Real Estate News & Articles

Vancouver & B.C. real-estate news, market commentary and articles from Les Twarog & Sonja Pedersen — 14376 articles going back to 2004.

Showing page 378 of 599 · 14376 articles

Finding the upside of the homes market

2009-04-01

Government trying to make mortgages easily available while preventing foreclosures Ray Turchansky Sun Jim Stirr , a 48-year-old brewery worker, had rented in Edmonton for seven years and suddenly found himself facing a monthly increase that…

Protecting your largest investment

2009-04-01

Mortgage insurance provides coverage in the event of an unexpected emergency Denise Deveau Sun June Jell and her husband declined mortgage insurance six months before he died. Shortly after, she lost their home. HUGH WESLEY/ CNS June Jell w…

Going green is getting easier

2009-04-01

Governments, lenders offering many rebates to encourage energy-efficient home upgrades Denise Deveau Sun Mark Raes received $ 3,200 in rebates for his upgrades and is enjoying roughly 30-per-cent savings on his energy bills. KAZ EHARA/ CNS …

Need renos? A car? Try a home equity loan

2009-04-01

Favourable interest rates on line of credit give homeowners another way to borrow money Denise Deveau Sun Dyna Vink decided to use some of the equity she had her in home to finance the purchase of a new car. JOHN MAJOR / CNS When Dyna Vink …

Knowing your budget is half the battle

2009-04-01

Affordability is a necessity for first-time homebuyers regardless of their financial situation Derek Sankey Sun Sue and Paul Anderson, pictured with son Trystan, are happy to be moving into their first new home, in Calgary. The family, trou…

Mortgage brokers get some respect

2009-04-01

No longer the lender of last resort Derek Sankey Sun More than a decade ago, Bob Alexander was working as a professional accountant when he walked into a bank to get a mortgage. When he got turned down, he was completely baffled. "My friend…

Get the goods on first-time mortgage costs

2009-04-01

Denise Deveau Sun There's nothing like the excitement you feel when signing your first mortgage -- until you start discovering all those extra costs you hadn't counted on. Taxes, lawyers' fees, inspections and surveys are all part of the mo…

Mortgages are about what makes sense instead of saving cents

2009-04-01

Fixed vs. flexible Ray Turchansky Sun Traditionally, the most important consideration in choosing a fixed or variable mortgage has traditionally been which strategy would save the most money. But that might no longer be the case: Choosing a…

Short amortization period pays off in the end

2009-04-01

Ray Turchansky Sun One of the least-known secrets among new homebuyers in particular is the huge effect the amortization period of your mortgage has on the interest you will pay during its lifetime. Decades ago, a young Edmontonian bought h…

Conficker has little impact now, but PC worm could hit later

2009-04-01

Jon Swartz USA Today SAN FRANCISCO — For one day, at least, Conficker was more April Fools' prank than devastating PC menace. The computer worm, which has quickly tainted millions of PCs and was programmed to possibly inflict more dam…

Recreation properties take a hit

2009-03-31

Home equity and investment losses sap capital that once poured into B.C. Derrick Penner Sun Invermere realtor Wende Brash surmises that what's happening on the streets of Calgary has a lot to do with the slow sales of vacation property on t…

Jan. home prices in record fall; confidence edges up in March

2009-03-31

USA Today WASHINGTON (AP) — Home prices in January were down a record 19% from January 2008, according to the Standard & Poor's/Case- Shiller 20-city housing index released Tuesday, and a gauge of consumer confidence rose slightly…

To speculate in real estate is tempting fate: Author

2009-03-30

Ditch get-rich-quick schemes for solid investments Pamela Fieber Province Don Campbell, the author of Real Estate Investing in Canada, says do your homework and don’t let fear hold you back. The recession isn't necessarily bad news if…

Ubertor CEO has tips on how to run a Virtual Office from anywhere in the world

2009-03-30

Gmail, Yammer allow employees to 'commute' to work from Tahiti Gillian Shaw Sun Entrepreneur Steve Jagger recently told members of the Vancouver chapter of the Entrepreneurs' Organization (http://www.eonetwork.org) how his companies, Uberto…

Bylaws must conform to provincial and federal laws

2009-03-29

Tony Gioventu Province Dear Condo Smarts: Our strata corporation adopted a bylaw two years ago that prohibits the display of signs for provincial and municipal elections, and prohibits access to our building for campaigning. They have alway…

Price cut gets phone ringing

2009-03-29

carrington: Homes that used to start at $669,900 are now on for $569,900 Kate Webb Province The Carrington townhomes on the corner of Oak St. and West 45th include two-bedroom and three-bedroom-plus-den floorplans. Photograph by: Photos by …

Most expensive home for sale: $150M for Aaron Spelling's mansion

2009-03-29

Alex Veiga USA Today The widow of producer Aaron Spelling is placing the 56,000 square-foot house in the exclusive Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles on the market for $150 million, 1993 AP file photo LOS ANGELES — The widow of …

Digital downloads kill music on discs

2009-03-28

Commercial CDs head the way of the eight-track while recording companies miss out on revenue Gillian Shaw Sun Music CD sales have dropped by half from their peak a decade ago, but unlike the decline of vinyl records and eight-track tapes, t…

These walls will really grow on you

2009-03-28

Green roofs are often out of sight and inaccessible, but green walls are visible to all Kim Davis Sun The living wall recently installed by G-Sky outside the new Whole Foods Market at Cambie and Eighth. KIM DAVIS/ SPECIAL TO THE VANCOUVER S…

Manufactured (Mobile Homes) Legislation General Rules

2009-03-27