OKANAGAN REAL ESTATE COMPANY

Summer weather is finally here and we hope you are all enjoying it.   We are sending this out to our friends and acquaintances to let you know that our Whistler condo is available for $85.00 per night. There is a separate parking charge of $15.00 per day for the secured underground parking, should you need it.   This special rate is not available through ResortQuest. It is only available directly from us.   Our place is located at the Alpenglow Lodge in the North Village. This is on Main street, just behind the Marketplace. It sleeps up to 5 people, on a tri-bunk (single up & double down), and a queen sofa bed.   Our unit is

Spectacular view    lots on Vancouver Island. Four prime strata lots located within an    exclusive enclave in   the charming town of  Ladysmith BC, which is  only one hour north of Victoria, the capitol city of BC. These lots offer stunning two hundred  degree ocean, mountain and harbour views. A unique opportunity to purchase the best that Ladysmith has to offer. Prices:               $225,000 -$259,000

Deciding Between New Construction and Existing Homes

When trying to decide whether to buy an old house or a newly constructed one, many question comes to mind,  start by educating yourself and knowing  the pros and cons of each

Real estate agents don’t like to call a house a “used” house. It makes it sound too much like a used car, doesn’t it? But when you’re buying a home you only have two choices: new or used. Real estate agents prefer to call a used house as an existing home which sounds a lot nicer! If you’re deciding between buying a new house

Does Staging help sell your home?

With the real estate shifting toward a buyers market, it is essential to present your home in such a way that enhance its best features and minimizes or rectifies problem areas. Many surveys have proven the importance of home staging as a powerful real estate marking tool that helps sell your home faster and for top dollars. What's Staging? Staging involves dressing-up your home to be presented for sale in its best possible state. It is about merchandising your property. Professional home stagers work with the traffic flow of a home, eliminate or reduce clutter,

9 Easy Tips For a Healthier Home

Home is where health starts. From carpets and wall colours to window shades and overhead lighting, your house can play a role in how much you weigh, your mood, even your cancer risk. It's imperative to eliminate toxins, pollutants and health risks. There are many small things that you can do to make your home healthier and  improve your mood, these tips can be implemented immediately and cost you nothing.

1. Keep Pollutants Outside With every step you make outside your home, your shoes come in contact with all kinds of toxins (oil, gasoline, pesticides,

Real Estate Fraud - How to identify it and protect your property?

According to Statistics Canada, "At the end of 2003, individuals and unincorporated businesses held more than $1.6 trillion in residential structures and land - or about one-third of all assets held by individuals."

By mid-2005, Canadians owed $617 billion in outstanding residential mortgages. Over the past 15 years, residential mortgage credit has grown by an average of 6.4 per cent per year.

That is lot of money - and a lot of opportunity for organized crime and fraud.

What is real estate

Government of Canada Moves to Protect and Strengthen Canadian Housing Market

July 9, 2008 - The Government of Canada today announced adjustments to the rules for government guaranteed mortgages aimed at protecting and strengthening the Canadian housing market. The new measures include:

Fixing the maximum amortization period for new government-backed mortgages to 35 years; Requiring a minimum down payment of five per cent for new government-backed mortgages; Establishing a consistent minimum credit score requirement; and Introducing new loan documentation standards. Today’s

Market Watch - July 2008

Recent sales data form Real Estate boards around the country indicates that real estate market is changing to favour the buyer. Sales continue to decrease and benchmark prices for residential homes in most areas are moderating, in some areas trending down slightly since March.

“Real estate is cyclical and the numbers show that we’ve entered a buyer’s cycle,” explains Kelvin Neufeld, president of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. “Where appropriate, REALTORS® are recommending their sellers sharpen their prices, in particular for higher-end

NEW LISTINGS: 897    Mission Springs Cres        $563,000   1293    Monterey Cres       $639,000   6104-4026    Pritchard Dr.        $839,000   111-511    Yates        $399,900   395    Moonshine Cres        $1,495,000   12 781    East Ridge Crt        $557,777 9845 EASTSID ROAD....$2,575,000   12801 LAKE HILL DRIVE....$499,000   12860

A recent article in the Daily Courier highlights Kelowna's current real estate market:

 

The cooling of the local real estate market could be categorized in the same way as forest fire risk. We've gone from the extreme high end of the scale ot merely high.

 

After five years of scorching sales activity and blistering price increases, the Okanagan housing market needs some relief. We already have so many large projects under construction, it might be a good idea to have those projects come onto the market before foring ahead with more.

 

House prices in the Okanagan have