Quest for the Best: Fairview Edition  Neighbourhood Profile Fairview has long since been a popular place to reside for young families, professionals and older couples that have downsized and want to be closer to all the action. With three bridges to the downtown core (Granville, Burrard and Cambie street bridges) it is hard to find a place with better access to downtown without actually living downtown.  Fairview tends to offer more parks and green space then its downtown counterpart. The area is world renowned for its Granville Island Market.  Granville Islands strong artistic influence is felt by tourists and residents alike. With a bustling farmers market and fresh fish at the docks you will not go hungry here. The artistic influence of the area goes beyond food and crafts as strong ... 12/08/2010

One of my colleagues in the Mortgage Industry, Aleem Peermohamed, shared some great information with me today.  I'm blogging it for the benefit of everyone in the industry.  His full contact information is below. As widely anticipated, the Bank of Canada announced that it is maintaining its target for the overnight rate at 1%, and leaving prime @ 3.00%. Reports from sources inside the Bank of Canada confirm what forecasters have been saying since last week (indicated in my previous email to you), that the Bank does not plan on shifting prime until at least summer of 2011. This is good news for all of your clients who are currently in variable rate mortgage products, as well as for those of your prospects considering the variable option. Something that I thought I would share with you, e... 12/07/2010

Vancouver City Stagers - Together for a Great Cause!       A little while ago I wrote a post about a project we were working on in the downtown east side of Vancouver.  Basically, we decided as a group of home stagers, my company included, to transform a women's shelter, Sereena House, from a cold, stark building, to a place these women can feel comfortable in and call home.  Of course, this project took months of planning, and was spear-headed by Heather Kleim of Epic Empire Designs.  We rallied round behind Heather, to see how we could help.  First, the original floor was in terrible condition.  New flooring was donated and installed by Mira Floors.  Next, we were not happy with the cold, white walls.  Benjamin Moore came through by donating cans of paint, and Pierce O'Sullivan, a Nor... 12/06/2010

OH CHRISTMAS TREE, OH CHRISTMAS TREE I recently had the pleasure of helping out a fellow stager/decorator and friend, Lois North of Lois Interiors, decorate a Christmas tree for a very good cause.  Each year, the Sutton Place Hotel in downtown Vancouver hosts an event called Home for the Holidays.  This event showcases finely decorated Christmas trees, displayed in the hotel's lobby.  These trees are adorned by local design stores, interior decorators and home stagers.  The general public is encouraged to vote for their favourite tree, at a cost of $5 per vote, and all proceeds go to the Canuck Place Children's Hospice.  Lois' plan was to create a delicate, soft, very feminine tree using all white ornaments and flowers.  She spent hours beforehand, threading together crystal beads, whic... 12/05/2010

I just read a great article by Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation that should be circulated among all the channels.  Here we go: The promise of "easy money" in real estate can be hard to resist. But consumers who misrepresent information when buying or refinancing a home could end up holding the bag for any shortfall when the property is sold. If the misrepresentation is intentional, they could also be held criminally responsible as accomplices to mortgage fraud. The most common form of mortgage fraud, called straw buying, occurs when a con artist convinces someone with good credit to put their name on a mortgage application for a home that someone else will be buying, usually in return for the promise of a big payday. To protect your name, your credit and your family, Canada Mortgage ... 11/27/2010

I'd like to get all of your opinions about this.  The online giant Facebook recently announced and will unveil a messaging service called Messages, which combines (1) traditional e-mail, (2) instant messaging and (3) cell phone SMS text messages into one system - resulting in the routing of all messages to whichever service is best for each individual.  Facebook Messages, is goes without saying, is obviously esigned to draw more and mroe of their users' time to the social networking site itself, in an effort to build up appeal to advertisers, and so on.   Below are three features/results of this Messenger service.  Your input is welcome. 1. The "Like" button will become a universal opt-in. "Rather than requiring individuals to complete forms, the Facebook ‘Like' button will become a uni... 11/26/2010

Without further ado, here are some great ideas I found that should be shared with everyone.  Let me know if any of these work for you and/or if you can add a few more to the list. (1) Holiday Cards - I admit it, I can't wait for the mail to arrive during the holidays! I absolutely love receiving holidays cards and letters...especially if there are recent photos included! So don't forget to showcase your softer side and include your clients in your holiday card mailings! One of my favorite holiday card creators is Tiny Prints! (2) Digital Greetings - Oops you waited too long to send out those holiday cards! No worries! Rock your sphere with an online greeting! Animoto or JibJab are 2 solutions that will bring smiles and keep your clients "rockin' around the X-mas tree"! You can email the... 11/26/2010

Here's one good argument for the present Real Estate pricing in Great Vancouver: Changes required to provide affordable market rental and ownership homes In Metro Vancouver, 35% or 300,000 households are renters, the rental vacancy rate is low and 40,000 newcomers arrive each year looking for a place to call home. To accommodate them, about 6,500 new rental units are needed annually, according to Metro Vancouver. These include: · 5,000 units for households with annual incomes of less than $45,000; and • 1,500 units for households with incomes about $45,000.  But - and here's the catch - just 600 units are being built, a shortfall of 5,900 units each year. This is adding up to a rental shortage of crisis proportions. If newcomers want to buy a home, even a modest townhome in the Board ar... 11/25/2010

Investors and First-time buyers ask these questions all the time: 1. I'm buying a Condo in Downtown - where should I look?Since September, I've had an increasing number of inquiries for Coal Harbour.  My clients comment that proximity to the ocean cancels out the Georgia traffic noise, compared to the noise of Granville, Howe and Seymour, Nelson and Pacific street in Yaletown for example.  Most clients comment that most "leaky" condos were concentrated in the Yaletown area, with only a few in Coal Harbour/West End. 2. How easy is it to rent my Investment Condo in Coal Harbour VS Yaletown?Both communities have a Skytrain, but Yaletown boasts a station right in the middle of it.  Transportation is significant for renters, who often do not drive.  However, I've seen the majority of my cli... 11/25/2010

  East Vancouver Culture Crawl  - Don't miss it!   This November 26th, 27th, and 28th, 2010 are the dates set for this years 14th annual East Vancouver Culture Crawl. BRRR it's going to be a chilly one since the weatherman has predicted rain and snow for a low of 2 degrees and a high of 5 degrees Celsius. But it is well worth it! This fantastic event involves the opportunity to view artists work in their own studios. There are painters, sculptures, woodworkers, glassblowers, jewellers, print makers, photographers, fashion designers and so much more. All in a relatively small footprint. This years hours are Fri 5Pm to 10PM, Sat 11AM-6PM. The cost to get in is FREE, FREE, FREE, which is good because it's impossible to get through without finding many things you'll want to buy! For more de... 11/23/2010

The ideal candidate for a mortgage conversion would be someone who intends to continue occupying the property for at least the next 3 years (mortgages can be ported but it's tricky to get it right...and the interest per day charged can outweigh the logistics of doing this so therefore most people who move wind up with new mortgages).  When "Interest Rate Differentials" apply is when a client has a fixed rate mortgage at an interest rate higher than today's market rates, therefore a rate that is higher than what the bank can now sell the money for. These penalties typically render the conversion of the mortgage financially illogical unless the client has other logical reasons for incurring the penalty. Logical reasons I would summarize as the following: •·        Client wants to do a maj... 11/18/2010

The "Use What You've Got"... Method of Home Staging Vancouver   Don't want to spend a whole lot of money on rental furniture when selling your home?  If you're on a tight budget, our company, Exit Stage Right, is happy to use your existing furniture.  Will it always be perfect?  Probably not.  Will using your furniture, plus our accessory rental package, plus our expertise in furniture placement, plus our knowledge showcase your home to look its very best?   You bet!  It's amazing what can be achieved just by hanging some new art, adding colour through accessories, and creating better flow in rooms by rearranging or relocating furniture to other rooms.  Here are some before & after examples of a home we recently staged, using the home owner's existing furniture.  The only furniture we a... 11/06/2010

Social Media Training gets the most from Social Media Sites for helping your business get cooking!  And the Chef in Vancouver is no other than Philipp Fuhrmann from Pimientos Consulting (www.pimientos.ca)And our business, which sells and services SMB for business telephone systems from AVAYA and Samsung.  We also have been very busy helping the NORTEL clients from their distress. (www.tmsi.caWe have learned how to take advantage of Facebook for business, Twitter, Linkedin and a host of other up and coming Social Sites.  11/04/2010

My favorite few articles on Active Rain over the last week or so.  I like to give credit where it's due:Where do you get Your News? Mirela, thanks for sharing the great links for news.  I appreciate the transparency this community offers.  It's great not just to share our opinions but share the sources of these opinions, and bounces ideas off in an open community like this one.   Doing these things, our professions gain credibility and trust from the communities around us.  I'm looking forward to reading more from you and everyone else in this great group and others.  Jark. 3 Critical Reasons Contributing to High Rental Vacancies Nathan, thanks for the article.  I think you've addressed an important weak link in the system right now.  People are working with people, and the second landl... 11/04/2010

Don't buy real estate in Vancouver BC Before......by Geraldine Santiago www.vancouverhomes.info   Don't buy real estate in Vancouver BC before attending this home buying seminar!  Buying a home is one of the biggest financial investment one will make, financially and maybe even emotionally.  Whether you are a veteran or a novice, buying a home can be intimidating and worrisome.  Understanding the buying process can give you the confidence you need to make the right decisions. Geraldine Santiago, author of the Complete Home Buyer's Guide for Canadians" is written by an experienced real estate agent who specializes in working with first time home buyers.  The book is written in an easy-to-iunderstand manner, guiding the home buyer from obtaining financing to the final paperwork.   Seminar... 10/31/2010

A White Christmas - The Musical                     Christmas is right around the corner, and I'm dreaming of a wonderful event that's coming up.  The Arts Club Theatre Company is presenting the Irving Berlin musical, "White Christmas" at the Stanley Theatre on Granville Street in Vancouver.  The show runs December 4 - January 2nd.  This show sold out quickly last year, so if you're planning on booking tickets, do it quickly. Do you remember the 1954 movie, "White Christmas", with Bing Crosby, Danny Kay and Rosemary Clooney?  I remember watching this movie on t.v. when we were kids, close to Christmas time, and still enjoy watching it to this day.  Well, the musical follows this film and has some wonderful song and dance scenes.    Mark & Monique Why am I so pumped about this musical?  ... 10/31/2010

Open Air Art in Vancouver - The Vancouver Biennale As a home stager , I'm always on the lookout for good art.  My favourite pieces are the pieces that inspire and move me.  At the moment, I'm thrilled to remind locals and visitors alike of the wonderful works of art, dotted around our fair city currently until April 2011. This is the Vancouver Biennale and was organized for the Vancouver Olympic Games and beyond. There's no fee to view these works of art.  All you need is a bike, a ticket on the Canada Line and some good walking shoes (ok, and maybe, just maybe an umbrella)... These works of art have been supplied by various local and international artists, on temporary loan.  There is a map and a list of art installations at the Vancouver Biennale website.  There are 40 works of art by... 10/31/2010

Take a Ride on the Ghost Train - Stanley Park, Vancouver, B.C.   Looking for things to do this Halloween?  Look no further.  Take a ride on the wild side - take a ride on the Ghost Train! The Ghost Train in Stanley Park has been running for several years and each year seems to get better than the last.  This is a great event to participate in if you have small children, although older kids will have fun too.  Every year has a different theme, and this year it's Alice in Wonderland.  I was down in Stanley Park this afternoon, and took some photos to give you an idea of what's in store.  Imagine how much more spectacular this will look in the dark, all lit up.  Sinister, but in a fun way!  Once you've taken a ride on the Ghost Train, you can mosy over to the Haunted Farmyard petting zoo, ... 10/31/2010

Studio/Condo Home Staging in Vancouver - Before & After Photos   Exit Stage Right was recently called in to stage a charming studio/loft-style condo in downtown Vancouver.  Although just under 600 square feet, this condo was oozing with character.  It actually reminds me of something you'd find in Chicago, with the exposed brick walls. Studios are always a bit of a challenge, as the bedroom is open to the living space.  Do you try to hide this area, or embrace it.  Of course, it all depends on the layout of the condo, but in this instance we embraced the bedroom.  We created two zones, a quiet zone where you would sleep or work on the computer, and a living zone for entertaining and dining with friends. Going with the warm tones in the brick, we echoed the rust/orange tones in cushions ... 10/30/2010

This is a working article, and YOUR input is ESSENTIAL, below.  I've been doing some research about iPhones and Blackberries for weeks.  I've been a die-hard BlackBerry user for the last 3 years - and I've changed my ways - noticing that it's hard to adopt alternative technologies for BB users, among other reasons that become clear when you read the rest of this post. So, I've tried to be as objective as possible to get the best TOOL for my profession: Real Estate. The outcome of my search will be at the END of this short article because I dont want to bias anyone until they've read all of it. When you read commentary about iPhones and Blackberries they are either:(1) dated, or (2) based on very low-tech expectations, or (3) are simply not reflective a larger matrix of features that eac... 10/28/2010