Andrew Hasman, yor Vancouver Realtor, gives a quick recap on how the housing market has developed over the last year and where it stands currently, along with offering some helpful advice to anyone looking to sell their house this year.

Jill and Andrew Hasman from RE/MAX Andrew Hasman & associates brings you an exclusive network of specialists to assist you with all your real estate needs as part of our ongoing Seminar Series. On November 21st from 7:30-9pm we will be providing a live market update on Vancouver real estate along with Clinton Cuddington from Measured Architecture Inc. who will be talking about renovating and building in Vancouver's dynamic and diverse landscape.  

Measured Architecture is a full-service Vancouver-based studio practice focused on modern design, interiors and landscapes. Current projects include residential and vacation homes, multi-family housing, as well as public spaces. Their work is split equally between new builds and renovations.

If you'd like to find out the details and join us go to please click here to RSVP.

Look for our other up and coming speakers throughout the year.

Located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Vancouver is the most populous city in the province with more than 600,000 people. Vancouver is a coastal seaport city with some of the warmest year-round temperatures in Canada. It boasts a beautiful landscape of sea and mountains and is a popular place for outdoor and urban enthusiasts.

We know that Canadian’s truly celebrate the liveabililty factors of their neighbourhood – the qualities that give homeowners the true satisfaction of their home within the context of a neighbourhood. In fact a Leger survey conducted by RE/MAX revealed that 89% of Canadians recommend their neighbourhoods to others. Unlike your home, neighbourhoods cannot be changed, so it is important to assess what qualities are important to you before you purchase. Luckily, when it comes to Vancouver, there is a lot of celebrate in terms of liveability.

A survey of RE/MAX Brokers revealed that the best places to live in Vancouver are Main, West End and Kerrisdale rank as the top three neighbourhoods in Vancouver for access to green spaces and parks, walkability, retail and restaurants and the ease of getting around/public transit.

In the same Leger survey, six-in-10 Canadians put easy access to shopping, dining and green spaces at the top of their liveability criteria. Proximity to public transit (36 per cent), work (30 per cent) and to preferred schools (18 per cent), as well as cultural and community centres (18 per cent) fall out of the top five neighbourhood wants and expectations. So how does Vancouver stack up? 

If you are searching for the best place to live in Vancouver, Main ranks as the top hidden gem neighbourhood, while Mount Pleasant, Downtown – Vancouver West and Renfrew-Collingwood rank as the top three neighbourhoods for affordability and good supply of housing inventory.

Interested in seeing how Vancouver compares to other cities across Canada? Explore the RE/MAX Liveability Report to learn more about the features Canadians value when it comes to the places they live. 

Canadians love where they live; RE/MAX Report explores some of the best places to live in Canada

• 89 per cent of Canadians would recommend their neighbourhoods to others
• Major Canadian cities are a beacon for liveability

Canadians genuinely celebrate the liveability factors — the qualities that give each homeowner the true satisfaction of his/her home within the context of a neighbourhood — when it comes to choosing a property to buy and live in. In fact, 89 per cent of Canadians would recommend their neighbourhood to others according to a recent RE/MAX survey conducted by Leger. The latest RE/MAX report examined a variety of quality of life factors and how they impact Canadians’ home-buying decisions.

“Housing is often a contentious topic in Canada, with affordability and inventory being persistent problems from coast to coast,” says Christopher Alexander, Executive Vice President, RE/MAX of Ontario-Atlantic Canada. “However, when buyers are looking for a home, the search begins at the neighbourhood level. And the good news is that Canadians have lots of choice when it comes to ‘liveable’ cities and neighbourhoods.”

Six-in-10 Canadians put easy access to shopping, dining and green spaces at the top of their liveability criteria. Proximity to public transit (36 per cent), work (30 per cent) and to preferred schools (18 per cent), as well as cultural and community centres (18 per cent) fall out of the top five neighbourhood wants and expectations.

The proximity and availability of these liveability factors is so important that Canadians spend more than two-thirds of their time in their own neighbourhood. This rate is higher among Baby Boomers compared to Gen Z, Millennial and Gen X Canadians.

“While price and value are always top of mind for buyers, there are some aspects about a home that you can’t change,” says Alexander. “These liveability factors are what make your home more than just the place you live. They are at the heart of the Canadian experience, especially when you consider the survey results.”

RE/MAX brokers were also asked to tap into their neighbourhood expertise and rate their city on each liveability factor.

In the west, Calgary ranked high in seven out of 11 categories, including offering good access to employment opportunities, population growth, housing supply, housing affordability and easy access to bike lanes and/or walking paths. Confederation and Nose Hill Park are two of the most popular parks in the city and the Rotary Mattamy Greenway is the cycling equivalent to the ring road. Inglewood, Hillhurst and Charleswood rank as the top three all-around liveable neighbourhoods. Edmonton also ranked high in access to employment opportunities, number of top rated/preferred schools and easy access to bike lanes and/or walking paths.

“Despite reports of slowing economic conditions and a relatively flat real estate market in Alberta, Calgary and Edmonton shine as beacons of liveability,” says Elton Ash, Regional Executive Vice President, RE/MAX of Western Canada. “This is a promising sign for any buyers considering a purchase in either city as they continue to develop as liveable cities in their own right.”

Toronto ranked medium for access to green spaces and parks but high for availability of big and small retail stores, population growth and access to healthcare facilities. The neighbourhoods that rated highest for access to green space and parks – Rosedale, Leaside and The Beaches – are also the most expensive. Conversely, Toronto’s most affordable neighbourhoods include parts of Scarborough and East York.

Vancouver ranked medium for availability of big and small retail stores, population growth and housing supply. However, it ranked high in availability of public transit, where the Skytrain and bus system prove exceptional; and walkability, especially in Yaletown. Main, West End and Kerrisdale are the top three all-around liveable neighbourhoods in Vancouver while Mount Pleasant, Downtown and Renfrew-Collingwood are the most affordable.

Other regions include Ottawa, where The Glebe neighbourhood is the best for walkability and public transit; Halifax, where Clayton park boasted high inventory; Hamilton, where Beasley was best for affordability; Winnipeg, where Transcona is a hidden gem neighbourhood; Saskatoon, where Nutana is the all-around best neighbourhood for liveability; and Nanaimo, where Central Nanaimo is best for affordability.

“Liveability encompasses the many intangibles when buying and selling a home than an algorithm will never sufficiently capture. You need word of mouth and the on-the-ground expertise of a REALTOR® who has genuine locale knowledge like few others,” adds Ash.

Key findings from the 2019 RE/MAX Liveability Report Survey

Learn more about Vancouver in this report by clicking here.

January real estate numbers show further softening of the Metro Vancouver real estate market, and nowhere is that effect more dramatic than on Vancouver's West Side.

I say the lack of foreign buyers is why homeowners who bought in the pricey part of the town a few years ago are now selling for huge losses.

The Novemebr Market stats are out and available for download. You get the following graphs and charts for both Vancouver East and Vancouver West.

• Activity Snapshot by Property Type
• Detached Properties Report and Graph
• Condo Report and Graph
• Townhomes Report and Graph
• Benchmark Price Graph
• Average Price Per Square Foot

If you are interested in a report like this is for other areas, please contact me to request it and I'll send it to you.

DOWNLOAD VANCOUVER EAST

DOWNLOAD VANCOUVER WEST

VANCOUVER, BC – December 4, 2018 – Home buyer demand remains below long-term historical averages in the Metro Vancouver* housing market.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential home sales totalled 1,608 in the region in November 2018, a 42.5 per cent decrease from the 2,795 sales recorded in November 2017, and an 18.2 per cent decrease compared to October 2018 when 1,966 homes sold.

Last month’s sales were 34.7 per cent below the 10-year November sales average and was the lowest sales for the month since 2008.

“Home buyers have been taking a wait-and-see approach for most of 2018. This has allowed the number of homes available for sale in the region to return to more typical historical levels,” Phil Moore, REBGV president said. “This activity is helping home prices edge down, across all property types, from the record highs we’ve experienced over the last year.”

There were 3,461 detached, attached and apartment homes newly listed for sale on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in Metro Vancouver in November 2018. This represents a 15.8 per cent decrease compared to the 4,109 homes listed in November 2017 and a 29 per cent decrease compared to October 2018 when 4,873 homes were listed.

The total number of homes currently listed for sale on the MLS® system in Metro Vancouver is 12,307, a 40.7 per cent increase compared to November 2017 (8,747) and a 5.2 per cent decrease compared to October 2018 (12,984).

For all property types, the sales-to-active listings ratio for November 2018 is 13.1 per cent. By property type, the ratio is 8.9 per cent for detached homes, 14.7 per cent for townhomes, and 17.6 per cent for apartments.

Generally, analysts say that downward pressure on home prices occurs when the ratio dips below the 12 per cent mark for a sustained period, while home prices often experience upward pressure when it surpasses 20 per cent over several months.

“Home prices have declined between four and seven per cent over the last six months depending on property type. We’ll watch conditions in the first quarter of 2019 to see if home buyer demand picks up ahead of the traditionally more active spring market,” Moore said.

The MLS® Home Price Index composite benchmark price for all residential properties in Metro Vancouver is currently $1,042,100. This represents a 1.4 per cent decrease over November 2017 and a 1.9 per cent decrease compared to October 2018.

Detached home sales in November 2018 reached 516, a 38.6 per cent decrease from the 841 detached sales recorded in November 2017. The benchmark price for detached homes is
$1,500,100. This represents a 6.5 per cent decrease from November 2017 and a 1.6 per cent decrease compared to October 2018.

Apartment home sales reached 810 in November 2018, a 46.3 per cent decrease compared to the 1,508 sales in November 2017. The benchmark price of an apartment property is $667,800. This represents a 2.3 per cent increase from November 2017 and a 2.3 per cent decrease compared to October 2018.

Attached home sales in November 2018 totalled 282, a 36.8 per cent decrease compared to the 446 sales in November 2017. The benchmark price of an attached home is $818,500. This represents a 2.6 per cent increase from November 2017 and a 1.3 per cent decrease compared to October 2018.

GET THE FULL REPORT