Blanket Drive aims to warm cold winter
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SKI BARGAINS: Condo and chalet prices at major ski resorts are down as much as 30 per cent this year, compared to two years ago, according to industry insiders. Shown are a new innovation: low-cost, modular ski cabins at Red Mountain Ski Resort – known for Black Diamond runs – in the Kootenays. Photos: Red Mountain/ Dave Heath Tourism BC
With predictions for this winter to be the coldest and wettest in 50 years, and the number of homeless people on the rise in the Lower Mainland, the need for warm blankets could be at its highest in its 16-year history, according to the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver. The Realtors Care Blanket Drive runs November 29 to December 6 at over 100 real estate offices across the Lower Mainland, collecting blankets, bedding and warm and waterproof clothing for the homeless and working poor. Over 30 charities from Whistler to Chilliwack receive, on average, more than 4,000 bags of gently used or new items donated by Realtors, their clients and the public. Earlier this year, the City of Vancouver announced that the homeless count in Vancouver has increased 12 per cent since 2008. Also, meteorologists are calling for a La Nina weather cycle this winter, meaning colder-than-normal temperatures and heavier precipitation. Donations to the Realtors Care Blanket Drive stay within the communities in which they are donated, or if the volumes are too large, go to charities in greatest need in neighbouring communities. The 2010 Realtors Care Blanket Drive runs from November 29 to December 6. To find a list of all drop-off locations and charitable recipients, go to www.blanketdrive.ca.
Prices “balanced” as sales, listings decline
With less homes being listed for sale and less home selling, prices have stabilized in most local markets, reports the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver. The benchmark price for all residential properties in Greater Vancouver over the last 12 months has increased 4.6 per cent to $579,349 in October 2010 from $553,702 in October 2009. Since June, however, residential home prices in Greater Vancouver have remained relatively unchanged, declining 0.2 per cent. “We’ve seen a lot more consistency and less volatility in recent months when it comes to both number of sales and pricing, although it’s important to remember that conditions often vary between communities and neighbourhoods,” said Jake Moldowan, Board president. The number of housing sales in Greater Vancouver totalled 2,337 in October, a 36.9 per cent decline from October of last year. Total active listings on the Multiple Listing Service currently sit at 14,075, an 8.6 per cent decline from last month and a 16.4 per cent increase from October 2009. Total new listings declined 25.7 per cent to 3,698 in October compared to October 2009. The benchmark price for detached houses increased 6.3 per cent from October 2009 to $796,883. Sales of apartment properties are down 38.8 per cent compared to October of last year. The benchmark price of a condo apartment increased 2.4 per cent to $390,074. The benchmark price of an attached unit (usually a townhome) increased 4 per cent between $487,530, the Board reports.
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