The Pearce Team
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Switching to a new school can cause children considerable stress and anxiety.  If your child has just started at a new school, the following tips will help make the transition a little smoother:
  1. Be Positive - Discuss your children's fears while encouraging a confident approach to making new friends.

  2. Fear Not - Chances are, you'll be a little nervous too.  Be careful not to transfer your anxieties over to them.

  3. Join Up - Encourage your children to join school clubs/teams and participate in after-school activities in order to meet new friends and have fun.

  4. Stay in Touch - Make sure your kids know they’re still able to see their old friends.  Help your children keep in touch by encouraging them to invite old friends over for visits.

  5. Do Your Part - Parent/teacher groups are a great way for you to connect with the school community.  Attending field trips is another great way to get involved.

Moving to a new school can be a difficult transition so try and emphasize the positive when discussing the challenges and opportunities your children face.  If you encourage them to share their feelings with you, it'll be much easier for them to adjust to their new surroundings.
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Successful negotiating skills aren't just for the business world; they're for everyday situations.  Whether you're renting a car, asking for a raise or trying to get your kids to clean up their room, negotiating skills are essential.

Negotiating is a life skill that can be easily learned and eventually perfected.  Your success isn't based on how well you can argue but how well you're prepared.  The best thing you can do before entering negotiations is to do your homework.  Listening skills and a positive attitude are also very important.

A home purchase is a huge investment that's fraught with emotions.  If you negotiate with someone directly in such an emotionally charged situation, chances are that negative personal feelings will get in the way.  It's hard to recover once that happens and often times, the home of your dreams will be lost due to ego, pride and principle.

The home buying process comes with a very steep learning curve so it's best to use an agent to ensure there are no regrets.  Buyer's remorse is no fun, especially when it comes to real estate.  In order to successfully negotiate, you need to know as much as possible about the house itself, the motivations of the buyer/seller, the local market conditions and so on.

Real estate agents can also point you in the right direction when it comes to financing to ensure you receive a mortgage that satisfies the conditions of your offer.  Mortgage brokers negotiate with several banks at once to create a bidding war for your business.  They can then arrange financing quickly and at the best possible rates and terms which translates into thousands of dollars in savings.

Emotions run very high when it comes to buying or selling a home which is why it's important to have a real estate agent represent you as a 3rd party negotiator.  Professionals are able to see things through to the end by remaining calm and not letting their emotions get in the way.  If you're thinking about a move, please get in touch so we can discuss your options.
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Single family houses year to date sales totalled 10,584 with the average sale price of $1,180,947. This 22% increase in number of sales and a 21% increase in average price year to date over last year same time period. Townhouse year to date sales totalled 4026 with an average sale price of $564,969. This is a 6% increase in the number of sales and a 3% increase in average price year to date over the same time period last year. Condominiums year to date sales totalled 9231 with the average sale price of $458,141. This 0% change in number of sales and a 5% increase in average price year to date over the same time period last year.

 
Total of all types year to date here has been 23,841 sales with an average sale price of $797,065. This is a 10% increase in number of sales and a 19% increase in average price over last year same time period.

 

Note - The volume of sales overall increased about 8% August over July .

 

Local Maple Ridge

 

Single family houses year to date sales totalled 698 with the average sale price of $500,664. This almost identical in number of sales and in average price year to date over last year same time period. Townhouse year to date sales totalled 303 with an average sale price $312,703. This is a 30% increase in the number of sales and a 1% decrease in average price year to date over last year same time period . Condominiums year to date sales totalled 145 with the average sale price of $206,236. This 13% decrease in number of sales and a 7% decrease in price year to date over last year same time period .Total of all types year to date here has been 1146 sales with an average sale price of $413,714. This is a 6% increase in number of sales and a 2% decrease in average price over last year same time period .

Note - Our housing market has remained stable in regards to volume and prices for the last 12 months. We are anticipating a reasonably busy fall market from now until early December. The fall market is the second busiest of the year with the spring being busiest.

 
For more detail just call 604-466-4549 or emailpearceteam@telus.net .

 

Prime Rate remains at 3% with 3-5 year term variable rate mortgages available at 2.1% - A $300,000 mortgage at 2.1% for 30 years is $1123 month. Prime rate is stable with minimal increases in 1-5year term fixed mortgages. Five year fixed term is available below 4% with some places offering as low as $3.65% for a five year fixed. The United States has indicated their rates will likely not change in the next 2 years and our rates tend to mirror theirs.

 

If you are considering a move for 2011 now is the time to get listed for the fall market ! Traditionally the second busiest market of the year from September 1 - November 30th.

 

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The market for 2011 slowed substantially since March due to the previously mentioned factors. As of mid March you can no longer have a CMHC insured mortgage with a 35 year term, it is now 30 years maximum. We had a election which always causes a hesitation in the market and last but not least, now we have people waiting to see the results of the HST vote. These factors may coupled with summer may dampen our market through until September.

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The number of sales decreased 20.9% in April which is likely a result of 3 factors. As of mid March you can no longer have a CMHC insured mortgage with a 35 year term, it is now 30 years maximum. We had a election which always causes a hesitation in the market and last but not least, now we have people waiting to see the results of the HST vote. There was a increase of 4.4% in the sale price of single family homes with the average sale price of a single family home at $1,204,587. This considers all sales from West Vancouver to Maple Ridge. Townhouses had an average selling price of $573,318 which is almost identical to March and Condominiums average price was $483,424 which is increase of 3.7% over March . Buyers had more choice as the number of units available increased in April by 8.2% to 14,187.

 

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This is a question that we get asked on a regular basis. Check out this link provided by Industry Canada and fill in ALL the blanks. It is important that you enter all your costs and also reinvest your savings. The calculator will also show you the result if you do not reinvest your savings.

http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/oca-bc.nsf/eng/ca01821.html

Home ownership historically has been a builder of wealth for many people in the past and continues to be a mainstay and goal of many Canadians.

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A QR code is short for “Quick Response” and is like a bar code. It is actually an encoded internet address that you can scan with a QR reader on your smartphone. The QR reader scans the code with the camera in your phone and then takes your directly to that internet address.

QR codes were invented in Japan in 1994 and are popular in Japan and South Korea but adoption has been slower in the West.

With all the new smart phones out there we have been adopting this technology in as many areas as possible. It is on our picture boards at our display centers, in our newspaper advertisements and on our feature sheets both inside and outside the property. The QR we use most often use takes you directly to all our listings.

Don’t have a QR reader then head to your App Store and download one now. I have found that the ones from Paperlinks or I-Nigma work very well and are free.

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Vancouver Real Estate BoardOverall 

The number of sales increased 70.5% in February which is a VERY active start to the year. There was an increase of 2.5% in the sale price of single family homes with the average sale price of a single family home now $1,173,395. This considers all sales from West Vancouver to Maple Ridge. Townhouses had an average selling price of $573,534 which is an increase of approximately 3.8%  over January and Condominiums average price was $444,862  which is  increase of 0.76% over January.  Buyers had more choice  as the number of units available increased in February by 12.3% to 11,925. This is a fairly typical as Sellers start putting their houses on the market at the beginning of the year to get sold and moved by summer.  

Local Maple Ridge 

The number of sales for February in Maple Ridge for single family homes finally moved ahead with at total of 94 which is an increase of 40 homes over Januarys 54. This represents an increase of 74.1% from January to February. This was accompanied by an average price increase of 1.8% to $ 483.820. Townhouse sales increased from 19 to 30 which was a 57.9% increase and with average price of a March townhouse sale at $300,600 which is a 5.6% decrease January ( Average townhouse prices in Maple Ridge continue to hover around the $300,000 mark with lots of product available). Condominium sales were up from 8 to 17 which is 112.5% increase with an average price of $211,005 which is a increase of 2.8%  over January.  Total properties for sale all types available for sale increased from 818 to 903 for February or an increase of 10.4%, giving buyers more choice.  

For more detail just call 604-466-4549 or email   pearceteam@telus.net  .  

The market for 2011 has IMPROVED DRASTICALLY over 2010 and is putting some pressure on prices. The market activity continues to be VERY BUSY  at time of writing. A typical spring market is busy from now until the end of June and then is usually quiet for July and August. Lots of listings coming on the market and lots of sales happening.  Prime Rate is at 3% with variable rate mortgages available at 2.3% - A $300,000 mortgage at 2.3% for 35 years is $1040 month. Prime rate is stable with minimal increases in 1-5year term fixed mortgages.  Five year fixed term is available in the 4% range.  

If you are considering a move for 2011 now is the time to get your property on the market !

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Over the last 20 years we have had the pleasure of buying and selling properties with the same clients 2-3 or more times. We are always happy to hear from past clients whether they are moving themselves, have friends or acquaintances moving , have questions about the market or financing or just want to chat. A large portion of our success is from referrals and past clients.

We like to recognise the fact that you think of us and are comfortable referring clients to us so we have our “All Star Referral Program!”

It is a win-win-win program. Refer us to your friends and family, they get great service, you get some spare cash and we get a client.

1st referral is $250, 2nd within 12 months of 1st referral is $500 and 3rd and subsequent within 12 months of the 1st is $1000.

The 12 months start upon payment of the 1st referral. Payments are upon completed purchase or sale. One reward per referral.

It’s easy! Get permission for us to contact them. Call or email us with their name and number and we will take care of the rest.

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1/ HST applies to all real estate sales - False - HST  does not apply to the sale of homes that are previously occupied.  On new homes there are a series of rebates to reduce the impact of HST 

2/ You can’t buy with “0” down - False - If you have very good credit you can borrow the amount for the down payment and be “0”  down.  

3/ All fixed term mortgage penalties are 3 months - False - The minimum penalty is usually 3 months but could also be  an “interest rate differential” That is the difference in interest the bank would earn over the balance of the term less the current rate. We have seen many of these penalties in excess of $20,000. These penalties can be avoided by “porting” your mortgage to your new residence.

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There were new rules announced by the federal government this month abnd they are as follows:  

1/ CMHC will no longer insure 35 year amortization - the maximum will be 30 years.  If you already have a 35 or 40 year amortization you will be able to renew without changing the amortization.  

2/ To refinance your existing home you must retain a minimum of 15% equity. The previous minimum was 10%.


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Notice to owners, occupants, and maintenance personnel:

A dryer and the attached vent system requires regular cleaning and maintenance, just like your furnace or other fuel burning equipment. Lack of regular cleaning and maintenance of dryers and their attached venting systems, has been identified as causing fires.

Although lack of service can result in a fire hazard, improper dryer venting also poses a carbon monoxide risk on gas supplied dryers. The dryer vent system removes in addition to moisture, the gas by-products from your appliance to the outdoors.

When a dryer/venting system is clogged with lint, air flow is restricted, your dryer then has to work harder which leads to overheating. As the dryer ducts remove lint and moisture from clothes, not all of the lint is captured by the screen or makes it to the outdoors; this builds up on the sides of the vent system and eventually dries to a hard material. This material attracts more lint, where it eventually creates a restriction that leads to overheating, potentially resulting in a fire.

It is recommended that dryers and all fuel burning appliances are maintained or serviced on a minimum of an annual basis, or as per the Certified Appliance instructions by a Licensed, Qualified Gas Contractor. To find a local contractor in your area please visit our website at: www.safetyauthority.ca

For further information contact:

Wayne Lock
Provincial Gas Safety Manager
E-mail: Wayne.Lock@safetyauthority.ca

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Categories:   | Financing | Market Trends | Properties | Real Estate
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