Michael Gernard
Other

Download Document

Noa Glouberman
Other

Download Document

Other

Download Document

BRENT JANG
Other

Greater Vancouver housing sales climbed last month while prices rose, but market activity was slow in comparison with the 10-year average.

There were 2,641 single-family detached homes, condos and townhouses that changed hands last month, up 12.5 per cent from 2,347 sales in March of 2013, the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver said Wednesday.

Despite the higher volume, sales of existing properties last month were 17.2 per cent below the 10-year average of 3,190 for March.

Benchmark index prices, which strip out the most expensive resale properties on the Multiple Listing Service, reached $615,200 last month for the three residential property types, up 3.7 per cent year-over-year.

On Vancouver’s West Side, index prices for detached homes jumped 7.4 per cent to nearly $2.18-million while prices gained 7.7 per cent to $886,700 on the city’s East Side. In nearby Burnaby, detached index prices increased 6.7 per cent to $985,400.

“Home prices in the region have experienced incremental gains in most areas and property types over the last 12 months,” board president Ray Harris said in a statement. “It’s important to remember that this is a diverse marketplace and trends will vary depending on area and property type.”

A measurement closely watched by the housing industry, known as the sales-to-active-listings ratio, registered 18.2 per cent in Greater Vancouver last month. B.C. real estate agents consider it a balanced market when the ratio ranges from 15 to 20 per cent. It is deemed a buyer’s market below 15 per cent and a seller’s market above 20 per cent in the Vancouver region. There were a total of 14,472 active listings last month, down 6.4 per cent from a year earlier.

In the Fraser Valley, sales totalled 1,259 in March, up 11.6 per cent from 1,128 in the same month of 2013.

The overall March benchmark index price in the Fraser Valley, which includes the sprawling and less-expensive Vancouver suburb of Surrey, climbed 1.4 per cent to $431,100 for residential properties. The MLS price for all housing types in residential, commercial and retail averaged $499,260 last month in the Fraser Valley, up 4.9 per cent from a year earlier.

© Copyright 2014 The Globe and Mail Inc.

Other

Home sales in the Vancouver region picked up in March compared with a year ago, but were still well below the long-term average for the month, according to the city’s real estate board.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver said Wednesday there were 2,641 homes sold through its Multiple Listing Service, up from 2,347 a year ago.

However, the tally fell short of the 10-year sales average of 3,190 for March.

The sales-to-active-listings ratio was 18.2%, unchanged from February, a level that the board suggests a balanced market.

“We continue to see steady and stable market conditions across the Greater Vancouver housing market,” said board president Ray Harris in statement.

“There has been a consistent balance between home seller supply and home buyer demand in our marketplace over the last year.”

New listings totalled 5,281 in March compared with 4,839 new listings in March 2013 and 4,700 new listings in February.

The total number of homes listed for sale on the Vancouver MLS system was 14,472, down 6.4% compared with a year ago, but up 7.9% from February.

The MLS home price index composite benchmark price Vancouver was $615,200, up 3.7% from a year ago.

© 2014 National Post

Other

Every once in a while, a condominium development comes along that is so singular, so avant-garde that you can’t help but take notice.

Such is the case with award-winning Aragon Properties’ GlassHouse Lofts.

From the sliding barn door with satin aluminum pulls in the master bedroom, to the exposed reclaimed brick feature wall and the contemporary folding glass systems that open up to balconies and penthouse terraces, GlassHouse stands above the crowd.

Glasshouse features 67 one-to-four-bedroom loft-style residences with 10-to-20-foot-high ceilings in a five storey building. Ranging in size from 828 to 1,331 square feet, they start at $345,900 for a one bedroom. The loft model is distinguished by its living, dining and kitchen areas in the front, with the bedrooms and bathrooms set a few steps away at the back of each suite.

The moniker suits it well. From floor-to-ceiling glass doors that slide and disappear to each side, each home offers up sweeping views of either the Fraser River or the New Westminster Quay and Port Royal Park.

The gourmet-inspired kitchens come with a premium GE Monogram Energy Star-rated stainless steel appliances, polished solid quartz countertops, Kohler fixtures and contemporary sleek cabinets, to name just a few of the executive-style features. Other luxury characteristics include white oak engineered hardwood flooring throughout the main living area, an edgy electric fireplace in living rooms and natural gas fireplace on penthouse terraces.

For those who know Aragon Properties, GlassHouse Lofts’ unique blueprint comes as no surprise. For more than 25 years, Aragon has built its reputation for creative, innovative and forward-thinking design combined with outstanding quality. This April, Aragon will release its seven stunning penthouses for sale. “These two-level, two-to-four bedroom penthouse homes are spectacular and range from 1,180 to under 1,500 square feet,” says Laurie Melo, sales manager for GlassHouse Lofts.

GlassHouse Lofts are centrally located in the Queensborough district, a vibrant and emerging community with a rapidly redeveloped waterfront area known as Port Royal.

For the outdoor devotee, one simply has to step out the front door for access to the 1.7 kilometre riverfront walkway and the three-acre Port Royal Park.

Meanwhile, residents enjoy a quiet setting with all the urban amenities they crave– entertainment, cafes, grocery shopping and boutiques. The entire Port Royal master-planned community, a 52-acre site that Aragon has been developing since 2006, is set to become an iconic, innovative neighbourhood in Western Canada’s oldest city.

GlassHouse Lofts offers a rare combination of stylish finishes, original design layouts, high ceilings, and incredible views. A building like this doesn’t come along very often, if ever, so this is your opportunity to come and see the unexpected. The Glasshouse Lofts presentation centre is open daily from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday to Thursday (closed Fridays) at 210 Salter St., New Westminster.

For more information, call 604-520-9890 or visit their website. There is still a great selection of homes available and ready for occupancy.

© 2014 Real Estate Weekly