With Father’s Day just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking of new brunch spots! There are so amazing options in Vancouver’s West Side neighbourhoods, so there’s no need to venture downtown! Appealing to a plethora of palettes and price ranges, your mouth is bound to be watering by the end of this list:

Kitsalano:

The Oakwood Canadian Bistro

Featuring locally sourced ingredients, and an eye to sustainability, the Oakwood Canadian Bistro is modern in both its menu and attitude. Their refreshing takes on classic brunch dishes are delicious without stepping too far outside the box.

The Linh Cafe 

For something less traditional, the Linh Cafe offers a Vietnamese kitchen with French Style cooking. This innovative cultural fusion is well loved in the neighbourhood, and provides a welcome step outside the ordinary.

Cafe Zen on Yew 

For classic breakfast fare, Cafe Zen on Yew is perfect. If your Dad is an early riser, they’re open at the crack of dawn and offer just about every style of Benny under the sun as well as omelettes, pancakes and waffles.  

Kerrisdale/Dunbar:

Jethros Fine Grub 

One of Vancouver’s best loved greasy spoons, be sure to wear your most comfortable pants, because you’ll leave Jethros stuffed. With their casual atmosphere and crowd pleasing favourites, Jethros is very family friendly and has something to please everyone’s taste buds.

Blaq Sheep  Coffee 

There is no excuse to have bad coffee in Vancouver, made abundantly clear by Blaq Sheep coffee. They take their roasts very seriously, which is ideal if Dad is a coffee connoisseur. Their brunch options are classic and tasty, but won’t distract from great coffee.

Secret Garden Tea Company 

If Dad is a tea lover, changing things up with a more traditional tea experience at the Secret Tea Garden is a great way to create memories as a family. With beautiful decor and a selection of delectable tea accompaniments, high tea creates a sense of occasion and will definitely make Dad feel special.

Not a day goes by that we aren't asked "should we sell? In Vancouver it is a really complicated question, but the answer is simple.

Timing the market may seem like a great idea, but is anyone really any good at it? There is no crystal ball. Economists can do all the math, but will it make sense to you and your family?

If you look at housing relative to incomes, for many people Vancouver is not affordable.

If you look at renting vs. buying, renting is a much better way to go in today's market.

You can live in a $5 million dollar home for $5000/ month. On a purchase basis with an amazing 50% down and our low interest rates at 3%, the premium on owning costs you $15,000/ month. This does not include all of the yearly maintenance on the structure, plus gardening.

If you are already in the market, do you sell and rent until it becomes more affordable to own than rent?  What about all the appreciation lost in that time frame?  Will there be any? Where else do I put my money once I've cashed out of the Real estate market? Is there a better use for my cash?

We all know about the Vancouver Real estate Rollercoaster.  It may seem like the prices of Real estate only go up in Vancouver, but that isn't so.

What about offshore money coming into our city? Many locals are worried about something happening in the world and the possibility of that stopping. Then what happens to housing prices in the lower Mainland? Will prices fall by 50%, 70%?

What is affordable? Do Canadians top out at $2.4 million? What happens to high-end housing if no one local can afford them?

After working in the Real estate business for over two decades and personally riding the waves of down markets and up markets, (and the leaky condo syndrome that thankfully is long past), the simple answer of deciding to sell eliminates all the unknowns.

You have to ask yourself, what works for you? What works for your family? What can you easily afford? What is your timeframe?"

If you can answer these questions to yourself honestly, there lies the answer to your dilemma.

If you've just had your fourth child and you are in a two bedroom and are going crazy with all the chaos, then the time is right for you to make a move. If your family is grown and moved away and the gardening is becoming too much, and the taxes are ruining your sleep, then it's a great opportunity for a change.

If you think this is the top of the market, you want to sell to put your money in the bank to buy in when prices deflate but you love your home and neighbourhood, I can tell you first hand that you may very well regret your decision. Don't sell for the sake of trying to time the market. If you love your home, you should stay.

Please don't be that seller.

Simply put, if the situation has changed and no longer brings you happiness but leaves you stressed, it's a great opportunity for change and rejuvenation. Nothing feels better than a clean uncluttered life.

We often have people ask us about the cute little bungalows and older homes that end up on our Open House list. Many Vancouverites are concerned about whether or not the home will be turned into multi-unit development, or have a new build on the land. With that in mind, we decided to look into the City of Vancouver procedures and mandate for Heritage homes –what constitutes heritage status, and what is the overall plan for keeping historical buildings in tact.

Vancouver’s aesthetic beauty is central to what makes it a desirable place to live, and something that does need to be protected. We have a huge diversity of neighbourhoods, with residents who treasure the individual character of each one, and are often concerned with how to ensure the preservation of this character.  As we’ve mentioned, there has been considerable and ongoing controversy around the demolition and redevelopment of heritage neighbourhoods and sites in Vancouver. As a city experiencing growth at the rate we are, many high-density neighbourhoods such as Gastown, Yaletown, and most recently Mount Pleasant have been called-out for gentrification and a devaluing of the importance of preserving the character of the neighbourhood. Often, property taxes become too high for owners to maintain properties that house heritage buildings. When they are forced to sell, developers with different priorities purchase these properties, and demolish character buildings as a necessary part of redevelopment projects. The concern of Vancouver’s citizens has inspired the The City of Vancouver to take stock.

In January of this year, a number of provisions were slated for review by the city of Vancouver in order to ensure the maintenance of our city’s character through the preservation of heritage sites, and incentives for developers to re-purpose existing structures. Started in 2013, the City’s ‘Heritage Action Plan’ is under review. By upgrading the heritage register, reviewing character home zoning policies, increasing sustainability initiatives, and implementing awareness and advocacy initiatives, the City of Vancouver hopes to ease local concern over the preservation of heritage buildings and increase the number of renovation projects undertaken by developers. Many of these policies will make it more expensive for developers to demolish homes built before 1940, which encourages redevelopment and renovation over demolition.

These initiatives have been most visibly effective in areas such as Shaughnessy, Kitsilano, Yaletown, and Gastown. By the end of 2015, the City intends to have an updated set of policies that will placate concerns on the part of developers and citizens alike, keeping our city, bright, beautiful, and unique.  

We are often asked for referrals for REALTORS® located outside our area of expertise, areas like Calgary, Edmonton, Phoenix or California, to name a few. As a REALTOR® with over 23 years of experience, I will share my top priorities for locating an area expert.

At first glance, it appears that the choices are infinite, but do you really have that much choice?

There are probably only a handful of top realtors in your specific area, and those are the ones I will target.

First, I will search online  for a list of top performing REALTORS®, review their websites and personally call at least three, but no more than 5 realtors.

Then I look for a personable REALTOR® who I can reach by phone in  a timely manner, and  who shares my old fashioned hands-on values. That realtor will have a minimum of 10 years experience and focuses solely on the identified area; they will be a specialist and not a generalist; they understand up, down and sideways their market because selling in each of these markets requires different tools and strategies.

I want hands-on service, from getting the home ready for sale to completion and possession. That means the REALTOR® I choose will be at all showings with keys in hand. My home will be their top priority.

The REALTOR® will live within a 15-20 minute radius of my home for convenience. Remember, every time that REALTOR® shows your home, there is time travel each way, home set up, and then the showing time. How likely are you going to be a priority on a Tuesday evening at 7pm, or Sunday morning at 11am when travel time is 45 minutes or longer? Sometimes there are no-shows, when the buyer cancels 10 minutes before the showing and the effort has gone to waste.

“I look for hands on, old fashioned personable service because I deserve it”.

Computers, the internet, Twitter, blogs, and cell phones have made the process of buying and selling homes accessible to the public in a fast and efficient way. However, the core of real estate has not changed. The personable relationship you create with a trusted REALTOR® should last a lifetime from generation to generation because those are the values and qualities in a REALTOR® we believe you deserve.

Using a REALTOR® to sell your home through the MLS system almost always puts more money in the homeowner’s pocket at the end of the day. Recently I had client wanting to sell a very desirable property on Vancouver’s Westside. I won’t use names or addresses, but the numbers I am using are actual and so is this story from just a few weeks ago.

Our client was approached by two neighbors who wanted to purchase the home direct from our client offering to save the property owner close to $100,000 in Real Estate Fees. Who wouldn’t want to save $100,000? The first neighbor approached our client with an offer at $3.5 million, which our client was initially very satisfied with. The neighbor tied-up the property for the better part of two weeks while trying to sort out financing only to determine they could not get the financing so this deal collapsed. The second neighbor approached our client with a subject free offer at $3.4 million with a two week closing. This was a pretty tempting offer after going through two frustrating weeks with the first offer. Our client felt the offer at $3.4 million was a bit low, and we suggested to her that she list the property on MLS and see if we could achieve a better price for her. We had a few weeks earlier provided our client with a Market Evaluation suggesting a sale price in the range of $3.5 to $3.7 million. Keep in mind, by listing on MLS the client would be paying appox $100,000 in real estate fees.

We went ahead and listed the home on MLS. After 1 week on the market and five competing offers we sold the home for $3,850,000 with a subject free offer and $300,000 deposit closing in three weeks! Our client put $250,000 more in their pockets over the offer at $3.5 million and $350,000 over the subject free offer at $3.4 million.

We hear so many complaints about the real estate fees paid to REALTORS®, here is a good example to show that spending $100,000 to gain $350,000 is money well spent. Using a REALTOR® to sell your home really does make sense. We feel on average it can add 10% to the price you may get offered privately.

Be careful if you have been approached at your front door from someone wanting to buy your home direct. This approach to selling can cost you hundreds of thousands of tax free dollars. Should this happen contact your REALTOR® to find out what the real market value of your home is.

Happy Selling!

Andrew Hasman

Appearing last week on CTV News, Andrew Hasman spoke on the seller’s market currently developing in Vancouver. As reported, a charming luxury home in Shaughnessy sold for almost 3 million dollars over the assessment price, but this trend is present everywhere in the market.

What experts are calling a “buying frenzy” for luxury homes is pushing up real estate prices; Andrew Hasman appeared on CTV News to comment:

“It’s all about location.”

A house currently listed by Andrew Hasman, slated as a tear-down near Jericho beach has the chance to become hugely profitable. Strategically listing houses below what they’re worth increases interest on the part of buyers, essentially creating an auction.  

“The idea here, is it’s listed at $338,800 and it should go for over that price. As to where it’s going to end up, we’ll let the market decide.”

A similar phenomenon exists in Toronto,  named the fastest growing luxury housing market in the world, which like Vancouver, is fueled in part by foreign buyers. All of this draws more attention to Vancouver’s luxury home show held this past weekend, which means more attentiont to the luxury home market, and the cycle continues. If you are a homeowner looking to sell in vancouver, now is the time!

It is impossible not to be drawn out of Vancouver to enjoy the natural beauty surrounding our wonderful city. Whether you’re spending a day with your family taking a short hike, or lounging lake-side, there are innumerable options to choose from – thankfully, many of these are much closer than you might think.

Here are 5 quintessentially west-coast day trips for your next sunny Sunday, all under two-hours from Downtown:

1. Steveston Village, Richmond

2. Deep Cove, North Vancouver

Nestled in the North Shore Mountains, Deep Cove is a delightful mix of an outdoor sports enthusiast’s paradise, and a family friendly spot for a picnic and light hike. Offering Kayaking, mountain biking, and hiking trails of varying length and difficulty, Deep Cove has something for everyone. Honourable mention to Honey’s Donuts - after a long paddle, these donuts will tempt even the most dedicated health enthusiasts.  

3. Alice Lake Provincial Park

Past Shannon Falls on the Sea to Sky high-way, Alice Lake is a provincial park and campground that proves why so many Canadians flock to the forest in the summer months. Enjoy camping, canoeing, lake side sun-bathing and swimming all just 1hr 20mins from Vancouver. On your drive up, the breath taking views off the Sea to Sky highway will tempt you to stop for a picture or two.  

4. Belcarra Regional Park

Just 50 minutes out of Vancouver is Belcarra Regional Park. Located at the entrance to Indian Arm, you can enjoy short walks along the shore-line, as well as swimming in Sasamat Lake. Belcarra offers a variety of sights and activities, and all in perfect proximity to the city.

5. Sea to Summit Trail

For something more rigorous, check out the Sea to Summit hiking trail, which climbs the back side of the famous Stawamus Chief rock-climbing site. This 900 metre climb is intermediate, but views of Howe Sound, Sky Pilot and the surrounding mountain peaks will make the effort more than worth-while. Be sure to bring lots of water and a power bar or two as this hike can take up to 5 hours.