Thank you to the Jewish Independent for featuring us in last week's paper! If the image is difficult to view, we've transcribed the exerpt below. 

"A power couple in real estate: Andrew and Jill Hasman are experts in West Side homes.

 

Handsome couple. Jill and Andrew Hasman, eh? And a handsome couple handsomely coupled in marriage as they are partners in their highly successful real estate firm, Andrew Hasman and Associates, serving this community for more than 20 years. “And we’re also married 20 years,” adds Jill.

Andrew, born in England. Jill, in Winnipeg. But this town is where they met, married and merged professionally. Inevitable, I figure, that Andrew and Jill chose professional independence. “I’m from an entrepreneurial family,” says Andrew. “My parents were always self-employed,” says Jill. Like parents, like progeny!

As real estate-nik partners, Andrew explains he’s more the business side ... “market specifics and property valuations.” Jill ... “I tune up the house for resale, provide the craftspeople and coordinate the necessary tasks to get a home ready and in order for topdollar resale.”

Metro Vancouver is the Hasman beat, so to speak, “but our expertise is in West Side home sales,” concludes the couple. And I’ll conclude as I began ... a couple, indeed, most handsome!"

Vancouver is one of the best cities in the world for outdoor recreation. One doesn’t even need to get into hiking, cycling, or any of the other favourite Vancouverite sports to get in on the action. Simply lace up your walking shoes--you’ll need a good pair, preferably water-proof. Choose your destination, and be prepared to see a whole new world you may have missed outside the car window on the way to work. There are art and nature walks in nearly every neighbourhood, for every mood. Happy Exploring!

1. The Downtown Art Walk is a bit of a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure. Experience downtown’s outdoor art gallery that takes you from mosaic art tiles all around the core and electrical box murals on Granville St. by Emily Carr students to the more grand: Nike Goddess of Victory at the intersection of W. Cordova and Thurlow in celebration of the 2010 Olympics, and The Drop at the Convention Center. For more hidden gems in plain sight, click here.

2. Alternatively (or if it’s raining), download your Gallery Guide and plan a route with such illustrious stops as the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, the Pendulum Gallery ingeniously placed under the glass atrium hall of the HSBC building, and the Howe Street Gallery of Fine Art which contains local and Canadian works, as well as paintings and sculptures from around the world.

3. Fancy a drive before your walk? The Art Walks in North Vancouver are not to be missed. Over 100 public works of art decorate the North Shore alone. Make your way along nature trails, public walkways, through parks and even in shopping plazas. Get your self-guided public art tour maps for Lower Lonsdale, Lonsdale Ave., and the Lynn Valley Public Art Experience here. There’s even Public Art Geocaching for the more adventurous!

4. Nature Meets Art Walks at three of the cities best and biggest parks. Queen Elizabeth Park offers not only the Quarry Gardens, rolling lawns, a rose garden and arboretum, Queen E also features several sculptures and a live Painters’ Corner in Spring and Summer for wanderers to watch art in action. The famous 28km seawall surrounding Stanley Park takes you past beaches, gardens, numerous monuments and sculptures, and BC’s most visited tourist attraction: the nine totem poles at Brockton Point. Lastly, a trek through the University endowment lands in Pacific Spirit Park are always a sure-fire way to experience the lush beauty of nature. If you have time, UBC’s Museum of Anthropology is here, and a must-see.

5. If it’s architecture you’re after, GPS My City has a great map for some of the city’s coolest buildings and landmarks. There’s also one of Vancouver’s oldest section of seaside greenway to discover: the South False Creek Seawall, which dates back to 1975. The 3km walk takes you from Science World to the bustle of Granville Island, and offers a different perspective of our fair city.

What’s your favourite walk to connect with the essence of Vancouver? Share with us!

Spring is out of the gate at top speeds. The March numbers are in, and they’re breaking new records. Residential property sales in the Lower Mainland totalled 5,173 this past month: a whopping 56% above the 10-year sales average for March. They were up by 24% from February alone (4,172 sales), and 27.4% up from the 4,060 sales in March 2015.

“Strong job and economic growth in our province, positive net migration and low interest rates are helping to drive this activity,” said Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver’s new president, Dan Morrison. Morrison, who started his tenure as the REBGV’s fearless leader last month, went on to explain that the demand is broad-based. Meaning sales aren’t concentrated in one particular neighbourhood, which is great news for sellers looking to get their properties on the market.

There were a total of 6,278 new listings in March, covering detached, attached, and apartment properties across Metro Vancouver. It’s a moderate 5.2% increase from the same time last year, and an 8% increase from February. What’s interesting, is that the total number of properties for sale is 7,358; a dramatic 40.5% decline from March 2015.

The Rest At a Glance:

Benchmark price for all residential properties: $815,000
23.2% increase from March 2015

Benchmark price for a detached property is $1,342,500
27.4% increase from March 2015

Detached property sales totaled 2,135
24.8% increase from March 2015

Benchmark price for an apartment property is $462,800
18.8% sales increase from March 2015

Apartment property sales totaled 2,252
38.4% increase from March 2015

Benchmark price for an attached unit is $589,100
20.1% increase from March 2015

Attached property sales totaled 786
8.9% increase from March 2015

For a complete comparison, visit rebgv.org. Want to sell, buy, or require a consultation? Contact me today.

*REBGV Editor’s Note:  Areas covered by Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver include: Whistler, Sunshine Coast, Squamish, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Richmond, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam, New Westminster, Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge, and South Delta.

The industry secret to a successful real estate sale is home staging. Beyond the careful market research and hiring a good realtor that homeowners need to do in preparing their home to list, professional staging can be the hat trick that gets them the top dollar they’re asking for.

Your house could be spotless, have every new appliance and a manicured landscape, but when it comes to the small details of what will entice potential buyers into believing your home could be theirs, staging is what will go that extra mile to get those better offers. Whether it’s that personal family photo versus an eye-catching piece of art or your well-loved furniture compared to the luxurious dining set, master bedroom suite or living room accents of your buyer’s dreams; it’s a Stager’s job to make those dreams come true--even if just long enough to get that above-asking offer.

Revamp Home Staging: “making the most out of your property”, states one of Vancouver’s premier companies in the field. With over 2,000 homes, display suites, condos and penthouses furnished and decorated since 2003, Revamp enhances the uniqueness of each property to its maximum potential with one goal in mind: to sell fast, and to sell for more. Nothing is outsourced, and thus co-founders Michael McNamara and Rien Sharma and their team of interior designers are able to work their magic on tight deadlines. Experienced in the latest design trends and colour palettes, they will transform your home to perfection.

Another of Vancouver’s staging companies that aims to wow is Flüff. Its extensive 15,000+ square foot warehouse chock full of unique furniture, art, and accessories is all arranged by easy-to-use colour stories. Their expert team of interior designers, “TheFlüffians”, are ready to assist you under the guidance of owner Patti Houston and make the process enjoyable and productive. From homes to film sets, Flüff is a stager’s paradise; whether you’re already working with an interior designer or a homeowner looking to get a handle on it yourself, everyone is welcome.

Going it alone? Start with the top three pro tips from Patti Houston, Owner of Flüff Designs:

1. A great rule of thumb is to hang art 60" from the floor. Lower hanging art actually makes ceilings appear higher.

2. Don't overdo accessorizing! Know when to stop. It's also important to use greenery in every project; nothing beats nature.

3. Never compete with a view!

See the proof of home staging success in a past sale of ours. $5000 in home staging can easily add $50,000 to the selling price of your home. It's that effective! We’re always available for your questions: contact us today or find us on Facebook!

If it’s been a while since you listened to the radio, make the next time you turn up the dial The Early Edition with host Rick Cluff on CBC Television. His take on local news as well as the influence of international affairs on our local communities in the Lower Mainland are spot on. One particular podcast caught our attention recently, when Cluff spoke with several experts around the globe about the current state of our real estate market. The round table discussion puts an interesting perspective on our market as part of the whole. Read on, or listen to the full podcast here.

Spring inspires us to clean out, clean up, and start fresh. Whether it’s indoors or out, condo, townhouse, or detached home, we’re instinctively driven to welcome the sunny season by beautifying our surroundings. We’ve rounded up the best places and society sales for obtaining everything you need to cultivate the perfect garden, be it a planter to a full-blown yard.

1. Orchid lovers flock to VanDusen Gardens every year for the annual Vancouver Orchid Society’s Show and Sale, March 25th - 27th. Notoriously finicky plants, these gorgeous blooms pack a lot of punch, transforming small spaces with their refined elegance and making them worth the extra effort. An excellent touch if you’re planning to sell.

2. One of the few garden centers left in the city, Art Knapp Plantland on S. Granville is your one-stop shop. Find everything you need to start a garden from scratch: seeds, bulbs, indoor/outdoor plants, tools and garden accessories. Their knowledgeable staff is on hand to help plan your planting schedule and answer any questions you might have.

3. Get it straight from the source at Vancouver’s most beautiful and iconic garden: the annual VanDusen Plant Sale for patios, pots and planters is on April 24th from 10am - 4pm. Get all of the plants and information you need for gardening in small spaces.

4. The Lower Mainland’s other great source for all things garden is the Prickly Pear in Steveston, on the edge of Richmond. Known for their amazing hanging baskets that are perfect for small-space living, this full-service garden center has plenty else to choose from. Their wide assortment of containers, seasonal flora, and eclectic mix of accessories and giftware ensures your garden isn’t short on style.

5. Feel like you’re lacking the green thumb to cultivate your dream spring garden? Choose from VanDusen’s many workshops. Taught by the experts to get hands-on knowledge on everything from understanding your soil, growing veggies in containers, to the top 25 plants for easy maintenance. You can see their full course schedule here.

We’d love to hear about your gardening adventures in the comments below, or post your trials and triumphs to our Facebook page. Happy planting!