Frankly, I haven’t had the time to update and regularly post on all of the blogs. Some haven’t seen a new post in a few months. And with the latest blog coming on line, and it being on my main real estate site, it will take up a lot of my time. Here are two of my latest posts from that blog:

Is now the time to buy?

Affordability on the rise in Fraser Valley

Simply, the sellers aren’t motivated; buyers aren’t going to pay an inflated price (if they have the money), when the whole economic picture points to price drops in the future. There is absolutely no motivation to buy at these prices.

So, when will the price reductions reflect the changing market? When the sellers adjust to the fact that things are different now, or if they are forced to sell for some reason, they will consider dropping their price.

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An expired listing is simply bad - so bad that some Realtors will try and hide that fact. They will terminate the listing prior to it expiring. Then list again. Same goes for price drops - terminate the listing and then submit a new one with a lower price.

Just imagine the day the house was listed - you were so excited. You interviewed (you did, right?) the agent, their confidence was so infectious: “Yes, Mr. Seller. I can sell your home for more money and in less time. And yes, I will get you the price that you want.”

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You see, there is a difference between what you can afford and what you will likely qualify for. When a buyer thinks about how much he or she can afford monthly towards mortgage payment, more often than not they focus on the best case scenario. The bank on the other hand looks at the opposite when they try and qualify you. Let me explain how a bank qualifies a prospective home buyer.

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How ethical is your Realtor?

You are bound to come across bad apples in every industry, and real estate is not any different. Some agents are bad agents due to a lack of knowledge or education, others simply aren’t intelligent enough. This group has your best interests at heart, but are unable to deliver. However, the other more sinister group, is what gives Realtors a black mark. This group knows that they are doing something wrong, but still go ahead and do it - because they figure that they can get away with it.

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Fraser Valley condo pre-sales - are they right for you?

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Fast. Good. Cheap

Pick any two.

The logic goes that you can have something printed for cheap and get is fast, but it won’t be good. Or you can pick good and fast printing and it won’t be cheap. Or Good and cheap, but it won’t be cheap.

Mortgages work the same way. It is impossible to get a mortgage for a short term, and a low rate and have low payments. Although you really don’t have the option of picking any two. And it is highly unlikely that two customers will walk out with the exact same deal.

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I thought it would be fun to do a post on most expensive residential listings in each Fraser Valley area. I chose not to include bare land, or properties that are ripe for development - just homes that you can live in, if you can afford them.

Surrey Luxury Real Estate Listings

The first listing comes courtesy of Re/max Colonial Pacific Realty. Listed at $4,249,000 and located at 17007 28th Ave in Surrey, this 8900 sq.ft. majestic Georgian residence, resting proudly on 2.6 acres of grounds offers wrought iron gates, fountain and sculptured grounds. Here is a direct link to this listing:

Surrey luxury real estate listing F2801725

The second listing in Surrey comes courtesy of Homelife Benchmark Rlty.(w.r.). Listed at $3,600,000, this 11057 sq.ft. home located at 19111 90th Ave in Surrey sits on a 4.92 acre estate and offers resort living with a pool, tennis courts, games room & playground all within a park like setting.

Surrey luxury real estate listing F2729357

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Who can claim the exemption?

To qualify for a Property Transfer Tax exemption, the home buyer must be ALL of the following:

• A Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• a person who has resided in British Columbia for 12 consecutive months
  immediately prior to the date of registration of the transfer, or who has filed
  two income tax returns as a British Columbia resident within the last
  six years,
• a person who has never, at any time, held a registered interest in a principal
  residence anywhere in the world (a principal residence is defined as the
  usual place where an individual resides), and
• a person who has not previously received an FTHB exemption or refund.

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