GOOD NEWS

Must see!!! Old Vancouver--always a Beautiful City

2012-01-26T12:57:00.000-08:00

Please click the picture to see the youtube video. Enjoy viewing :)

OPEN HOUSE January 14, 2012 from 1-3

2012-01-08T22:39:00.000-08:00

14 BEGBIE NEW WESTMINSTER

Beautiful large 1 bdrm ( 741 sq. ft plus huge balcony) with fabulous unobstructive water view and city view. Upgraded engineered wood flooring. Modern stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, insuite laundry & insuite storage. Enjoy the modern living at Inter Urban and steps away to Skytrain & shopping. No HST. 1 dog or cat allowed. Open House Jan. 14 & 15. Sat/Sun 1-3.

Musical Show--my new entertainment!

2011-12-29T15:56:00.000-08:00

I found a new hobby. I am enjoying the holidays by watching a live musical show. I always drive by Granville Street and like everyone, I'm always curious of what's showing at Stanley Theatre (Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage) on Granville/12th. One rainy night, I decided to buy a ticket and watch the musical show,"White Christmas"as my Christmas treat for myself. Wow! I had a blast and I think it's a good way to relax your mind and enjoy the live music instead of listening to cd or watch TV. The second night, I went to Granville Island and watched the Blood Brothers and the story was not Christmasy however, being at that theatre made me experienced and appreciated that I live in a beautiful Province and that we have such talented people who can sing and act. And no matter what's the story, it makes me forget my state of chaos mind and engulf myself by being in the moment.

Yes, I am happy to tell you especially for the new comers in Vancouver that we are bless to be in a beautiful city and that the city has so many things to offer even during the fall/winter season.

As a supporter of the Arts and for January 2012 promotion, I would like to share with you how wonderful it is to be at a live musical/theatre show by giving you a Complimentary Season Ticket Package when you buy or sell real estate with my service. Please mention this promotion when you contact me @ 778.837.3617 or email gracebrewster@telus.net .

Updates!

2011-12-14T14:14:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile sinceI visited my blog page. I hope everybody is ready for the Holidays. In the past 6 months, there were so many good things that happened to me. The market was good for me and I expect to double or triple my business in 2012! I also became the VP of the local association which has 100's of members, family and friends who are enjoying the group (http://www.ciabc.org/). After finishing my Managing/Associate Broker Course, I am scheduled to write my Broker license very soon.

In addition, I also took some Commercial Real Estate professional development courses offered by the real estate board recently and combined with my other professional development credits, I am excited to expand my experience in commercial area. As an investor myself, I love knowing the jargons and all the investment numbers like feasilibility studies, single and multi-period analysis (not to mention it was also in the Broker Course). It will be a great asset to help others to invest from one unit to multi-family. I have all the patience to help my clients from start to finish. I used to give free first time buyers seminars, so why not expand it to multi-family or joint venture and work with investors. Effective January 2012, I will be a Candidate Member of the Commercial Division and in order for me to get the full membership, I need to complete a total of 10 qualifying Commercial transactions or $10M qualifying transactions.

I'm also thankful to meet a good CGA who can help us with the investment tax area. His info is Geoff Carter of Carter's Accounting Services 778-840-1741 email caraserv@shaw.ca

Anyway, those are my short term goals. What are your goals for the New Year?

I think when we love what we do, there is no dull moment and success is the only choice! Please contact me if you have any questions with any of residential or commercial listings. Me and my collegues in the mortgage industry will also be glad to help you with your residential and commercial mortgage. My direct email is gracebrewster@telus.net . Thank you for reading! Happy Holidays Everyone!

New Listing at the West End

2011-07-05T10:17:00.000-07:00

Available now! Admiral Point Building located at 703-1838 Nelson Street. Steps to English Bay, shopping and entertainment. Freehold rainscreened building with 10 years warranty. Enjoy the view of English Bay! Stay in for BBQ and a relaxing afternoon on your balcony or simply go out and enjoy your dinner at any restaurants and go for a walk or pick your favorite bench and watch the Bay. City & Nature lifestyles blend together. Come live here with your pets. 2 bedroom & 1 bathroom. 786 sq. ft with a good size diningroom to entertain your family and friends.

Helping you is what we do!

2011-06-16T22:56:00.000-07:00

WHY DO YOU NEED A REALTOR?

New Sub-Areas Boundaries in False Creek

2011-06-16T19:25:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, June 16, new sub-area boundaries were implemented for the False Creek area of downtown Vancouver. Specifically, the ‘False Creek North’ sub-area will be expanded and renamed ‘Yaletown,’ and the ‘False Creek’ sub-area will be expanded to include the area around Olympic Village.

These changes are the result of a series of consultations with Vancouver Westside Division members. They are intended to provide a more accurate representation of the boundaries of these neighbourhoods and a more current reference for the name of the Yaletown sub-area.
Anyone using automatic searches in these sub-areas on MLXchange will need to adjust their settings to continue to receive the search results that they are looking for.

The Board will also upload the authenticated tax rolls for 2011 into MLXchange on June 16. This update ensures that MLXchange is using the most current property assessment information available.

See the MAP:

http://members.rebgv.org/realtorlink/rebgv/publications/RLzine/RL_june172011/files/Yaletown_FalseCreek.pdf

Source: Real Estate Board of Greater Vacouver

Pre-Sales

2011-06-06T13:13:00.000-07:00

Do you want to invest? I just received an email from a New Development. There are 2 pre-sales with only 5% down. Normally, 20% down when you buy pre-sale. One in Coquitlam/Burnaby area and the other one is in Vancouver West. It won't last long, so contact me and use my free buyers service.

Pre-Sale contract is very complicated. You need to be protected. Call me!

For Investment of First Time Buyer. This is an opportunity you don't like to miss!

Example: Junior 1 bedroom asking 250K. Downpayment is $12,500.

No downpayment, but with good income? We also have zero down with a rate of 5.39% as of today. Means the bank will lend you 5% downpayment and they give you 95% mortgage.

As A BUYER, to use my REALTOR service is free!!!

I will help you from start to finish! http://www.gracebrewster.com/

Better than Netflix

2011-04-30T12:19:00.000-07:00

I found this link to access almost all over the world channels and movies for
a one time fee and no more monthly TV bills.

http://marybrewst.etvcorp.hop.clickbank.net/?

6 Brilliant Property Tips on Researching a Development Site

2011-04-04T23:37:00.000-07:00

I'm almost halfway to my managing broker course book and the book mentioned something about feasibility. I thought to share with you the email I got from Carly Crutchfield, the founder of CCORP Australia. Hi Grace, I hope you have been enjoying the bloody brilliant series so far, this week we look at part 3 of Site Analysis. So far we have covered topics such as council, titles, easements, caveats, DAs, town planners, architects, other professionals and consultants, environmental impacts, fact sheets & site coverage. This week I am going to cover sales comparables, real estate agents, demographics, building inspections, due diligence & what next. We will also look at a client case study too. Sales ComparablesOnce you get an idea of WHAT you can build on the property, you need to work out what the end retail value (ERV) will be. If you are building ten units you want to know what each of the ten will sell for. If the ten units are broken up into 1, 2, and 3 bedrooms then you need specifics of potential sales prices for each so you get an accurate ERV. You will need to check the local area to get actual comparable evidence on what similar properties are actually selling for.You want to know what sales are actually being achieved. RP data is a great source for this information. There are actually a few websites out there that can provide this sort of information, I just use RP Data myself. Sometimes it is very up to date, sometimes its not so up to date. So just hunt around and find which website works for you. If you are not ready for a membership then just pay for reports as you go for now, if you do want membership call our office and they can help you out.Real Estate AgentsAsk real estate agents for any information that they have on sales comparables. Ask what recent sales they have made of properties that are similar to what you are looking to develop. Some of the questions you would want to ask a local real estate agent: What will the market buy these properties for? What could you sell them for? Would the local market buy this sort of property? What sort of properties would the market like to see? Do you have a shortage of any sort of property? What would be a good price point for such properties? How much demand is their? How long would it talk to sell? Market Research As you can see from the above questions, the sales price is very much about the local market – what do they need and want. If you can find the real answers to this you can build something that is needed and wanted and will sell. Here is a list of some questions which can help you get to know the neighbourhood: What is the median price for dwellings in the area? What is the average square meter size per dwelling? What is the predominant demographic in the area? What is the average population? Is there a predominant culture or race? Are there local schools? Is there easy access to transport; trains, buses etc? What other developments have been done in the local area? Are they selling, or sitting there unsold? Is there shopping centers in the area? Are there childcare facilities? Is there entertainment available in the area? Is there transport to the city close by? Are there many convenience stores? Are there parks in the area? What is the future planned infrastructure for the area? Is there a local clubhouse? What are the potential negative things in the area? (such as noise, factories, jails etc) You can get answers to these by talking to local council, agents, and residents. You can also access statistics and information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.www.abs.gov.au DemographicsWhen you look at these reports also get a view on the demographics of the local market. This helps you decide and design the style and size of the properties. Different age groups, income levels, etc will expect a different property product. Families for instance will probably want easy access for prams, more living space, extra bedrooms, outdoor space and laundries. Students will not necessarily demand all those things in a property and neither would young professionals. Here are some different demographic groups to know about: Couples Singles Professionals Young Couples Retired Families Students Young Families Grown Families Low Income Earners High Income Earners Due DiligenceOnce you gather all this information it can really help to compile it all together into a format that is easy to assess and understand. If you have files and charts and spreadsheets everywhere it can be hard to get a unified view of the potential development, a report makes it much easier to analyse the relevant information.In property development such a report is called a Due Dilligence Report or DDR. At stage two we start to form our DDR after we have done our research as above. Then when we move onto feasibility in the next stage you will be gather all the financials, which you also add to the DDR to help complete the report. A great example of someone who used local information, did research on the market and future infrastructure and found out what was needed in the area is a client of mine, Sam. Case Study: Sam Location: Drummond Cove, WATime: July 2009 to October 2011 Description: 3 residential blocks, 654m2 each - next to each other. Building one at a time Profit: $350,000 The story: Sam and her husband were looking for a development site and had done many, many feasos but nothing was stacking up. They decided to change tactic and focus on one area. They heard about the Oakajee Port project in Geraldton, WA. From this they decided to research the Drummond Cove area – they looked at factors such as medium house price, rental returns, houses for sale, proximity to the soon to be constructed Oakajee Port development. The Oakajee Port development has received a huge impetus recently with a joint federal/state government grant of greater than $600 million. Sam focused on an area that had future infrastructure plans and looked at what was needed in the area which then allowed her to create a successful development. Feasibility: She found an estate that had a few blocks for sale and purchased 3 blocks together for $300,000. She did not have to subdivide and set about doing a detailed feasibility. She consulted with builders, architects and other consultants and after doing a feasibility, it showed a margin on development cost (profit) of 27.28%. Construction costs all up were $750,000, $250k per house. Finance: Sam had difficulty getting bank finance so she decided to do one block at a time. Sam got 60% bank finance and she had to wait 12 months to get it approved. By 12 months, the land value had increased which meant that she was able to get the full amount for construction of the second house. Research: Like a lot of my clients, Sam had been doing a lot of feasibilities on possible developments and was finding it difficult to find a site. One of the most common successful solutions to this is to focus on one area and research it well. I have had many clients tell me when they finished a development that it wasn’t until they decided to focus on one area that they then found a profitable site. Sam decided to focus on Drummond Cove near the new proposed Oakajee Port project. She used RP Data & Real Estate Investar (you can get membership to both these services through CCORP) to find out information on the area and also speaking to local real estate agents and local builders. Challenges: “When we focused on our chosen area finding the site was relatively easy, but when we were looking state wide it was a bit overwhelming and sometimes disheartening.” Favourite part: “I was thrilled to finally get my construction finance approved. However, to date my favourite part has been seeing the house under construction and knowing that it will be complete in a few months.” Project Management: Sam put this whole project together herself. She doesn’t have a project manager and is managing this herself so she is heavily involved in the progress of it. Motivation: “Nothing motivates me more than a lack of cash flow and not wanting to go back to my old job, working 50-60 hours per week!” Sam also can’t wait to “pay off our mortgage and my husband will be able to retire. Also, being able to work from home and be with my kids more.” oOo Record Your ResearchYou may not end up going ahead with the property, but keeping the research could be a good idea – the property could end up on the market for a long time and go down in price, it could end up selling but come on the market again in the future. In fact that’s exactly what happened to me on a property I developed in Blaxland in NSW. More than 5 years ago myself and another developer were going to buy a house on big block and develop it into several houses. We were looking to purchase for $660k. The day we were about to sign contracts another buyer offered over $800k and we lost the deal. I thought “Ce la vie, that’s the property world”…well I may have also thrown a stapler at the wall and kicked my desk. I couldn’t understand how it could have been purchased for that price as my research showed that was too expensive, but you never know the angle someone else might be looking at. In 2009 I heard the property was back on the market, luckily I had kept all my research and information on the property and I was able to just re-open the file and update my fact sheet. I bought the property for $500k and developed it as a joint venture with 4 other partners. SummaryThe best way to understand this information is to apply it. Instead of just reading this section each month, why don’t you follow me through the next few emails by applying the information each month as we go. If you started looking for potential sites as a result as one of the last emails, now research that property using the above checklists and techniques. You have a few weeks to get all the research together and in the next few emails I will show you how to do the numbers and get down to the bottom line as we move on to Stage 3 of Property Development – Financial Feasibility. CheersCarly

Vancouver Homes continue to rise

2011-03-08T11:33:00.001-08:00

Despite record prices, home sales in British Columbia will rise seven per cent this year compared to the last, according to a forecast report by a lender in the province.

Central 1 Credit Union said home prices will set a new record in 2011, with the median rising three per cent from last year to reach $402,000. Prices rose six per cent between 2010 and 2011. The forecast said the median will also rise one per cent in 2012, then four per cent in 2013.

Despite the uptick in sales from last year, the volume will remain below the peak levels seen between 2002-2007, said Central 1 economist and report author Bryan Yu. “Low but rising interest rates and tighter mortgage insurance rules will restrict sales for the next few years,” he said.

In the next couple of years, the lure of Vancouver pulling in new residents will slow, according to the report, with population rising 1.6 per cent this year and the next, then 1.4 per cent in 2013. International immigration will continue to rise over this time period, but it won’t be enough to offset interprovincial movement, especially to Alberta, said the report.

The biggest price gains this year will be in the Lower Mainland/Southwest, said the report, with a four per cent rise in the median in 2011, already coming off a nine per cent gain last year. Over the next three years, Cariboo and the North Coast will both see consecutive steady increases in median price, said the report.

Yu said the posted five-year fixed-term mortgage rates will range from an average 5.4 per cent in the first quarter to 5.9 per cent by the end of this year.

In terms of sales, multi-family home sales are expected to lead growth over the forecast period, especially in Metro Vancouver and the Capital region.

“In these regions, apartment condominiums comprise a more substantive component of the market, reflective of their relative affordability compared to single detached homes and proximity to transit hubs and amenities,” said the report.

By next year, there will be a renewed demand in recreational and retirement properties in the province as well, said the report.

Source from: mortgagebrokernews.ca

Rising Interest Rates Could Trigger Housing Market Collapse

2011-02-08T11:21:00.001-08:00

Friday, 4 February 2011

Rising interest rates later this year could trigger Canada’s housing market to collapse, according to a new report by Capital Economics.

This is a sharp departure from most other forecasts that see 2011 as a steady year for housing. Capital Economics calculated Canadian home prices falling by about 25 per cent to even as much as 35 per cent over the next three years as the Bank of Canada starts to tighten its monetary policy.

Many predict the central bank to push the interest rate up to two per cent by the end of the year from its current one per cent mark, and that it’ll return to the 3.5 per cent normal level by the end of 2012.

Source: mortgagebrokernews.ca

“Even small rises in official interest rates have been shown to have a big effect on homeowner confidence in other countries under similar circumstances,” Capital Economics chief Canadian economist David Madani told The Canadian Press. “If the Bank of Canada does resume its monetary tightening this year, this could easily prove to be a tipping point for a house price collapse.”

If prices did decrease by 35 per cent, the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) could suffer losses of $10 billion as about 10 per cent of higher risk mortgages default.
Meanwhile, for the week of Mon. Feb. 7, TD, CIBC and RBC all raised their special mortgage rates

CAAMP says mortgage fears are exaggerated

2011-01-20T22:31:00.000-08:00

A new study released by CAAMP concludes that very few Canadians face unaffordable increases in mortgage costs and Canadian lending criteria are already tight.

The report entitled, “Revisiting the Canadian Mortgage Market – The Risk is Minimal” states that “lenders and borrowers have been highly prudent in the mortgage market … and a vast majority of borrowers have left themselves considerable room to absorb increases in interest rates.”

The study said 79 per cent of mortgages are fixed rate and mostly for terms of five years or longer, leaving 21 per cent of borrowers with variable rates and more exposure to changes in interest rates. The study was based on about 59,000 mortgage loans (excluding renewals or refinances of existing mortgages) totaling just under $16 billion, which were funded during 2010, which represents about one-quarter of the total mortgage activity.

The study reported that the average gross debt service (GDS) ratio was 19.6 per cent, well below typical lender standards of 32 or 35 per cent used to qualify borrowers. The average total debt service (TDS) was 28.9 per cent, still well below the 45 per cent lender standard.

For fixed rate mortgages the GDS was 22. 5 per cent and the TDS was 32.5 per cent.

According to the report a 2.5 per cent rise in interest rates for variable mortgages would see the average GDS would increase to 24.6 per cent and the average TDS would increase to 33.7 per cent. CAAMP’s research indicates that of the mortgages funded in 2010, only 800 to 950 would exceed the 45 per cent TDS ratio.

For fixed rate mortgages, a one per cent increase in interest rates would increase the average GDS to 22.5 per cent and the average TDS to 32.5 per cent and less than one per cent (1,000 to 1,350) would have TDS ratios of more than 45 per cent.

The Association also found that among the high ratio loans approved in 2010 – with the reduced amortization period (30 years versus the prior 35 year limit), a small minority (about 2 per cent) would have TDS ratios above 45 per cent and those loans would probably not qualify. Some of those consumers would still be able to buy, by buying lower priced homes.

The report cited job loss or reduced income as the main reason for mortgage defaults, saying that “Unaffordable premium increases are a negligible risk factor at present and in the near-to-medium term future.”

A third cause is unaffordable increases in mortgage payments, something that caused difficulty in the U.S. as low introductory rates were replaced by market rates and payments that rose substantially. Stated the report “But this third category of risk is the source of recent concerns about future threats. This study concludes that very few Canadians face unaffordable increases in mortgage costs.”

Source: mortgagebrokernews.ca

Should You Buy a Home in 2011?

2011-01-12T15:23:00.000-08:00

Posted on January 10, 2011

Attractive mortgage rates lured more home buyers into the market in 2010. Doom and gloom predictions brought on by the HST, tighter mortgage rules and projected interest rate increases failed to materialize. While not all housing markets experienced the best of times, overall, real estate investors didn’t experience the free fall that many had feared.What are forecasters predicting in 2011?

Real Estate OrganizationsThe very nature of real estate organizations tends to favour more optimistic housing forecasts. According to a report by a national real estate sales brand and reported by the Globe and Mail, mid-size cities will see positive housing sales activity in 2011, led by Winnipeg.The Canadian Real Estate Organization (CREA) predicted in June, 2010 that this year’s home sales activity will decline slightly – dragged down by Ontario and B.C.

However, it also predicts modest housing price increases for all except these provinces. The downside of rising prices, says CREA, is that many potential buyers will be priced out of the market. Home sellers in smaller markets may benefit from the migration of buyers from expensive urban centres to more affordable neighborhoods.Financial InstitutionsTD Bank changed its forecast mid-way through last year from predicting a 1.7 percent gain in home prices to a 2.7 percent decline. Its report concurred with that of CREA, suggesting Ontario and B.C. prices would see the greatest declines.

In late December, TD adjusted its forecast again – issuing a more rosy outlook for 2011 and a decline in resale home prices of less than 1 percent.Last month, Scotiabank Global Real Estate Trends listed Canada as one of the best-performing real estate markets in its study of twelve advanced nations in 2010. The report also suggests that global economies are showing signs of stabilizing. The report predicts a flattening of Canadian home prices in the coming year; attempts by public sector agencies at fiscal restraint, combined with the burden of consumer debt, will dampen employment and discretional spending among Canadians.Beyond 2011While forecasters agree that borrowing rates are likely to remain low – at least until mid 2011, rate hikes are inevitable as the global economy wakes up – and it’s already twitching.

This isn’t a good scenario for the amateur investor; the days of making huge short-term gains in real estate investments are over, for now. However, if you’re in the market for a long-term investment, buying in at a low interest rate can save you tens of thousands of dollars in interest over the life of your mortgage. From all economic indicators, it appears that higher interest rates are on the way in 2012.What would your monthly payments be at current home prices in your neighborhood? Compare your options using CENTUM Mortgage Calculators.
Submitted by CENTUM Canada

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Real Estate Market Stable at Year End

2011-01-06T11:12:00.000-08:00

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.”

Residential property sales in Greater Vancouver totalled 1,899 in December 2010, a decrease of 24.5 per cent from the 2,515 sales recorded in December 2009—an all time record for the month—and a 24.3 per cent decline compared to November 2010 when 2,509 home sales occurred.

More broadly, last month’s residential sales represent a 105.5 per cent increase over the 924 residential sales in December 2008, a 0.1 per cent increase compared to December 2007’s 1,897 sales, and a 12.6 per cent increase compared to the 1,686 sales in December 2006.

The residential benchmark price, as calculated by the MLSLink Housing Price Index®, for Greater Vancouver increased 2.7 per cent to $577,808 between Decembers 2009 and 2010. However, prices have decreased 2.6 per cent since hitting a peak of $593,419 in April 2010.
“Although we saw some pressure on home prices throughout the year, home values in 2010 remained relatively steady in the region compared to the last few years when we witnessed much more fluctuation,” Moldowan said.

New listings for detached, attached and apartment properties in Greater Vancouver totalled 1,699 in December 2010. This represents a 21.1 per cent decline compared to the 2,153 units listed in December 2009 and a 43.9 per cent decline compared to November 2010 when 3,030 properties were listed.

Sales of detached properties in December 2010 reached 769, a decrease of 14.8 per cent from the 902 detached sales recorded in December 2009, and a 121.1 per cent increase from the 348 units sold in December 2008. The benchmark price for detached properties increased 4.0 per cent from December 2009 to $797,868.

Sales of apartment properties reached 811 in December 2010, a decline of 29.7 per cent compared to the 1,154 sales in December 2009, and an increase of 94.5 per cent compared to the 417 sales in December 2008.The benchmark price of an apartment property increased 1.2 per cent from December 2009 to $387,115.

Attached property sales in December 2010 totalled 319, a decline of 30.5 per cent compared to the 459 sales in December 2009, and a 100.6 per cent increase from the 159 attached properties sold in December 2008. The benchmark price of an attached unit increased 2.7 per cent between December 2009 and 2010 to $490,869.

Real Estate Market Steady: Royal LePage

2010-10-22T19:22:00.000-07:00

Canada’s real estate market is returning to normal with a year-over-year average price increase of less than five per cent, according to a Royal LePage survey released Tuesday October 19.

The survey suggests house price appreciation slowed in the third quarter to a rate historically typical of balanced property markets.

“Most Canadian housing markets cooled in the third quarter,” Phil Soper, president and CEO at Royal LePage Real Estate Services, said in the report. “In fact, the year is unfolding much as we predicted with the unusually active first half of 2010 giving way to slower markets in the later part of the year.”

Soper said the third quarter was slightly stronger than anticipated, helped by the low rates in a competitive mortgage financing market and new demand fuelled by improved affordability in many regions.

“House price growth now sits just below the long-term annual average of approximately five per cent,” added Soper. “But once this is adjusted for inflation, which is very low and expected to continue to be that way for some time, appreciation is right on track. Canadian homeowners will be pleased.”

St. John’s, Winnipeg, Montreal and Vancouver posted price increases above the national average, with St. John’s rising between 12.3 per cent and 14 per cent depending on housing type, while Winnipeg had increases of between eight and 11.7 per cent year-over-year. Prices in both cities were fuelled by a population influx.

Source: mortgagebrokernews.ca

Canadian housing bubble still looms

2010-08-31T22:05:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, 31 August 2010

Though home sales are slowing, prices in six of Canada's largest housing markets are in bubble territory.

Home prices are sitting at 4.7 to 11.3 times Canadians' annual income - much higher than historical comfort levels of between three and four times income, according to a report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. The report defines a bubble occurring when housing prices increase more rapidly than inflation, household incomes and economic growth.

"To see all of the major markets outside of that comfort zone is very unique and concerning," said David Macdonald, a research associate who wrote the report called "Canada's Housing Bubble: An Accident Waiting To Happen."

Sales have fallen by 25 per cent since reaching its peak at the begnning of the year. But canadian home prices were up 13.6 per cent in June from a year ago in Canada's major cities.
"The concern today is all six major markets, not just Vancouver and Toronto, are out of that comfort zone," said Macdonald, including Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa and Montreal. "All six major markets now have an average price of over $300,000."

Source:
mortgagebrokernews.ca

REAL ESTATE: BUY IT AND KEEP IT

2010-08-22T07:58:00.000-07:00

Retirement Case Study: skewed in favor of…Are you looking at skewed numbers when making critical financial decisions? A retirement case study was forwarded to me by an associate who is an independent Certified Financial Planner (CFP). She wanted my input on an investment plan that seemed a little one-sided and sure enough, there was a fundamental flaw in that case study. Its focus was too narrow.

The company's article describes a semi-retired couple who want to travel and maintain their lifestyle. Three options are presented. The first option is to downsize and spend less. The second option is to withdraw money from their registered retirement savings plan. The third option is the investment portfolio offered by this particular company which is presented as the most lucrative of the three options. The case study is real. The analysis of this couple's financial options was dismally short-sighted.

The unfortunate fact is that most financial advisors do not present real estate investments as an o ption to their clients because there is no commission attached. They derive their income and livelihood by selling their company's products or a range of bank products. Independent CFP's charge a fee and provide non-biased advice. However, it all depends on how savvy the CFP is. Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert T. Kiyosaki cautions his readers about the type of advisors you have on your team. If they're not making more money than you are, then chances are they will manage your finances to the level of their current financial success, not to yours.

The first option to downsize and spend less puts you into scarcity mode. A universal principle kicks in: what you focus on expands. So if you are thinking of spending less, you’re going to end up with less and less like a self-fulfilling prophecy. You actually want to do the opposite. Instead of spending less, make more money. Rightsize, Upsize and go for more. This puts you into abundance mode and opportunities will come into your life. The second option to withdraw money from an RRSP is a no-win plan. When you think about it, the government created RRSP’s as a form of forced savings.

To entice people to make regular contributions, the incentive is tax deferral until you withdraw this money in the future. The premise of planning for the future is sound. I disagree with the method. A savings plan is a type of depletion strategy. You're saving up in order to spend in the future. Let's face it. Most people's money will run out during their retirement years. We are retiring earlier and living longer. My grandmother lived for 98 years. That’s an additional 33 years after retirement. Do the math on your projected life expectancy. The third option offered by the investment company appeared like it was the only viable option. Although the comparison was made using home equity as the source of investment funds, not once did they mention real estate investments as a viable investment option. Using a side-by-side comparison,

I took the same $100,000 of home equity and compared their projected return versus my projected real estate investment return. And guess what? There's really no comparison. Real estate is the undisputed winner. Their portfolio requires a 100% cash investment leveraging only 1 profit center: the fund. My comparison requires a 10% and 20% cash investment leveraging 7 profit centers: purchase of 3 single family dwellings.Their portfolio projects $90,000 in cash flow and an investment portfolio valued at $119,471 after 15 years. My comparison projects $81,000 in cash flow and an investment portfolio valued at $708,336 after 15 years. And even the real estate comparison is skewed as increases in rent and principle paydown of the mortgage were not factored in over the 15 years in order to keep the math simple. In actuality, there’s more cash flow and more equity through the real estate portfolio.

Is it okay to have more money than you expected? I thought so. Retirement isn't about saving up to spend less. That model is a dinosaur; extinct. Retirement is about creating passive income that replaces your existing income. It doesn't matter what you do, how you do it or when you do it. You can choose to live the lifestyle of your choice on your terms. If you would like more hands-on learning, you are invited to attend a free upcoming seminar.

Check website at www.OnTheBeachEducation.com for event details.

BC Home Sales Expected to rise in 2011

2010-08-12T22:07:00.000-07:00

BCREA Housing Forecast Update - Third Quarter 2010

BC housing markets are returning to typical post-recession demand patterns. The dramatic rebound in consumer demand during 2009 and subsequent decline during the first two quarters of 2010 has set the stage for a gradual increase in home sales during the fall and through 2011. Residential unit sales through the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in BC are forecast to decrease 7 per cent to 79,500 units in 2010, before climbing 5 per cent to 83,400 units in 2011.
A slower than expected normalization of interest rates will temper erosion of affordability as economic output posts more moderate growth for the balance of this year and through 2011. Stronger corporate profits are triggering employment growth and a reduction in the unemployment rate is now underway.

A larger inventory of homes for sale has created the most favourable supply conditions for home buyers in more than a year. While tighter mortgage qualifications for low equity home buyers has negatively impacted demand, more borrowers are now channeling into 5-year fixed mortgages where discounted rates increase purchasing power.

The average MLS® residential price is forecast to increase 6 per cent to $492,800 this year and edge down 1 per cent to $489,500 in 2011. Some softness in home prices is expected through the summer months in most regional markets. However, inventory levels peaked in May and will likely edge lower in the coming months, leading to more balanced conditions in the fall with a commensurate firming of home prices.

“The volatility in consumer demand characteristic of the past 24 months is expected to give way to more gradual improvement through 2011,” said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist. “Housing demand has fallen back to earth from its break-neck pace at the end of 2009 and is expected to more closely match overall economic performance over the next 18 months.
“A larger inventory of homes for sale has created the most favourable conditions for home buyers in more than a year,” added Muir. “However, the buyers’ market is expected to be short-lived as total active listings peaked in May and are beginning to wane, with more balanced conditions set to emerge in the fall.”

After a sharp pull back in new home construction last year, home builders are gradually increasing production to meet demand. BC led the country in population growth over the last three quarters and with the inventory of complete and unoccupied units expected to decline, builders are adjusting production to match supply with household formation.

Source: Source: British Columbia Real Estate Association

Old Electronic WANTED

2010-08-12T22:01:00.000-07:00

E-Recycling event returns September 16

The last two years, your Board has partnered with the Electronics Recycling Association (ERA) to collect unwanted or unused electronic equipment for environmentally conscious recycling. Combining 2008’s weeklong event and last year’s one-day event, our members and staff have recycled just over 2,400 items through the ERA.

We are happy to announce that we will once again be teaming up with the ERA to host another electronics recycling event for members here at the Board. The event will take place on Thursday, September 16 from 9 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the shipping dock in the alley behind our building at 2433 Spruce Street in Vancouver. Hot dogs and pop will be on sale in the afternoon with the profits going to a REALTORS Care® charity.

“This event allows our members the opportunity to dispose of unwanted electronics not only in an environmentally responsible manner, but a socially responsible manner as well,” says Jake Moldowan, REBGV president.

The ERA is a non-profit organization that donates the used electronic equipment they collect to local schools, charities, libraries, seniors’ homes, and other community-based organizations at no charge. They inspect all computers and electronics collected, reuse and refurbish first, and only then will they send the unsalvageable equipment to government certified processors for dismantling and recycling.

We must receive all donations by 3:00 p.m. so that the people from ERA will have enough time to load the collected items into the truck. For more information, contact Jun Bernadas at 604.730.3017.

REALTORS® Electronics Recycling EventThursday, September 16, 20109:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver2433 Spruce St., Vancouver
Items that CAN be donated:
Computers, monitors, PC parts;
Scanners, servers, hubs, printers, fax machines;
Peripherals, barcode equipment, UPS;
Network equipment;
Server racks, switches;
Wires and cables;
Plotters, projection systems;
Telecommunication equipment;
VCRs, DVDs, cameras;
Audio/stereo equipment;
Mobile phones;
Satellite/wireless equipment

Items that CANNOT be donated:

Appliances;
TVs

2010-07-21T11:47:00.000-07:00

"Ridding Yourself of FolksWho Suck Up Your Time and Energy"

by Bernice Ross, Ph.D., MCC and Byron Van Arsdale, MCCOwners, Teleclass4U.com, LLC and RealEstateCoach.com

Copyright © 2003RealEstateCoach.com and Teleclass4U.comAll rights in all media reserved.
Feeling "drained" by how much you have to do? If so, here's a simple approach to increasing your energy by ridding yourself of what we call "Energy Vampires."

Begin by making a list of at least 25 things that are "bugging you." It can be a person, a thing, or something that someone does. It makes no difference if it's something as small as a missing button on a shirt or as large as a major life challenge.

Next categorize the items on your list into one of three major categories:

Work, including colleagues, hours, environment, equipment, compensation, and management.
Other people: including our spouse, family, or friends.

Personal, including our appearance, home environment, car, self-criticism, and personal behaviors.

These "energy vampires" are the most expensive, yet one of the most easily fixable problems in life. Everything that happens to use either adds or detracts from our energy. The problem for most of us is that we are often so busy, we seldom take the time to evaluate what adds value to our lives versus what drains us of our time and resources. Unfortunately, what we leave "hanging around", drains us time and time again. For each "energy vampire" you zap, you create new time and energy to achieve your goals. Just eliminating the easiest one on your list often releases a surprising amount of energy.

To reduce the number of "energy vampires" in your life, try the following strategies:
Begin by dealing with "energy vampire" each day. Start with small simple items you can easily complete. For example, instead of trying to clean out the entire garage, plan on packing one box every Thursday for the next 4 weeks. (If you want to pack more, that's OK, but don't get worn down by the magnitude of the task. The goal is to make the task small enough that it is easy to complete in just a few minutes.)

Stop spending time with people who drain you of energy without ever giving anything back. To get them out of your life, establish clear-cut boundaries. For example, you may "set a boundary" not to allow anyone to yell at you. When someone does yell at you, ask the person to engage in the exact opposite behavior, i.e. instead of saying, "Will you stop yelling at me?" As them to "please speak softly to me since I can't hear what you're saying when you raise your voice." If the person continues to yell, inform them that you will leave if they will not speak softly to you. If they continue, leave, by hanging up the phone or walking away from the situation.

Another strategy to eliminate people who are "energy vampires" is to clearly tell them you have only 2 or 3 minutes to talk and then you have to leave. Their goal is to take your time and energy without giving anything back. When they can't get their need for attention through you, they will go elsewhere. Alternatively, when you see the energy vampire coming your way or if they call you on the phone, ask the "energy vampire" for a contribution to your favorite charity or to help you complete some unpleasant task like helping you clean your garage.

The best strategy to avoid "energy vampires" is to handle the task or issue the moment it occurs. When you pop a button, sew it back on. When someone starts to yell or to waste your time, walk away. "Energy vampires" are a lot like the trash—the more you let them build up, the more they stink and the harder they are to clean up!

Royal LePage Expects Lower Market

2010-07-08T20:24:00.000-07:00

The residential sector will slow down in the second half of 2010 thanks to "front-loaded" sales in the first half of the year.

The Royal LePage House Price Survey and Market Survey Forecast, released today, predicts that, by the end of 2010, home appreciation will average almost seven per cent year-over-year and home sales will increase by just over one per cent.

"We have seen an unusual pattern of activity in the housing market over the past 12 months, with the market experiencing a surge of activity and price increases that peaked in the fall of 2009 rather than spring," said Royal LePage president Phil Soper. "An expected increase in the supply of homes on the market will now bring stabilization in prices and, in some cities, we will see both prices and unit sales decline towards the end of the year. This should not be interpreted as a severe correction but rather a natural reaction to the market having peaked quite early this year."

According to Soper, home prices will stay consistent or decline negligibly in most of Canada with the exception of energy-producing markets like Alberta.

Home prices in Vancouver were up by an average of 17.8 per cent year-over-year while, in Toronto, prices rose by an average of 9.5 per cent. St. John's, NL also posted sharp increases with prices up an average of 19 per cent.

In the second quarter, the average price of a detached bungalow reached $331, 868, up 9 per cent from last year. Standard two-storey homes rose 8.7 per cent to $367, 835. Standard condominiums averaged just over $230,000, up over 7 per cent from 2009.

Warren Buffet and Real Estate

2010-06-30T21:52:00.000-07:00

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aXJI6QU4ObgQ

Canadians Pursuing Recreational Property for Lifestyle

2010-05-31T06:08:00.000-07:00

Canadians Pursuing Recreational Property for Lifestyle, despite Tax Concerns and Stricter Mortgage Rules

National opinion poll shows condominiums increasingly popular choice for a second home
TORONTO, May 31, 2010 –

Almost half of Canadians considering buying a recreational property will do so to improve their lifestyle, despite concerns about increasing taxes, rising interest rates and new regulations that require higher down payments on second homes, according to a nationwide survey of Canadian attitudes towards recreational property ownership conducted by Angus Reid and commissioned by Royal LePage Real Estate Services.

When buyers were asked why they plan to purchase recreational property, lifestyle was the number one reason given, at 47 per cent. Only one in four buyers say new Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation regulations reduce their desire or ability to purchase a recreational property. The changes will require Canadians to pay a minimum 20 per cent down payment on any residential or recreational property they purchase that is not their primary home.

Comparatively, Canadians are more concerned about increases in taxation affecting their ability to buy vacation properties, with 49 per cent responding that they are concerned about new taxation rules such as the HST on new-construction homes while 46 per cent express concern about increasing property taxes. Just over one-quarter of those surveyed (26 per cent) want to purchase a recreational property before interest rates start to rise, while 10 per cent said a hike in interest rates would stop them from purchasing.

“Canadians are generally confident about buying recreational properties because they see a pay off in terms of improved quality of life,” said Phil Soper, president and chief executive, Royal LePage Real Estate Services. “The survey results show that tightening of lending requirements for second homes, coupled with an increase in taxes and expectations of higher interest rates, may have a dampening effect on the recreational property market. However, there continues to be strong demand for second homes, and Canadians appear prepared to make significant investments in order to enjoy their leisure time.”

Forty-three per cent of respondents said they would buy a vacation property because it is a good investment – down from 64 per cent in a comparable Royal LePage survey conducted in 2009.

“Fewer people are looking to acquire recreational property for its investment value this year, a direct result of rising cottage prices. The brave bargain hunters that purchased during the depths of the 2008-2009 recession have been rewarded by appreciating prices this year,” Soper said.

One-third of respondents in the 2010 survey said they will not have to make any financial or lifestyle changes in order to afford a recreational property, while 25 per cent of respondents said they plan to rent out their recreational property for part of the year (up from 13 per cent in 2009). Only 15 per cent plan to purchase a vacation home with friends or family.

The survey was commissioned as part of the 2010 Royal LePage Recreational Property Report, an annual market analysis of recreational property prices, trends and activity in selected leisure markets across the country.

The chart below shows the typical price range for standard waterfront, land-access properties across Canada. Properties in BC, Ontario and New Brunswick saw typical 3 bedroom, 100 foot lot properties sell above $1 million. New Brunswick also offered the most affordable properties, with some averaging as low as $65,000.

2010 Recreational Property Price SummaryAverage Price Range by Province**
Standard Waterfront, Land Access Cottage1,000 sq feet, 3 bedrooms, 100 foot lot

PROVINCE

AVERAGE PRICE RANGE 2010
Prince Edward Island
$180,000 – $200,000
Nova Scotia
$190,000
Newfoundland
$110,000
New Brunswick
$65,000 – $1,000,000
Quebec
$326,000 – $650,000
Ontario
$140,000 – $1,050,000
Manitoba
$189,000 – $360,000
Saskatchewan
$245,600 – $600,000
Alberta
$300,000 – $555,000
British Columbia
$345,000 – $1,500,000
NATIONAL AVERAGE
$65,000 – $1,500,000

According to the national poll, waterfront properties continue to be the most desirable recreational real estate for potential buyers, with 34 per cent ranking a “cottage by a lake” as their number one choice, down sharply from 68 per cent in 2009. Meanwhile, condominiums are the preferred property type for 24 per cent of buyers, up from just six per cent of buyers in 2009.

“Once again, lifestyle appears to be the driving factor behind recreational property trends, as more and more buyers are telling us they prefer the relatively hassle-free ownership of a second-home condominium, where you can spend your weekend on the water instead of whacking weeds,” said Soper.

For almost half of survey respondents, buying a recreational property this year will have little or no impact on their ability to vacation elsewhere. Forty-four per cent said buying a recreational property will make no difference to their vacation plans, while 31 per cent of respondents said recreational property ownership will make them more likely to vacation elsewhere. “This may indicate that buyers intend to use rental income from their vacation homes to finance travel abroad, or it could reflect the growing popularity of international house swapping or exchanges,” said Soper.

In the survey, buyers ranked the most important features they look for in a recreational property. Fifty-five per cent said waterfront or beach access, while 46 per cent answered four-season use, and 43 per cent said their vacation home must be in a quiet location.

Source: http://www.royallepage.ca/ Please go to the link to read more. Thank you and happy reading!

GTA existing homes sales may break record this year

2010-05-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

A new record will be set with sales of existing homes in the GTA expecting to reach six digits for the first time by the end of 2010, but a report by the CMHC says things will be "quite different" for 2011 as the market edges down.

"The era of rock bottom mortgage rates is coming to an end and the red hot Greater Toronto Area housing market will begin to lose its steam," said Shaun Hildebrand, senior market analyst for the CMHC.

Sales in the GTA are expected to pass the 100,000 mark for the first time to 101,000. In 2007, sales hit $95,000 dollars, the peak of the market.

The CMHC also expects the rise of price appreciation to continue into 2011 which will result in 16 consecutive years of increases. They also forecast that prices will slightly increase by 1.7 per cent at the end of next year.

They also say that prices will probably flat line after 2011 as affordability becomes an issue.
"Five year mortgage rates will be a full percentage point higher by the end of the year.
Combining higher rates with the new reality of average prices well above $400,000 will make the transition to homeownership more expensive," said Hildebrand. "The erosion of affordability will cause delay for many first time buyers."

Source: www.mortgagebrokernews.ca May 20, 2010

CMHC reports seeing rising housing starts over next two years

2010-05-20T11:16:00.000-07:00

The next two years are expected to see housing starts rise due to demand and strong economic conditions, the CMHC reported in their forecast for new home construction and residential sales.
They expect housing starts of 182,000 units, which is up from 175,000 units in a previous view. In 2010, they are expected to see a range between 166,900 to 199,600.

Next year, the CMHC said it sees housing starts at 179,600 units, ranging between 148,600 to 208,800 units, compared with the forecasting for 2011 of 175,150 units last quarter.

The new government measures for the mortgage market, which took effect in April, will aid in the long-term stability of Canada's housing market, CMHC's chief economist Bob Dugan cited.
According to the rule changes, borrowers are now required to qualify on a five-year fixed-rate mortgage even if they choose a lower-cost variable mortgage. The government also lowered the maximum amounts that can be withdrawn when borrowers refinance their mortgages. A minimum down payment of 20 per cent is also required now for insured mortgages coupled with properties purchased as housing investments that the owner will not occupy.

In 2009 there were 149,081 housing starts.

Source: www.mortgagebrokernews.ca May 20, 2010

National Royal LePage Garage Sales

2010-05-17T20:49:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU for supporting the National Garage Sale for Shelter!

On May 15, 2010 Royal LePage Vancouver REALTOR® gathered and donated our time to raise money for abuse women. We raised more than $4,250!!!!

Thank you for all who supported us! See you next year!

For information about Shelter Foundation pls. go to: http://www.royallepage.ca/en/community/shelter-foundation/index.aspx

The Vancouver SunRun 2010K

2010-05-14T21:50:00.000-07:00

On Mother's Day, May 9, 2010, over 50,000 people including Royal LePage REALTOR® took to the streets of Vancouver in the 2010 Sun Run.

Study finds sales of luxury homes soaring

2010-04-27T19:02:00.000-07:00

April 27, 2010

A study conducted by Re/max saw luxury homes sales jump in the first quarter of 2010, showing that affluent purchasers are moving to take advantage of favourable market conditions.
The study showed that nine out of the 13 markets examined had shattered records and set all-time highs for first quarter activity in the upper end.

According to Re/Max, an improved economy, increased personal wealth, immigration and foreign investment all contributed to the influx in sales.

Greater Vancouver topped the entry-level price point for high-end homes at $2 million dollars, followed by Greater Toronto and Montreal at $1.5 million dollars.

Source: brokernews.ca

Canada to see stronger economic growth this year

2010-04-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

April 27, 2010

According to a survey released earlier this week by the Department of Finance, Canada will see stronger economic growth this year and lower unemployment rates from 2010 through to 2012, more than previously believed.

Instead of the economy expanding 2.6 per cent that was originally projected in Finance Minister's, Jim Flaherty's most recent budget, it is forecast to expand 3.1 per cent this year.
Forecasts for the next four years are roughly the same as those used in the government's fiscal plan. The Department of Finance now sees growth of 3.1 per cent in 2011 as opposed to 3.2 per cent, and 2.9 per cent in 2012 instead of 3 per cent.

The latest growth forecasts, based on a poll of 15 economists, are similar to those of the IMF, which predicts that Canada will seen an expansion of 3.1 per cent this year, the same as the United States, and the fastest among the Group of Seven. For 2011, the IMF sees a 3.2 per cent growth.

Source: brokernews.ca

Banks start interest rate shake-up

2010-03-30T10:59:00.000-07:00

March 30, 2010

Four big banks have increased their posted rates on fixed mortgages, signaling the start of an upward move on record-low interest rates.

Royal Bank, TD Canada Trust and Laurentian all moved their posted rates on five-year fixed mortgages by 0.6 per cent yesterday, a move followed by CIBC today. Many non-banks have already followed, prompting a surge in requests from variable-rate clients to lock into fixed rates.

"The phones have been ringing off the hook since yesterday," said Donna Ramsay, a Mortgage Architects broker based in Orangeville, Ont. "We have several clients that we have committed to calling to see if they want to lock into a fixed. We tell them that we're not here to tell them what to do -- we'll give them the facts."

The interest rate increase will also mean higher qualifying criteria for new clients, who must meet the five-year posted fixed rate when the new mortgage insurance rules kick in on April 19.
CIBC economist Benjamin Tal told the Globe and Mail the rise in rates along with other factors means the booming housing market will slow down significantly after spring.

"Given where interest rates are now, I still think you'll see an extremely strong spring. However, after that I think the housing market will stagnate," Mr. Tal said. "We are in the ninth inning of this booming house market. We are not expecting a crash, but we will stagnate."

Housing market to be tamer over next decade: Scotiabank

2010-03-24T09:43:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, 24 March 2010

Despite 2010's strong start, Scotiabank expects the "twenty-tens" Canadian housing market to pale in comparison to the previous decade.

A report titled "Global Real Estate Trends", released by the bank yesterday, speculated the volume of home sales transactions will increase by 10 per cent compared to last year while average prices are expected to break $340,000, a record high. Housing starts are also expected to increase.

But this hearty activity is expected to drop off later this year when new qualifying criteria for insured mortgages take effect in April and the HST is introduced in July. Scotiabank expects lower sales volumes, lower prices, and a decrease in new construction in 2011.

"It is time for Canadians to reset their housing market expectations. We expect 2010 will mark a transition year as the boom of the 'aughts' gives way to a sustained period of more subdued housing activity over the coming decade," the report said.

The millennium decade, in comparison, was, for the most part, consistently booming. Between 2000 and 2009, real home prices increased an average of 5.2 per cant annually, the strongest decade of real price appreciation in at least 50 years. Housing starts during the decade averaged over 200,000 units a year, the highest they'd been since the 1970s.

Strong, economic growth, low unemployment, innovative mortgage products and an increase of real per capita disposable income all contributed to the demand seen last decade, Scotiabank said. The bank anticipates much slower growth for the Canadian economy through at least 2015.

http://www.mortgagebrokernews.ca/

More housing supply helps balance market: CREA

2010-03-19T19:48:00.001-07:00

Monday, 15 March 2010

National home sales decreased by 1.5 per cent from January to February, according to the latest CREA numbers, in large part due to increased supply. Vancouver saw the biggest decline, likely due to the Olympics, while Toronto experienced the biggest gain.

"Housing markets are becoming more balanced," said CREA chief economist Gregory Klump. "There are still a number of major markets where sales negotiations favour the seller due to a shortage of inventory, but supply has begun rising. Further expected supply increases will continue to take the steam out of housing markets as the year progresses."

Despite the slight decrease, year-over-year numbers remained strong with residential sales activity up 44 per cent from the same month last year and the average price - $335,665 - up 18.2 per cent from one year ago.

Sales and prices are expected to become "more subdued" throughout the year, the CREA said. However, it expects sales activity to elevate in Ontario and B.C. before the introduction of the harmonized sales tax in July.

"Even with the restraints put on the actual market, Ontario is a very unique landscape -- it's becoming a hotspot that drives prices no matter what," said Jeff Mayer, a Toronto-based Mortgage Intelligence agent. "If you look at the cost per square foot, it has risen dramatically and you only see that in hot, hot areas."

Home Affordability toughens,especially in top three cities

2010-03-15T23:01:00.000-07:00

Monday, 15 March 2010

The housing market in Vancouver is "uncomfortably hot", according to the latest RBC Housing Affordability Measure, while Toronto and Montreal are on pace to set records due to surging demand.

The report - which looks at housing costs based on owning a detached bungalow - said national affordability measures eroded slightly in the fourth quarter of 2009 but were mitigated by continued low mortgage rates and gains in household income.

"The extent of the deterioration [of affordability] will depend on the speed at which interest rates rise," the report said, adding the new mortgage rules coming into effect in April could reduce demand. "On that score, the pace of increase should be fairly steady throughout 2010 and 2011, helping to alleviate concerns of an imminent derailing of housing affordability in Canada."

While Vancouver had the most unfavourable conditions with house prices at record-high levels, Calgary saw affordability improve due to a lagging economy and the report said Ottawa had "the best of both worlds" with both strong activity and improving affordability. Atlantic Canada also saw favourable buyer conditions in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Really NEW Business Opportunity

2010-03-01T00:36:00.000-08:00

This is only a one week old online business!!!

Need an extra income? Take advantage of the power of the internet and earn extra money and leverage your time. This is a new business opportunity and it's free to join and it comes with your very own travel website to market your products.

http://www.silverlineclub.com/?user=destination

Why Canada's housing market didn't burst

2010-02-28T21:39:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, 16 February 2010

Housing markets in the United States and Canada are similar in many respects, but each has fared quite differently since the onset of the financial crisis.Unlike the U.S., Canada has not experienced a dramatic increase in mortgage defaults, nor has any Canadian bank required a government bailout. As a result, observers such as The Economist have pointed to Canada as "a country that got things right."

The different housing market outcomes in Canada and the U.S. can tell us something about the underlying causes of the housing boom and subsequent bust in the latter. In particular, they can be used to evaluate the roles that low interest rates and relaxed lending standards played.
Monetary Policy and the U.S. Housing Bust Some observers blame monetary policy for lowering interest rates over 2002-2005, pushing up housing demand, increasing residential investment and raising housing prices. In this view, the monetary-policy induced housing boom thus set the stage for an inevitable housing bust.

The low interest rate policy of the Federal Reserve over 2001-2005 is often cited as a key factor in the U.S. housing bust. The main narrative is that by lowering short-term interest rates, longer-maturity mortgage interest rates are pushed down. This increases the demand for housing, puts upward pressure on housing prices and encourages builders to ramp-up construction of new homes. This leads to an "oversupply" of new homes, which triggered the housing bust in the U.S.

There are also claims that interest rates were too low over 2001-2005, when looked at by both historical standards, as well as compared to those predicted by the Taylor rule (a monetary policy rule which relates U.S. Federal Reserve's ideal target rates to inflation and GDP).
The Bank of Canada made dramatic reductions in its target interest rate over 2001-2002, but one might argue that Canadian monetary policy was not quite as "loose" as that in the U.S. as it maintained a higher overnight rate over 2002 to 2004.

But a case can be made that Canadian and American monetary policies were very similar, at least in terms of the housing market. Estimates put the deviations from the Taylor rule for Canada and the U.S. over 2001-2006 to be nearly identical. In fact, the two benchmark mortgage interest rates move closely with one another until after the beginning of the U.S. housing market crisis, when U.S. rates fell significantly below Canadian rates.

Mortgage interest rates-the main direct channel through which monetary policy impacts the housing market-tracked each other closely in the two countries, but unlike the U.S., where the mainstay of the mortgage market is the 30-year fixed mortgage, the most common mortgage product in Canada is a five-year fixed-rate mortgage (with a 25-year amortization period).
Relaxed Lending Standards: different subprime lending boomsAnother leading explanation of the housing boom and bust relies critically on relaxed lending standards. This story is linked to the dramatic rise in subprime lending and high levels of loan securitization, which some commentators have argued reduced the incentives for mortgage originators to maintain underwriting standards. This is one area where there was a significant difference between the two countries, both in the size and nature of the subprime market and in the fraction of mortgages securitized.

Subprime lending has grown rapidly in both countries, though the magnitude has been far more striking in the U.S. While subprime mortgages accounted for less than five per cent of mortgage originations in the U.S. in 1994, one-fifth of all mortgages originated between 2004 and 2006 were subprime.But while subprime lending also increased in Canada, it remained much smaller than in the U.S.

The most cited estimate is that subprime lenders had a market share of roughly five per cent in 2006, compared to 22 per cent in the U.S. Moreover, the Canadian subprime market never expanded significantly into newer products, such as interest-only or negative amortization mortgages, whose popularity grew rapidly in the U.S. from 2003 to 2006. Instead, the Canadian subprime market mainly offered products popularized in the U.S. during the 1990s, such as longer amortization periods for loans (from 25 to 40 years), and mainly targeted near-prime borrowers.

Securitization has also been less common in Canada than in the United States, with roughly 25 per cent of Canadian mortgages securitized in 2007 versus nearly 60 per cent in the U.S. The Canadian securitization market has grown rapidly over the past decade, rising from roughly five per cent of mortgages in 1998 to over 25 per cent in 2008.

However, in many ways, the Canadian market resembles the early stages of the U.S. mortgage securitization market, as most securitized mortgages in Canada are backed by an explicit government guarantee. This government guarantee requires limits on borrowers' debt-service ratios and amortization periods, which makes it more difficult for lenders to offer some types of subprime loans.

The subprime story is also consistent with the different pattern of mortgage delinquencies in Canada and the U.S. In the U.S., mortgage delinquencies for both prime and nonprime mortgages began to rise before the recession began and unemployment rates began to climb.
In contrast, mortgage delinquencies in Canada have only recently begun to increase, after unemployment rates started rising and the Canadian and world economies slowed sharply in the fall of 2008. Finally, the relaxed lending story is consistent with the fact that the U.S. experienced a housing bust over 2007-2009 while Canada did not.

While the expansion of subprime lending provided a temporary boost to housing price growth rates, when prices stopped rising, the inability of some borrowers to refinance homes they could not afford led to a spike of delinquencies. The resulting increase in liquidation and foreclosure sales put additional downward pressure on house prices, which, in turn, pushed more borrowers into default. This negative feedback cycle helped push a correction in the housing market into a housing bust.

One possible critique of this argument is that while Canada has not yet experienced a housing bust, it is likely to experience one in the next year. Indeed, a recent Merrill-Lynch- Canada report noted that Canadian house prices over the past decade closely resemble U.S. house prices with a two-year lag. Based on this, they concluded that Canada was also likely to experience large decline in house prices over the coming year.

Canada's smaller subprime market share and fewer households with high LTV ratios, however, suggest that the country is less likely to see the rapid increase in defaults that helped trigger the bust in U.S. housing prices. So far the incoming data suggest that the Canadian housing market is likely to experience a housing market slowdown rather than a bust.

Boom or Bubble?

2010-02-09T10:39:00.000-08:00

New numbers build speculation
Monday, 8 February 2010

Housing starts hit a 15-month high according to a real estate report today, as media all across Canada continued to speculate whether the latest gains had stretched too far.
The Wall Street Journal and Canadian Business were amongst the publications recently to ask whether Canada's surprise performance in real estate was the start of a boom in the industry, or instead was nearing a bubble about to burst.

Rather than anything dramatic, however, most experts in the real estate industry still see 2010 as another strong year with a slowing of price gains in the second half as supply increases.
The seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts reached 186,300 units in January, up 5.8 per cent from 176,100 in December, according to the CMHC.

In January last year, housing starts began the year with 149,081 units, with activity progressing as the year went on.

Regionally, B.C. had largest increase in housing starts, with a 19.8 per cent jump in housing units in the province. In the Prairie region, the seasonally adjusted rate of urban starts decreased by 4.8 per cent.

Source: www.mortgagebrokernews.ca

Who do you hang out with?

2010-02-06T18:13:00.000-08:00

I thought to share this with you from Joeann Fossland

It DOES Make a difference! You’ve heard me (and many others!) say “what you focus on expands”. If you surround yourself news and people who give you more evidence of how tough it is…it’s easy to buy into excuses for your own results. If you want to attract and create more to be positive, happy and grateful about ... your thinking and positive emotional state are the best tools you have to start with. Is it time to upgrade your Rolodex and your experiences? Have you outgrown some of the people you hang out with? Or are the folks to spend time with each day inspiring and encouraging?

In 2010, I am personally passionate about what I am calling Social Partnering™. I’ll be writing a series of articles over the next few months about how to use Social Partnering™ and offering ways for you to use the concept to be more successful this year! I am kicking this off here and there will be more on this month’s Fossland’s Forum (or jump in with one of the two mastermind groups I’ll be personally coaching-see below).

From expansion of your strategic partners to participation with positive people or mastermind groups, I see the opportunity to the average agent to excel and the extraordinary agent to soar this year. With social media tools and Web 2.0, our ability to reach out and use our good relationship social capital to enhance the value we bring clients and customers is expanded in miraculous ways. That doesn’t mean we won’t bring the online offline-in fact, that’s the point! A powerful combination of expanding your previous reach and adding the new is going to bring happiness to those who master the skill. Our relationships then bring value to us! And, I know many of you are very, very good at relationships…so you already are a leg up here!
And, this is really where it all starts. You know that your attitude is so important to your success and who you surround yourself with can make it easier or harder, right. Which do you want this year: easy or hard?

Jack Canfield, the author and motivational speaker, has shared a personal story. He had become very successful, using the principles he learned from Clement Stone and the teachings of Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich, (this book is still available free here). He says he had grown his yearly income to $1,000,000 and it was stable and steady there. He set, however, a goal of $10,000,000 but his income stayed stuck at $1M. As he ruminated about why he was stuck, someone asked him what the average income was of those in his mastermind group. This was his “ah ha” moment as he realized they were all making $1M too! Now, not a bad a group that most of us could benefit from hanging out with, but not a fit for his expanded dreams.
Have you expanded your dreams and not matched new partners, friends and supporters to those NEW visions? Or have you given up and become resigned that you can have what you really want because of some outside influences, like the economy or some other personal excuse? There WERE people having their very best year ever last year! Were you in that group? If you, hooray for you! If not, now is the time to decide what you really want in 2010. Old strategies will not get you there. It’s a brave, new world. And one filled with opportunity! How amazingly fortunate we are to be living here in the United States with so many freedoms to create our lives.

Here are some other actions that will help:
Limit your exposure to the media and the “bad” news
Add some daily inspiring messages to your life.
Make a list of your 5 closest friends-do they reflect and support your dreams?
Find one or two new friends to hang out with some more that are inspiring
Buddy with someone who is as inspiring and committed as you want to be and become accountability partners
Form or join a mastermind group and meet regularly to support each other
Begin and end each day counting your blessings!
Put yourself in a place this year where you get the support and encouragement you need to stay focused, aligned and productive.
For 2010, take in less negative input and find the good every day and I promise you it would feel better. It may sound simple, but the best actions usually are. And, it is much easier if the people around you are aligned with the same thinking!

2010 Real Estate Forecast

2010-01-25T12:52:00.000-08:00

CANADA’S REAL ESTATE MARKET EXPECTED TO CONTINUE STRONG GAINS INTO THE FIRST HALF OF 2010

Demand and supply finding balance in the second half of the year
TORONTO, January 7, 2010 – Canada’s residential real estate market is forecast to remain unusually strong through the first half of 2010 as economic conditions across the country improve and the stimulus impact of low interest rates continues to stoke demand, according to today’s Royal LePage House Price Survey and Market Survey Forecast. As confidence in the recovery builds in early 2010, increases in average house price levels and overall market activity are expected to continue. The gradual erosion of affordability driven by higher house prices and the expected late-year modest upward movement of interest rates, together with an improvement in listings supply as confidence improves, are expected to bring the market back into balance in the second half of the year, when home price increases are expected to moderate.

“The Canadian real estate market enters 2010 with considerable momentum from a unusually strong finish to the previous year, said Phil Soper, president and chief executive, Royal LePage Real Estate Services. “The stimulus effect of low borrowing costs has contributed to a sharp rise in demand that has driven activity levels to new highs. This demand, coupled with a typical seasonal undersupply of homes for sale, should cause home prices to continue to appreciate significantly during the early months of the year. Improving supply as the year unfolds and easing demand as the cost of home ownership rises should moderate home price increases in the second half of 2010.”

In contrast to the difficult months during the worst of the recession, house prices appreciated during the later part of 2009, with fourth quarter price averages surpassing averages from the fourth quarter 2008. The average price of detached bungalows rose to $315,055 (up 6.0%), the price of standard two-storey homes rose to $353,026 (up 5.2%), and the price of a standard condominium rose to $205, 756 (up 6.4%). The first two quarters of 2009 saw significant year-over-year price declines across the housing types surveyed and the third quarter provided the first signs saw a strong rebound in Canadian home values.

Regions that saw the strongest declines during the recession are now showing marked gains. Those regions include Toronto and the Lower Mainland, B.C. Vancouver in particular experienced a robust quarter, with home prices rising across all housing types surveyed.
“No other sector of the economy has been as highly affected by economic stimulus as housing,” commented Soper. “As consumer confidence has improved, Canadians have shown a lingering reluctance to acquire depreciating assets such as consumer durables, but have embraced the opportunity to invest in real property. Predictably, the regions benefiting most from this renewed interest in home ownership are those with lower average house prices and strong economic confidence, such as Winnipeg and parts of Atlantic Canada.”

Soper added, “Our forecast is built upon an expectation that interest rates will ease upward before the year’s end, which should have a dampening effect on demand, allowing it to come into balance with the supply of resale homes on the market. Further, we expect to see an increasing number of homes listed for sale as the year progresses – as Canadians regain confidence in the economy, they should be more willing to enter into a large financial transaction such as the sale of a home.”

REGIONAL MARKET SUMMARIES

Halifax saw varied gains across all surveyed housing types in comparison to fourth quarter 2008. Notably, more affordable homes posted the highest price increases due to the influx of workers returning from Western Canada.

Montreal saw strong gains this quarter as year-over-year price levels rose across all three housing types surveyed. Recent increases in demand have resulted in lower than normal inventory levels. Inventory levels are expected in increase in 2010. Continued demand is expected to result in moderate price levels.

House price levels in Ottawa are moderately higher this quarter compared to fourth quarter 2008 across all housing types surveyed. Fourth quarter sales activity did not slow as expected, and the demand has resulted in higher incidences of sellers receiving multiple offers, an unusual occurrence in end of year activity for this region. While inventory levels are low and there is competition among home buyers, this may abate as the government eases economic stimulus in 2010.

The Toronto market saw year-over-year price increases across the housing types surveyed in the fourth quarter. Of particular interest is the increase in sales of higher-priced units, which were hit hard by the recession over the previous 12 months. There was a surge of first-time buyers active in the market last year, depleting the inventory of entry-level units. They are expected to be joined by move-up, executive, and luxury buyers in the coming year, resulting in additional price appreciation.

Winnipeg saw some of Canada’s largest home price increases this quarter. More than one third of homes sold in the region went for above their asking price driven largely by first time buyer activity. This strong growth is expected to continue well into 2010.
Inventory levels in Regina are low, as much as thirty per cent lower than expected for this time of year; this situation should be corrected in the spring of 2010. House prices should continue to increase into 2010, driven by labour force growth in the construction industry.
Price levels in Calgary remain constant as the market is correcting from the record growth seen in the middle of the previous decade. Inventory levels are one quarter the levels seen in 2008, and the reduction in choice has delayed purchases. Activity and price levels are expected to increase modestly in 2010.

House price levels in Edmonton are also still correcting from the 2005 to 2007 boom. Low inventory levels have provided some price support, and activity is expected to increase in the spring of 2010.

Vancouver saw significant gains in price levels, with average increases of approximately ten per cent across the housing types surveyed. Inventory levels are beginning to decrease, and there has been an increase in sales involving multiple offers. Sales activity may drop off due to the city’s focus on the Olympics in the first quarter, but the market is expected to be robust for the remainder of the year.

Royal LePage’s quarterly House Price Survey (Q4 2009) shows the annual change of prices for key housing segments in select national markets. Click here to view the chart (.PDF).
The Royal LePage Survey of Canadian House Prices is the largest, most comprehensive study of its kind in Canada, with information on seven types of housing in over 250 neighbourhoods from coast to coast. This release references an abbreviated version of the survey, which highlights house price trends for the three most common types of housing in Canada in 80 communities across the country. A complete database of past and present surveys is available on the Royal LePage Web site at www.royallepage.ca. Current figures will be updated following the complete tabulation of the data for the fourth quarter. A printable version of the fourth quarter 2009 survey will be available online on February 5th, 2010.

Housing values in the Royal LePage Survey are Royal LePage opinions of fair market value in each location, based on local data and market knowledge provided by Royal LePage residential real estate experts. Historical data is available for some areas back to the early 1970s.
About Royal LePageRoyal LePage is Canada’s leading provider of franchise services to residential real estate brokerages, with a network of nearly 14,000 real estate professionals in over 600 locations across Canada. Royal LePage believes in the importance of giving back to the community and is the only Canadian real estate company to have its own charitable foundation. The Shelter Foundation is dedicated exclusively to funding women’s shelters and violence prevention and education programs. Royal LePage is managed by Brookfield Real Estate Services, and is part of a brand family that includes Royal LePage, Johnston and Daniel, and La Capitale Real Estate Network. An affiliated company, Brookfield Real Estate Services Fund, is a TSX listed income trust, trading under the symbol “BRE.UN.”

For more information visit www.royallepage.ca.
For further information, please contact:
Tammy GilmerDirector, Public Relations and National CommunicationsRoyal LePage Real Estate Services416-510-5783

Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver

2010-01-24T13:53:00.001-08:00

2010 Winter Olympics
XXI Olympic Winter Games
The 2010 Winter Olympics logo,named Ilanaaq the Inukshuk.
Host city
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Motto
With glowing hearts/Des plus brillants exploits [1]
Nations participating
80+ (projected)[2]
Athletes participating
5,500 (projected)[2]
Events
86 in 7 sports
Opening ceremony
February 12
Closing ceremony
February 28
Stadium
BC Place Stadium
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, will be held on February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the resort town of Whistler and in Richmond, a Vancouver suburb. Both the Olympic and Paralympic Games are being organized by the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC). The 2010 Winter Olympics will be the third Olympics hosted by Canada, and the first by the province of British Columbia. Previously, Canada was home to the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec and the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta.
Following Olympic tradition, then Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan received the Olympic flag during the closing ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. The flag was raised on February 28, 2006, in a special ceremony, and will be on display at Vancouver City Hall until the Olympic opening ceremony. The event will be officially opened by Governor General Michaëlle Jean.[3]

Please check: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Winter_Olympics

Jump Start your Real Estate Career

2010-01-16T19:34:00.000-08:00

My dream came true!!! I have my very own first ebook and im selling it online with 24 cds of complete new real estate trends to make you the next top producer.

If you are new to the business this is a must to own 'coz you can beat the veterans with your new knowledge and easy to practice marketing. And if you have been in the business for a decade, you must own the cds to update you with the newest trends in real estate marketing.

Please check:

http://www.optimumsuccess.us/

Writing an ebook is easy especially if you know the topic that you want to write. This is my second internet product. The third one is on the making now and hopefully will be online before the end of the month. The Optimum Success website took me 4 straight days to make with all the paypal link and cd downloads that i organized. Now i can relate to those internet marketers who are multi-millionaires now. They said it takes months or even a year before the fun begins--when the money is pouring and it never stops. I am challenge and that is why i made some products online and see that it works. I will be posting more updates about this experience.

Back to Real Estate...

To your success,

G.Brewster

Recession? Where?

2010-01-14T11:02:00.000-08:00

The number of U.S. foreclosures hit a record-high 2.8 million properties in 2009, according to RealtyTrac, a 21 per cent jump from 2008. Foreclosures will continue in 2010 due to an unemployment rate of over 10 per cent and wage cuts.

I was recently in Chicago and spent my holidays with my relatives. From my eye point of view, recession doesn't even exist at all! My nephew who is in his mid 30's owns 3 properties (1 bungalow, a brandnew mansion and a condo) and drives a SUV Mercedez Benz plus another car. He started his own business at the peak of recession in States. His business is very successful and he is helping a lot of Health Industries Professions to get employment.

While he was driving us on his Benz around downtown Chicago, he told us that there was no recession and the media was very exagerated. He said we can listen to news and belive them or not. Of course if you believe them, you lost your power of hope and dreams. As self-development fanatic, i was listening and observing what he was saying. He is a very positive person, smart and follows his instinct. He doesn't allow the environment dictates him and this is why he is successful ni life. I just heard his wife just gave birth to his second child. As you all know, success is from the inside out. Abraham Hicks from The Law of attraction always tell us that we tell a story of what we want to happen and not what it is. We do create our own reality!!!!

While Vancouver is waiting for the Winter Olympic to happen, I'm pre-occupied building my real estate, self employed development internet online marketing that will generate thousands of dollars. In my own world, recession doesn't exist in States or Canada. I chose too!!!!! I have evidence! I saw people shop before and after Christmas in Chicago. The grocery stores and shopping centres were busy everyday. We chose what we want to focus. While the rest listen to news,the others are taking advantage of the economy. Two of my nieces in Chicago are buying Real Estates soon. Another friends of them are looking to buy too. I get calls from investors here--they are buying hotels and residential properties.

Opportunities are all over. Acres of Diamonds (Russell Conwell) are inside us. We just have to reach them!

Happy New Year!

Best Regards,

Grace Brewster
www.gracebrewster.com

Virtually in Vancouver

2009-12-16T23:43:00.000-08:00

I attended the Real Estate Conference in Seattle 2 weeks ago. It was 2 days of new learning in Real Estate Marketing. I didn't regret a thing even though I spent a lot of money for the seminar because when I came back to Vancouver and applied the system it sure works! It's only been 2 weeks, but I believe I can triple my commission in 2010 because of the new business system I'm using. It also means I can help more clients to achieve their Real Estate goals in 2010 in a smooth and unstress transactions.

Anyway, I wish I was open minded and was thinking outside the box few years ago when I started my career. I felt like I wasted so much time doing the same things like other Realtors did. However, I did a lot of self-developments in my spare time because I believe success comes from the inside out. Furthermore, I made it to the Top Producer in 2008. Thanks to all my friends who trusted me in Real Estate.

As Realtor and Mortgage Broker, I swing my schedules with my clients. I knew there was a different way to leverage myself while vacationing. Yes, I love to travel and this is why I'm Self-Employed. Two days ago, I came across a guy name Nate Kennedy and watched his webinar, "Learn How To Make Money Multiple Ways Before You Even Close A Real Estate Deal". We have the same careers and not only that, he also believes that Internet Marketing is a great way to generate an income while you travel. He joined the MLM and Internet Marketing and earns more than his real estate commission.

Today, I found another guy named Deagan Smith--The King of Never Call A Single Lead. I ordered his CDs for only $ 1. Like my Seattle Seminar sucess results, I will try and duplicate what Deagan teaches. I believe MLM is a great way of leveraging time and money. I like to have an income while I'm sleeping. No, im not lazy! I am driven single female. If other people made it succesful on Internet Marketing, I can too!!!

Check it out!

To end this blog. I want to share with you James Allen's quote:

"Our life is what our thoughts make it. A man will find that as he alters his thoughts toward things and other people, things and other people will alter towards him".

To read more of his inspirational quotes. Please go to:

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/james_allen_2.html

I will be in Chicago for more than two weeks spending my Christmas and New Year with family, but I know I will be generating clients while I'm virtually in Vancouver. Clients=Help=$$$. I like to buy another investment in 2010 and donate my time in a third world country to helping orphanage children to Dream Big!

For now, I am pre-occupied learning the Secret of Internet Marketing and getting ready for my winter trip! Sometimes, we just have to try new things to have different results! Isn't it Life is Beautiful?

Virtually Yours,

Grace Brewster
www.gracebrewster.com
1-888-569-1273

CANADIAN HOUSING: FIRST IN, FIRST OUT

2009-12-15T19:02:00.000-08:00

BUT WHERE TO FROM HERE?

Existing home sales and prices, as provided by the Canadian Real Estate Association
(CREA), went through a sharp downturn last year, falling by 40% and
12% respectively from their peak of late 2007. Just as quickly and sharply, a phenomenal rebound kicked off early this year and was still going strong early in the
fourth quarter. From their trough sales had surged by 74% as of October, while the
average price was 20% higher.

In this extremely sharp two-year cycle, the housing market has undeniably
held up to its ‘fi rst-in, fi rst out’ (FIFO) historical billing. The downturn in existing home sales and prices (Q1/2008) preceded the start of the technical recession(dated Q4/2008) by three quarters. On the fl ip side, the strong recovery in existing home sales and prices that started in earnest in Q1/2009 led the end of the technical recession (dated Q3/2009) and the start of the overall economic recovery by at least two quarters.

Furthermore, the Canadian resale housing market downturn and recovery was
as V-shaped as can be. A quick glance at the chart at the top of the next page shows
sales and the average price could make a calligrapher green with envy. The length of
each leg of this cycle was also nearly symmetric with the downturn lasting roughly
all of 2008 and the ensuing recovery spanning all of this year.

While in the thick of a recession, the strongest countervailing force that set the
stage for the mother of all rebounds, apart from lower prices, was lower interest
rates. Recall that the Bank of Canada began easing its monetary policy back in late
2007, when it was becoming clear that the U.S. economy was tilting into recession
and would surely drag Canada along with it.

By the time the recession offi cially hit in Canada a full year later, the overnight rate had already been slashed from 4.50% to 2.25%, more than halfway en route to its all-time low of 0.25% by April 2009.

All said, the housing market has gone beyond retracing its steps and fully
recovering from the end of 2007 – which had marked the peak of a half-decade
long boom, concentrated in Western Canada. As of October 2009, national sales
were running at a blistering 550K annual pace and the average price was $340K.

1. See “Real estate trends could impact future path of Canadian monetary policy”, October 6th 2009,
at
http://www.td.com/economics/special/ca1009_housing.pdf and resale housing outlook,

“Housing
markets rebound sharply, sidestepping the worst”,

October 7th 2009, at http://www.td.com/
economics/special/pg1009_rhousing.pdf

Existing home sales rise in US, but values still down

2009-11-26T13:15:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, 25 November 2009

As inventories continue to decline in the US, existing home sales jumped 10.1 per cent to a seasonally adjusted rate of 6.1 million units in October, from 5.54 million in September, according to the National Association of Real Estate. The figures easily beat predictions earlier from a Thomson Reuters poll of economists predicting home sales would increase just 1.4 per cent.

"The first-time homebuyer tax credit clearly was a motivating factor and an effective market stimulus to reduce inventories and help stabilize prices," says Mike Onorato, president of the Illinois Association of Realtors, which saw a 24.2 per cent increase in October home sales in that state.

Many real estate agents say the $8,000 tax credit for new homebuyer, which was set to expire on Nov. 30, pulled future buyers into the market earlier. If the tax credit had expired, the fear was the market would drop off in the winter and potentially beyond.

Hoping to stave that off, Congress renewed the credit earlier in November and broadened its reach to current homeowners as well. This latest move will expire on April 30, 2010. Current homeowners who have owned their homes for at least five years can now claim a tax credit of up to $6,500 for a home purchase.

Sales activity is at the highest pace since February 2007, when it hit 6.55 million.

"Many buyers have been rushing to beat the deadline for the first-time buyer tax credit that was scheduled to expire at the end of this month, and similarly robust sales may be occurring in November," says Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist.

He says it is likely such a spike in October would result in a decline in December and early next year, however, before a possible surge in the spring or early summer.

Yun says an encouraging factor is the historically low interest rates, which were at the third lowest level on record dating back to 1971.

Meanwhile, despite the increase in buyers, prices were still down in the US.

The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $173,100 in October, down 7.1 per cent from October 2008. That could largely be due to distressed properties, which accounted for 30 per cent of sales in October.

Source: mortgagebrokernews.ca

HST

2009-11-24T11:26:00.001-08:00

Government listens to Real Estate Board on HST

The BC Government has announced that it will exclude new homes costing up to $525,000 from its proposed 12 per cent Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) scheduled to take effect July 1, 2010.

The government has also increased the rebate of the provincial portion of the HST paid on a new home to a maximum of $26,250.

This represents a 30 per cent increase over the original government proposed home price threshold of $400,000 and maximum rebate of $20,000.

This is good news for the Real Estate Board and proof that its lobbying efforts produce results.

In October, 2009, the Board asked the government to raise the threshold for the HST on new homes as well as the new housing rebate.

Clearly the government listened to the Board and the real estate sector.

“We heard the concerns from consumers and industry about how the HST might affect home buyers, and
this increase will move the threshold to above the average new home price in the province,” said the Hon. Colin Hansen, Minister of Finance.

A similar rebate will also support the construction or substantial renovation of affordable rental housing.

The government has released its proposed Residential Housing New Housing Rebates and Transitional Rules for British Columbia HST, which provides details on new housing rebates including transitional rules for real property. This includes:

Transitional rules: the HST would not apply to sales of new homes where ownership or possession is transferred before July 1, 2010;

Grandparenting: sales of new homes under written agreements of purchase and sale including presales entered into on or before midnight November 18, 2009, would generally not be subject to the provincial portion of the HST, even if both ownership and possession are transferred on or after July 1, 2010. Any home sold on or after November 19, 2009 is subject to HST transitional rules.

For a copy of the new Transitional Rules, visit: http://www.sbr.gov.bc.ca/business/Consumer_Taxes/Harmonized_Sales_Tax/HST_Transitional_Rules.html

High sales levels spur rise in home values

2009-11-20T14:20:00.001-08:00

This blog is brought to you by LIFESTYLENOW

Strong demand has led to a steady rise in Greater Vancouver home prices compared to last year.

Over the last 12 months, the MLSLink® Housing Price Index (HPI) benchmark price for all residential properties in Greater Vancouver increased 6.8 per cent to $553,702 from $518,668 in October 2008.

“While home prices have been rising in 2009, they have not eclipsed the peaks reached in early 2008,” Scott Russell, Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) president said. “We’re coming off several months of unseasonably high sales levels, which has allowed for a gradual increase in home values this year,”

The REBGV reports that residential property sales in Greater Vancouver totalled 3,704 in October 2009, an increase of 4.1 per cent from the 3,559 sales recorded in September 2009, and an increase of 171.6 per cent compared to October 2008 when 1,364 sales were recorded. Looking back two years, last month’s sales increased 22.3 per cent compared to October 2007 when 3,028 sales were recorded.

“High confidence and low mortgage rates are continuing to drive the activity we’re seeing in the housing market today,” Russell said.

New listings for detached, attached and apartment properties in Greater Vancouver totalled 4,977 in October 2009. This represents a 2.3 per cent increase compared to October 2008 when 4,867 new units were listed, and a 13.4 per cent decline compared to September 2009 when 5,764 properties were listed on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in Greater Vancouver.

At 12,084, the total number of property listings on the MLS® decreased 4.1 per cent in October compared to last month and declined 37 per cent from this time last year.

Sales of detached properties increased 201.6 per cent to 1,487 from the 493 detached sales recorded during the same period in 2008. The benchmark price, as calculated by the MLSLink Housing Price Index®, for detached properties increased 7.7 per cent from October 2008 to $749,808.

Sales of apartment properties in October 2009 increased 148.4 per cent to 1,607, compared to 647sales in October 2008. The benchmark price of an apartment property increased 6.3 per cent from October 2008 to $380,975.

Attached property sales in October 2009 are up 172.3 per cent to 610, compared with the 224 sales in October 2008. The benchmark price of an attached unit increased 4.6 per cent between Octobers 2008 and 2009 to $468,798.

-30-

The Real Estate industry is a key economic driver in British Columbia. In 2008, 24,626 homes changed hands in the Board's area generating $1.03 billion in spin-offs. The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver is an association representing more than 9,400 REALTORS®. The Real Estate Board provides a variety of membership services, including the Multiple Listing Service®. For more information on real estate, statistics, and buying or selling a home, contact a local REALTOR® or visit www.rebgv.org.

For more information please contact:
Craig Munn, Assistant Manager of Communications
Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver
Phone: (604) 730-3146
cmunn@rebgv.org

CAAMP report calls Canadians' debt load "reasonable"

2009-11-20T14:16:00.000-08:00

| Tuesday, 17 November 2009

On the heels of CAAMP's latest fall survey report on the residential mortgage market, there is concern that mortgage debt is rising and that Canadians are taking out longer-term mortgages. But despite the number of long-term mortgages almost doubling between 2007 and 2009, CAAMP's chief economist Will Dunning said Canadians' mortgage debt remains reasonable.

"While many Canadians have been negatively affected by the recession and worry about the future, the vast majority are in solid financial situations," said Dunning. "Consumers continue to be thoughtful and strategic about their mortgage decisions, treating home ownership as the bedrock of their personal financial plans, and their decisions have provided stability as we weather these challenging economic times."

The CAAMP survey also found that 80 per cent of respondents have more than 20 per cent equity in their homes and fewer took equity out of their mortgages this fall compared to a year ago. Recent statistics from the Canadian Bankers' Association show that 0.43 per cent of mortgages are in arrears, a number that has stayed fairly stable over the past six months.

Another key finding of the survey was the surprisingly higher number of respondents optimistic about the housing market - 61 per cent said they felt it was a good time to buy a home, nearly double the response from last year.

"Attitudes about whether this is a good time to buy a home have never been higher in the three years that CAAMP has surveyed on that question," the report said. "Only a small minority expects house prices to fall, and more than one half expect stable prices."

Source: mortgagebrokernews.ca

Housing Activity to Strengthen in 2010

2009-11-08T23:52:00.001-08:00

October Housing Starts
OTTAWA, November 9, 2009 — The seasonally adjusted annual rate1 of housing starts reached 157,300 units in October. This is an increase from 149,300 units started in September, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

“The improvement in housing starts in October is attributable to improvement in the multiple starts segment,” said Bob Dugan, Chief Economist at CMHC’s Market Analysis Centre. “Despite a small decline in single home starts in October, the level of single home starts remains at its second highest level since October 2008.”

The seasonally adjusted annual rate of urban starts increased by 5.2 per cent to 139,900 units in October. Urban multiple starts climbed 13.8 per cent to 72,600 units, while urban single starts declined by 2.7 per cent to 67,300 units in October.

October’s seasonally adjusted annual rate of urban starts increased by 15 per cent in British Columbia, by 14.8 per cent in Ontario, by 6.5 per cent in the Prairies and by 1.2 per cent in the Atlantic. The rate of urban starts decreased by 11.6 per cent in Quebec.

Rural starts were estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 17,400 units in October2.

As Canada's national housing agency, CMHC draws on more than 60 years of experience to help Canadians access a variety of quality, environmentally sustainable and affordable homes. CMHC also provides reliable, impartial and up-to-date housing market reports, analysis and knowledge to support and assist consumers and the housing industry in making vital decisions.

For more information, call 1-800-668-2642.

1 All starts figures in this release, other than actual starts, are seasonally adjusted annual rates (SAAR) — that is, monthly figures adjusted to remove normal seasonal variation and multiplied by 12 to reflect annual levels.

2 CMHC estimates the level of rural starts for each of the three months of the quarter, at the beginning of each quarter. During the last month of the quarter, CMHC conducts the survey in rural areas and revises the estimate.

Information on this release:
Charles Sauriol
CMHC
Media Relations
Tel.: 613-748-2799
csauriol@cmhc-schl.gc.ca

For regional starts information contact:
Atlantic provinces:
Alex MacDonald
CMHC
902-426-8964
amacdona@cmhc-schl.gc.ca

Ontario:
Ted Tsiakopoulos
CMHC
416-218-3407
ttsiakop@cmhc-schl.gc.ca

British Columbia:
Valerie Rosenthal
CMHC
604-202-2609
vrosenth@cmhc-schl.gc.ca
Quebec:
Kevin Hughes
CMHC
514-283-4488
khughes@cmhc-schl.gc.ca

Prairie provinces:
Lai Sing Louie
CMHC
403-515-2991
llouie@cmhc-schl.gc.ca

Housing Starts, Actual and SAAR*
Actual SAAR
October
2008 October
2009 September
2009 October
2009
Final Preliminary Final Preliminary
Canada, all areas 19,597 15,828 149,300 157,300
Canada, rural areas 2,208 1,738 16,300 17,400
Canada, urban centres** 17,389 14,090 133,000 139,900
Canada, singles, urban centres 6,411 6,536 69,200 67,300
Canada, multiples, urban centres 10,978 7,554 63,800 72,600

Atlantic region, urban centres 950 788 8,100 8,200
Quebec, urban centres 4,144 3,065 36,100 31,900
Ontario, urban centres 7,403 5,940 48,500 55,700
Prairie region, urban centres 2,516 2,771 26,300 28,000
British Columbia, urban centres 2,376 1,526 14,000 16,100

Source: CMHC
*Seasonally adjusted annual rates
**Urban centres with a population of 10,000 and over.
Detailed data available upon request.

GO GREEN

2009-10-30T00:34:00.000-07:00

Please click the Green Product below. No phosphates, chlorine, or other unpleasant ingredients that could harm the environment.

Introduction to Built Green BC

Built Green™ promotes construction of buildings that are healthier for the occupants and healthier for the environment. Sustainable or “green” building practices can reduce the tremendous impact that building has on both people and nature.
▪ Better energy efficiency means comfort and long term savings for the homeowner. ▪ Healthier indoor air means comfort, better health and peace of mind for the family. ▪ Durable, reduced-maintenance materials mean a longer life for the home and long term savings. ▪ Preserving natural resources means leaving more for future generations to enjoy. Informing and educating the home-buying public on the value of a home that meets Built Green™ standards are one of the primary undertakings of the program. An informed buyer will recognize the value of greater energy efficiency, healthier indoor air, reduced water usage, and improved comfort. Sustainable building practices go beyond energy and water conservation, resource efficient building materials and superior indoor environmental quality. Some of the key benefits are: ▪ Lower electric and water utility costs ▪ Environmentally effective use of building materials ▪ Enhanced health and productivity ▪ Long-term economic returns ▪ Reduced environmental impact

The homebuyer will know that their Built Green™ home represents their commitment to the environment, future generations and improving the way we live. Resource and environment-conscious homebuyers will look for Built Green™ certification when choosing their home. A Built Green™ home certification offers participating builders an excellent way to distinguish themselves in the marketplace. Market research shows that consumers take environmental concerns and long-term energy costs into consideration when making purchasing decisions. Builders can demonstrate their environmental leadership by participating in Built Green™ and produce a great home.

How the program works

Membership in Built Green™ is open to all members of participating Home Builders’ Associations (HBA’s) including builders, renovators, product suppliers or manufacturers, service providers, community developers and municipalities. Builders and Renovators can demonstrate to consumers the environmental stewardship of the building industry by building more energy efficient homes that have a reduced impact on the environment. For product suppliers/manufacturers or service providers, it opens up a new marketplace To join Built Green™ visit, http://www.builtgreencanada.ca/
The program concentrates on four separate and distinct target areas: ▪ Energy efficiency ▪ Indoor air quality ▪ Resource use (including waste management) ▪ Overall environmental impact

Builders and consumers can choose from four “built green” achievement levels; Bronze represents the minimum level, Silver and Gold the intermediate levels, and Platinum is the maximum achievement level of the four “green” target areas. Builders and consumers have the flexibility to choose which package and point level works for them. Because of the range and number of options available under the Built Green™ Checklist, each builder can choose to “build green” somewhat differently.

In order to complete the EnerGuide rating for the home, a mandatory blower door test must be done on each home prior to occupancy. The actual results of the test will determine the final EnerGuide rating and the subsequent level of achievement in Built Green™. The home will receive an EnerGuide for New Houses rating label and the official Built Green™ seal for the Built Green™ home.

Builder Training

Training is required to become a certified Built Green™ Builder. The Built Green™ BC Builder Training Workshop is required by all Builder/Renovator members prior to enrolling new homes in the program. Visit http://www.chbabc.org/ to find the course calendar and register for the training session of your choice.
Easy Steps to be Built Green™
1. Become a member of Built Green™. 2. Successfully complete the Built Green™ Training. 3. Develop the option package(s) for your Built Green™ Certified Home utilizing the Built Green™ Checklist. 4. Evaluate plan(s) you will want to enroll in the program by hiring a Certified Energy Advisor. 5. Register the new home with Built Green™. 6. Build the new home. 7. Arrange a “blower door test” prior to homeowner possession. 8. Receive the EnerGuide for New Houses rating label and official Built Green™ seal. Click here to join Built Green™ BC

Built Green™ Product Order Form
Click here to download the Built Green™ product order form.

Click here to view Built Green™ members in your neighbourhood.

For more information please contact
Jennifer Shaw
jshaw@chbabc.org
1.800.231.1336

Kelly Rowsell
kelly@chbabc.org
604.432.7112

Click here to visit the Built Green™ Canada Website.

The World's Greatest Business Mind by Affirmation

2009-04-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

You have an awesome power that most of us have never been taught to use effectively. Elite athletes use it. The super rich use it. And peak performers in all fields now use it. That power is called visualization.

WATCH MY VIDEO by clicking the TV

The daily practice of visualizing your dreams as already complete can rapidly accelerate your achievement of those dreams, goals and ambitions. Visualization of your goals and desires accomplishes four very important things.

It activates your creative subconscious which will start generating creative ideas to achieve your goal.

It programs your brain to more readily perceive and recognize the resources you will need to achieve your dreams.

It activates the law of attraction, thereby drawing into your life the people, resources, and circumstances you will need to achieve your goals.

It builds your internal motivation to take the necessary actions to achieve your dreams.

Visualization is really quite simple. You sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes and imagine — in as vivid detail as you can — what you would be looking at if the dream you have were already realized. Imagine being inside of yourself, looking out through your eyes at the ideal result.

Tapping into the powers of the brain with visualization will begin to function as if your goals are already attained. Your brain will work tirelessly to achieve the statements you give your subconscious mind. And when those statements are the affirmation of your goals, you are certain to achieve them!

Because your mind responds strongly to visual stimulation - by representing your goals with pictures and images you will stimulate your emotions… and your emotions are the vibrational energy that activates the Law of Attraction.

Create a personal video that clearly depicts the future you wish to create. Find pictures that represent or symbolize the experiences, feelings, and possessions you want to attract into your life, and place them in video. Have fun with the process! Use photographs, magazine cutouts, pictures from the Internet - whatever inspires you. Be creative. Include not only pictures, but anything that speaks to you.

Success Focus

2009-04-29T04:13:00.000-07:00

There are people who take action after action, and sometimes they fail and sometimes they succeed. It may seem like that is the way to do things. But yet there are the ones who can take action and each time produce results that are considered to be success. There is a key difference in the way things are being done, that separates the successful people from the super successful ones. When you learn that success can come each time you do anything, you can have power to make every act a success.

What makes something successful depends on the intent and energy you put into it. All of creation is the result of intent and energy. When you put in the required intent and energy to make anything happen, it can turn out no other way but a success. The reason why people who take lots of action seem to succeed some of the time and fail at other times, is because they are not approaching each task with full intent of success. They are approaching each act as an attempt rather than doing the work fully.

Your beliefs determine the reality you are capable of experiencing. If you believe that you may not succeed in everything you do, then that is the reality you experience. If you believe that it is absolutely possible to experience success each and every time you truly do anything, then that is the reality you experience. What separates the successful from the super successful is a whole world view of difference. The super successful think and act like God and that’s why they attain godlike results of success.

God or infinite intelligence comprehends only success and not failure, and that is why God can only succeed and never fail. If we can realize who we are as projections of God consciousness, we can achieve the same unfailing results of omnipotence. The way to thinking and acting like God is to put yourself wholly into every action. Focus all your intent and energy into the process of creation itself. Do or don’t do, there is no try. Do it fully and believe it to be a success. The result will only be as you intended.

All creation is an act of will. With the power of the will, you can do anything. The reason for different degrees of success among men lies in the level of will utilized. The will is the faculty of concentration. The level of concentration is level of will. The difference in concentration explains the difference in the manifestation of mental power among men. Through concentration you can get anything you desire. Every desire can be gratified. But whether it is, will depend upon you concentrating to have that desire fulfilled.

You have to intend into the action or process. Every action can be made powerful and successful by holding your vision while doing it, and putting your whole purpose and faith in it. Most people fail by separating mental power from personal action. They use the power of mind at one place and time, but yet they act at another place and time. So their actions are inefficient and unsuccessful. But if all power both mental and physical goes into every act, no matter how ordinary, every act will be a success in itself.

Your will power or energy of intent is like the steam that runs the steam engine of a train. If you want to use your full amount of steam, you must close your valves and direct your power of generating mental steam toward one end. Center your mind on one purpose, one plan, one transaction. Just as it is impossible for a steam engine to run with all its valves open, so is it impossible for you to waste your energy and run at top speed. Focus all your power to make what you do a success, one act at a time.

The secret of success is to be able to hold all of our energies upon one point, to focus all of the scattered rays of the mind upon one place or thing. Use will power in concentrating your mind upon what you are doing at a given moment, and then turning to something else. Hold all of your powers with a firm hand. He who has a firm will molds the world unto himself. The outcome of your every action will not be subjected to external forces because your intent will control those forces to bring you success.

Will is focused intent. You use your will by focusing your intent. The secret of success is focus and consciousness of success. The more you focus on the intent of what you are doing and the success of your action, the more your actions will lead to success. To have a consciousness of success also requires your intent to be backed up by belief in success. Feel that you can accomplish anything you undertake. Many undertake to do things, but feel when they start they are going to fail, therefore they do.

An example would be when you go to a store looking for a particular item. You’re told by the store assistant that they don’t have it. But being determined to get it, you inquire if he knows where to get it. After another unsatisfactory answer, you consult the manager and finally find where the item can be bought. That is the whole secret of concentrating on getting what you want. Your soul is a center of all-power, and you can accomplish whatever you will to. “I’ll find a way or make one!” is the spirit that wins.

When you know that with great concentration you can focus the power of omnipotence, you will kill out entirely your belief in your limitations and at the same time drive away all fear and other negative and destructive thought forces which constantly work against you. In the place of these you will build up a strong assurance that your every venture will be successful. When you learn thus how to concentrate and reinforce your thought, you control your mental creations. You become a master of success.

Buying with Attitude

2009-04-29T02:31:00.000-07:00

Throughout my real estate career, I mostly work with Buyers. Working with so many Buyers, I can tell if the client would find his/her home in months or weeks. There are two kinds of clients in the world. The Optimistic and the Pessimistic.

The Optimistic ones are those clients who see the big pictures. Big pictures such as the equity of the property in few years and what they can do with the money, the profit from living in the property for few years and the privilege of owning a home. Small pictures such as cosmetic wall paintings, renovated kitchen with granite countertop, solid oak floors and more. Even how ugly is the place, they still see the benefit of home ownership compared from renting. On the other hand, the Pessimistic clients are those who see small and big pictures such as the color of the walls,the chip on the painting, the dirty stove and the smell of the house. They also question themselves what would happen if in a year there would be a levy or the pipe would burst, the sink would overflow and a lot more.

Are you an Optimist or a Pessimist Buyer? There's nothing wrong of what you are feeling. Real Estate purchase is a big investment and people are careful not to have extra expenses that might come up after buying a home. The first three months is an adjustment period from renting to owning. Not only after spending 1.5% closing costs in buying the property, but paying the bills and strata and property tax is a shock especially for first time buyers.

What you focus is what you attract. Do you see yourself as being the creator of what happens, or a victim of circumstances? When you see yourself as being at the effect of some cause over which you have little or no control, you feel helpless. In effect, you actually become helpless, because what ever you believe tends to manifest in reality. When you see yourself as being at effect, you automatically filter out all the possible ways you could create something different, and all the ways you have personal power. You do not see them at all. They disappear from your awareness, as if they did not exist at all.

If you think you are at effect look outside of yourself for some cause on which to blame what is happening. When you do that, such a cause will ALWAYS appear, even it isn’t really the cause. The result is that you feel helpless, and ARE helpless.

You can let the Fear overwhelmed you or you overcome Fear. And you know if you have fear, you will not move forward. You may as well be dead. Stop thinking of the worst things. Enjoy the ownership and the moments you spend in your home. Think of big pictures! Owning real estate is an Asset! Observe the people who rent all their lives and people who are owners. Who achieve great wealth? You know the answer. Happy house hunting!

About the Author: Grace Brewster is a Real Estate/Mortgage Consultant and the Law of Attraction believer. Within the first two years of her career, she manifest everything she desired. Her Goal is to help women and their families to own real estate.

Success is from the Inside Out Even in Real Estate

2009-04-28T22:44:00.000-07:00

Working as one of the top producer REALTORS® for Royal LePage, I met so many clients with different situations. Some earn minimum wage and own more than one property. Others earn above the minimum wage and own no property. What is the secret? It's the state of mind. Owning real estate starts from the mind. First you write your real estate goals. Second, you dream and things will manifest when you harmonize with the Law. When you write your goals and picture yourself that you already have the posession of your house, you attract the people who would help you.

I have clients who found me on google. With just one type of word, they end up on my site that we can't even explain. How did it happen? These people are sending the vibration to the Universe about their desire and because I have a very strong magnet to help people with their real estate goals, we connect by the Law of Attraction.

Success Begins with Believing. If you are going to be successful in spite of a recession and create the life of your dreams, you have to believe that you are capable of making it happen. You have to believe you have the right stuff, that you are able to pull it off.

You have to believe in yourself. Whether you call it self-esteem, self-confidence, or self-assurance, it is a deep-seeded belief that you have what it takes - the abilities, inner resources, talents, and skills to create your desired results.

Ultimately, you must learn to control your self-talk, eliminate any negative and limiting beliefs, and maintain a constant state of positive expectations.

Control Your Self-Talk. Researchers have found that the average person thinks as many as 50,000 thoughts a day. Sadly, many of those thoughts are negative — I’m not management material… I’ll never lose weight… It doesn’t matter what I do, nothing ever works out for me.
This is what psychologists call victim language. Victim language actually keeps you in a victim state of mind. It is a form of self-hypnosis that lulls you into a belief that you are unlovable and incompetent.

In order to get what you want from life, you need to give up this victim language and start talking to yourself like a winner - I can do it…

You Are Always Programming Your Subconscious Mind. Your subconscious mind is like the crew of a ship. You are it’s captain. It is your job to give the crew orders. And when you do this, the crew takes everything you say literally. The crew (your subconscious) has no sense of humor.

This power of your subconscious mind is the reason you must become very vigilant and pay careful attention to your spoken and internal statements. Unfortunately, most people don’t realize they are committing negative self-talk, which is why it is best to enlist another person — your success partner — in monitoring each other’s speaking. You can have a signal for interrupting each other when you use victim language.

Use Affirmations to Build Self-ConfidenceOne of the most powerful tools for building self-worth and self-confidence is the repetition of positive statements until they become a natural part of the way you think.

These “affirmations” act to crowd out and replace the negative orders you have been sending your crew (your subconscious mind) all these years. I suggest that you create a list of 10 to 20 statements that affirm your belief in your worthiness and your ability to create the life of your dreams.

Of course, what to believe is up to you, but here are some examples of affirmations that have worked for others in the past:

I am worthy of love, joy and success.
I am smart and make wise choices.
I am loveable and capable.
I create anything I want.
I am able to solve any problem that comes my way.
I can handle anything that life hands me.
I have all the energy I need to do everything I want to do.
I am attracting all the right people into my life.
Believing in Yourself is an Attitude. Believing in yourself is a choice.

It’s an attitude you develop over time. It’s now your responsibility to take charge of your own self-concept and your beliefs. It might help to know that the latest brain research now indicates that with enough positive self-talk and positive visualization combined with the proper training, coaching, and practice, anyone can learn to do almost anything.

You must choose to believe that you can do anything you set your mind to - anything at all - because, in fact, you can!

Wealth is a State of Mind

2009-04-28T21:30:00.000-07:00

To find riches, we don't need to go far, but to connect within our deepest self. Owning a property is considered wealth because of its long term profit. Real Estate is affordable right now and because of it, people are attracted to owning a home. Without an action, your dream of wealth will just be another dream. As REALTOR® and working with my mortgage team and lawyer, we are instruments to help you start owning your wealth.

Wealth is your birthright. It’s everyone’s birthright! The silver spoon was in your mouth on the day you were born. You may not realize it because you think that to have riches you need lots of cash or financial holdings - or a genuine silver spoon -but this is a very limited and distorted way of thinking about wealth. Being rich doesn’t necessarily mean you have a pile of $100 bills, a stack of gold bars, or a mink coat in your closet.

What most people don’t understand is that wealth is an energy force. Every one of us can tap into this wonderful force whenever we like because it comes from a divine source of abundance that is always available to us. We’re all born with access to this faucet of abundance. Turn it on and you’ll find that wealth manifests in your life in many different ways: You may have plenty of friends and family, a treasure chest full of ideas, abundant joy and enthusiasm, and any number of expressions of affluence. When you develop the 21 Distinctions of Wealth, you’ll know how to turn on that faucet.

A major reason why most of us block the flow of wealth and abundance is that we get stuck on the details of how it shows up in our lives. This blinds us to the creativity of the Universe, which has far more clever ideas about how to manifest riches than we can possibly imagine. We insist that we want cash or gold, but really, what good is a stack of green paper or a bar of gold? What can you do with them?

I suppose that you could use a bar of gold as a paperweight or to prop a door open, and you might use a piece of that green paper to mark your place in this book. Currency, precious metals, jewels, and fur aren’t wealth; they’re merely symbols of it, representing something of value that can be exchanged for something else of value. If you recognize all the forms of wealth available to you, you can start trading them in for what you most value.

Right this moment, you may be extremely wealthy and not even realize it. Everyone has a great deal of value, or assets, that they can enjoy and increase. You probably don’t have stacks of bills or gold bars lying around your home, but I’m certain that you have a personal hidden gold mine you can work with and turn into another form of wealth. Your gold is special because unlike the precious metal, it’s magnetic. Once you recognize it, value it, feel gratitude for it, and experience the joy of possessing it, you’ll find that your gold is vibrating and acting as a magnet, attracting even more wealth to you.

Do you doubt that you have a hidden gold mine? Most of us focus on what we lack and overlook our special gifts, qualities, and resources - whether it’s our creativity, our abundant love, our willingness to work hard, our excellent communication skills, our boundless enthusiasm, or some other quality or skill that has great value. Instead, we start subscribing to negative thinking and telling ourselves that we can’t have wealth, that it’s foolish to hope for it. These kinds of thoughts and the oppressive feelings they create blind us to the riches we hold within us.

What qualities and resources have you forgotten about because you haven’t considered just how valuable they are? What are your overlooked blessings? What do you possess that can be exchanged for what you most desire? You may be thinking, I don’t have what it takes to be wealthy. I don’t have the right skills, the education, the connections, or the time to create wealth. Yet if you look carefully, you might unearth talents, wisdom, qualities, resources, and ideas that are secretly worth a fortune.

Like everyone else, you were born with precious seeds of wealth . . . but have you claimed them, planted them, and nourished them? Some people are born with a knack for making friends and networking with other people—they might know the very individual who can direct them to where they need to be in order to receive the riches that are ready to flow into their lives. Others are tremendously creative and hardworking by nature, but they end up squandering precious time and never planting the seeds of their ideas in fertile ground. Still other people are brilliant observers and communicators who have the potential to transform those exceptional talents into another form of abundance.

If you’re blind to the gold beneath the surface, it’s because you lack the positive emotions that would open your eyes and allow you to rediscover and claim your birthright - emotions such as faith, confidence, worthiness, joy, enthusiasm, and abundance. Yes, abundance is an emotion. Feel it and experience it and your eyes will open to all the affluence already present in your life. Then you’ll attract even more of it to you. Your wealth is there before you - ready to be claimed, invested, exchanged, built upon, and enjoyed.

Wealth truly is every human being’s birthright. The Divine doesn’t want us to go without. That’s why we’re born with curious minds; the potential to think, speak, and create something new; and open hearts that are willing to trust and believe in the seemingly impossible. Try telling a child that she can’t possibly become a princess in a castle and she’s likely to roll her eyes at how unimaginative and foolish you are. Much too quickly, we lose our ability to believe that we can live a life of opulence and luxury.

Look around at our world, lush with life and filled with strange and extraordinary creatures who remind us that the “impossible” is possible. (I once read that honeybees aren’t supposed to be able to fly according to the laws of aerodynamics, but they do it anyway!) Think of the millions of microscopic creatures and countless leaves on all the trees in the world. What makes us think there isn’t enough abundance to go around? Human beings in the most primitive living conditions have created art, music, tools, and new ideas and found resources to draw upon. The Divine gave us the ability to conceive and create, to think and to dream. So why don’t we believe we can manifest what we desire?

You, too, have this ability to reclaim your birthright and start living a prosperous, abundant life. All you have to do is let go of the negative thoughts and feelings that have been blocking you and open yourself up to the gifts you were born with.