in support, including one with 50 signatures.
“It’s interesting. Vision Vancouver had a very lengthy run. We’ve had an incumbent party that has been working at the end to continue and go through a process of renewal,” said Stewart Prest, instructor of political science at Simon Fraser University and Douglas College.
“They were trying to re-engage in the form of developing their housing strategy and the crisis broke to the forefront. It was a big change from when no one was talking about it to them being overtaken by it.”
He said a heated discussion about housing has altered former partisan lines.
“The 50,000-ft view is that housing broke the party system in Vancouver, along with financing changes that have allowed for more voices to join.”Now, said Prest, there is a new spectrum of “urbanist” and “conservationist” parties, and there are many more diverse speakers in the discussion for and against opening single-family areas to greater density.
“Ongoing awareness of affordability issues has shaken things loose.”
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Tuesday, 18 September 2018
Canadian housing market increase slowed in August but sales are still up overall
OTTAWA – Canada’s housing market rebound appears to be slowing amid diminishing increases in national home sales, says the Canadian Real Estate Association.
The organization said on Monday that home sales saw their fourth consecutive increase in August, rising 0.9 per cent month-over-month to 39,366 from 39,028 and coming as roughly half of all local markets saw a month-over-month uptick.
However, August home sales simultaneously experienced a 3.8 per cent non-seasonally-adjusted year-over-year drop.
CREA attributed the drop to “major declines” in British Columbia real estate and stricter mortgage regulations that came into effect at the start of the year.
“Improving national home sales activity in recent months continues to obscure significant differences in regional trends for home sales and prices,” said Gregory Klump, CREA’s chief economist. “Moreover, recent monthly sales increases are diminishing, which suggests the recent rebound may be starting to lose steam.”
Economists said the slowdown signals a shift away from the “wild swings” the real estate market saw in recent years as prices and demand for homes skyrocketed, often causing a frenzied pace for sales.
TD Economics economist Rishi Sondhi said, “While one month of data hardly makes a trend, August’s performance could be a sign that the worst is over for the province.
Meanwhile, BMO Capital Markets chief economist Douglas Porter called the housing market “a bit of a yawner, neither drastically hot nor desperately cold” in his note to investors.
“The outward calm masks some still-serious regional shifts beneath the placid surface,” he said, noting that measures aimed at cooling the B.C. market have resulted in some of the biggest sales declines in the country.
The Greater Vancouver Area saw a 36.7 per cent year-over-year non-seasonally-adjusted decrease in sales activity, while Fraser Valley and Victoria saw 39.5 per cent and 17.6 per cent drops respectively, according to CREA.
The Greater Toronto Area was faring better and continuing to stabilize, Porter said.
GTA home sales rose 7.6 per cent year-over-year to 6,839 in August from 6,357 the year before. The region also saw a 2.2 per cent increase in homes sold month-over-month.
“Toronto is very close to having a ‘normal’ market at this point,” said Porter. “Policymakers could not have asked for a better outcome, achieving the proverbial soft landing – at least so far.”
The conditions caused CREA to forecast that 462,900 homes will be sold in the country this year, a 9.8 per cent drop from last year’s forecast of 513,280 homes. Looking ahead to 2019, CREA said it expects to see 472,700 homes change hands.
CREA also noted that between July and August the number of newly-listed homes was unchanged, hovering around 69,000.
It said the slight uptick in sales and the lack of new home listings pushed the Multiple Listing Service home price index up 2.5 per cent year-over-year.
The disparity between the two numbers also caused the sales-to-new listings ratio to increase to 56.6 per cent in August from 56.2 per cent the month before.
This communication is not intended to induce breach of existing listing agreement.
Monday, 17 September 2018
NEW DEVELOPMENT - BROOKLYN IN KELOWNA!!!
It's called Brooklyn at Bernard Block and it is the latest downtown condominium tower to be announced in Kelowna's highrise boom."Downtown is no longer emerging, it has arrived," said Luke Turri of Mission Group, the developer behind the proposed 25-storey Brooklyn on the former Bargain Shop site at the corner of Bernard Avenue and St. Paul Street.
"Brooklyn will be phase one of three. The other two highrises will front Bernard Avenue. But we're treating it all as one site and planning for all condos to have great views."Brooklyn will be what Turri refers to as "attainable downtown highrise living."All of the one-bedroom, one-bedroom-with-den and two-bedroom units will be under 1,000 square feet and have more entry-level fixtures and finishings.That will keep the price down so condo prices can start in the $300,000s and be affordable to some first-time and move-up home buyers. As well, Brooklyn is zoned for short-term rentals, so, if they want, owners can rent them out when they are away from home.The first five floors of Brooklyn will be parking hidden behind a facade that includes retail at street level.The design not only provides necessary parking in a carefully concealed manner, but means even condos at the lowest level on the sixth floor will have views.
Are you interested to live or invest in Kelowna???
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Thanksgiving Traditions and Decoration Ideas
Thanksgiving Traditions
In many American households, the Thanksgiving celebration has lost much of its original religious significance; instead, it now centers on cooking and sharing a bountiful meal with family and friends. Turkey, a Thanksgiving staple so ubiquitous it has become all but synonymous with the holiday, may or may not have been on offer when the Pilgrims hosted the inaugural feast in 1621. Today, however, nearly 90 percent of Americans eat the bird—whether roasted, baked or deep-fried—on Thanksgiving, according to the National Turkey Federation. Other traditional foods include stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. Volunteering is a common Thanksgiving Day activity, and communities often hold food drives and host free dinners for the less fortunate.
Parades have also become an integral part of the holiday in cities and towns across the United States. Presented by Macy’s department store since 1924, New York City’s Thanksgiving Day parade is the largest and most famous, attracting some 2 to 3 million spectators along its 2.5-mile route and drawing an enormous television audience. It typically features marching bands, performers, elaborate floats conveying various celebrities and giant balloons shaped like cartoon characters.
Beginning in the mid-20th century and perhaps even earlier, the president of the United States has “pardoned” one or two Thanksgiving turkeys each year, sparing the birds from slaughter and sending them to a farm for retirement. A number of U.S. governors also perform the annual turkey pardoning ritual.
As Thanksgiving Day is coming soon there is a collection of pictures you may like to decorate your own Thanksgiving!
Are you interested in selling or buying your home in the next few months? Work with award winning realtor, Carmen Leal and her team that specialize in Real Estate Vancouver and have qualified Buyers that are looking for a home in your area! 604.218.4846 &www.carmenleal.ca
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Friday, 14 September 2018
The Grande at Suter Brooke: Final Tower Coming Soon!
