Jan 27
adminReal Estate
Modest Growth and Low Interest Rates Predicted for First Quarter of 2012
BCREA 2012 First Quarter Housing Forecast Update
Vancouver, BC – January 27, 2012.
The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) released its 2012 First Quarter Housing Forecast Update today. “Modest economic growth at home and abroad is expected to limit growth in consumer demand both this year and in 2013,” said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist.
BC Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) residential salesare forecast to increase 2.1 per cent from 76,817 units in 2011 to 78,400 units this year, increasing a further 2.7 per cent to 80,500 units in 2013. The 15-year average is 79,000 unit sales. A record 106,310 MLS® residential sales were recorded in 2005.
“While European sovereign debt concerns and a sluggish US economy will continue to impact consumer confidence, strong demand in the bond market is expected to keep mortgage interest rates at or near record lows for most of 2012,” added Muir.
Home prices in most BC markets are forecast to experience little change over the next 24 months as
the supply of homes for sale more closely matches consumer demand. The average MLS®
residential price in the province is forecast to edge down 2.2 per cent to $548,500 this year and
remain relatively unchanged in 2013, albeit increasing 0.8 per cent to $553,000.
Jul 08
adminReal Estate
June sales of single-family homes in the Comox Valley were up 5 per cent on the same month last year – but the average price dropped 4 per cent compared to 12 months ago.
New figures from the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board this week show 88 single-family homes changed hands locally in June compared to 84 in the same month last year.
The average price paid was just under $349,000 in contrast to $362,000 in June 2010.
The number of sales placed the Comox Valley in the number two spot of the six regions north of the Malahat within the real estate board’s area.
Nanaimo took top position in June with 100 sales and Port Alberni and the West Coast brought up the rear with 27.
Real estate board president Jim Stewart said across the Island there were “marginal fluctuations in unit listings and sales numbers, indicating a stabilizing market.”
But away from single-family homes, Stewart added there had been some particularly encouraging sales figures, particularly for waterfront homes and lots.
However, in the Comox Valley there is now relatively limited choice for people wanting to buy ready-serviced lots, with the lowest number of listings of such properties for some time.
Marty Douglas of Coast Realty Group in Courtenay said at the last count only 27 lots were listed within the three Comox Valley municipalities, whereas in Campbell River alone there were 138.
That imbalance was opening up a significant price difference of around $70,000 between similar lots in the two communities, which would inevitably impact new house prices.
For the longer term, he said, the potential inventory of lots in the Comox Valley was enormous, with so many new developments proposed. But for now there was a distinct shortage, reflecting a 46 per cent fall in lot sales here compared to last year.
In the first five months of this year, 37 lots were bought in the Comox Valley, but only three of them went for under $100,000. The average price had come in at just over $167,000.
Yet in Campbell River, over the same period, 86 per cent of lots there had sold for less than $100,000, Douglas noted.
pround@comoxvalleyecho.com
© Copyright (c) Postmedia News
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Feb 14
adminParis
Ascending from this mod metro in the 1st arr. we begin a day of leche vitrine (window licking as the french say).
Wow! Copper pots in the window. Let’s look in here….!
This reminds me of coq a vin. I must enter.
Lovely pots! I wonder what the prices are like? OMG thousands of euro!
Well...I realize that some old Parisienne shops still price in francs! That explains it.
Onward and upwards to the Bon Marche.
Gilded in gold with prices to match!
Time for a fashion hit so we head to |Avenue Montaigne.
On the way we discover more Parisienne wonders such as a leather laundry hamper.
Armani
Chloe
Ralph Lauren's son married George Bush's granddaughter, Lauren Bush who became Lauren Lauren.
The window display might overshadow the fashion statement.
OOOHHH! Look at those baby clothes!
This is heaven for grandma's!
Little girl's dresses look as though they came from days gone by!
All that window licking has whetted our appetites. Let's grab some food and head back to Place Dauphine.
Home at last…..For our ‘just desserts’!
Jan 23
adminReal Estate
It may still be January but I have proof that spring is not far away. Driving along Pacific Blvd. in Vancouver, exiting the west end and entering the Burrard Street bridge, I glanced at that row of heritage houses that miraculously have survived the urban onslaught. Believe it or not, the plum trees in front of those grande dames were in blossum. Ahhhhh! Such a sweet sign. Can spring be far behind?
In spring, a young man’s fancy turns to love. If you are no longer in that category perhaps your mind turns to thoughts of selling your home. I am never (well, hardly ever) happy to see a veteran Hornbyite setting sail from our shores, but change is inevitable.
If you are considering selling your property, call me for a free estimate of the value of your home in today’s market. Let me tell you about my marketing strategies.
For example, I have just signed a contract with Homes & Lands to be able to market your property in their magazine distribution. With over 25,000 copies printed every 28 days you can be sure that your property is viewed by thousands of people, not to mention the RE/MAX data base which exposes many more thousands to your property.
No wonder RE/MAX was the sales leader on Hornby in 2010! We also have a new opportunity to create websites for each and every listing in our care.
Call me today for your free market evaluation and let me tell you how I can market and sell your property.
Call me anytime at 1-866-335-2510
or direct on my cell at 250 650 1988
I’m always happy to hear from you!
Dec 12
adminParis
Most operas are now performed in the Opera National de Paris Bastille but the ballet remains at the Garnier. We saw neither but visited the Opera Garnier in the daytime to soak up the grandeur. It certainly was that, in fact, an embarrassment of riches might be a better epithet.
Michele imagines the outfits that were worn by opera goers of bygone days.
Some of our photos are a little blurry. We blame that on the fact that we were completed dazzled by the opulence.
Near the Entrance
This sumptuous building was designed by Charles Garnier for Napoleon lll. Construction began in 1862 and was not completed until 1875. That is something like building on Hornby, except it was completed!
exquisite columns
The unique appearance of the Opera Garnier is due to a mixture of materials (including stone, marble, and bronze). Also, the styles range from Classical to Baroque.
balcony for viewing new arrivals
Seating for the Opera
I imagine what it must have been like to have your own private balcony. It is larger than some of our living rooms.
Just after we entered this room, a class of youngsters filed in and sat on the floor to enjoy a very visual history lesson. In every single museum that we visited, we always noticed at least one school group. What a wonderful education in Art and History the children of Paris are getting.
Where are we off to next?
Gosh, I wish I had polished my shoes!
Dec 10
adminParis
Today we set out for Montmartre.
- Kath and Anna ready for a day in Montmartre
We ascend the stairway to Montmartre.
Notice the plane areas on the side of the steps. These were used to pull loaded carts up the hill.
Not there quite yet!
A leafy doorway greets us at the top of all those stairs.
Even in November the tourist flock to this square while artists stride around with palette in hand looking to pose for a picture. We resisted.
Sacre Cour
Sacre Cour, a Romano-Byzantine church was started in the 1870’s but not completed until 1914.
The horses stand guard.
We wind our way down in a more gradual descent.
I had intended to have a picture of the delightful merry-go-round but the photographer was similarly delighted by the reflections which turned out to be serendipitous.
Below Montmartre we spend time exploring the many cut rate fabric stores that line the streets. We almost lost Katherine when she discovered this cute little car but luckily she just couldn’t quite get in!
Nov 26
adminParis
Trong picked us up in front of our apartment at 7:30 a.m. for our one day tour to the Champagne Region north east of Paris. We were warned to dress warmly and knew why as we watched the temperature gauge on the mini van dip significantly as we drove out to the country. Apparently, the champagne grapes need a cool temperature and we were a little unprepared for standing in the vineyards at 9 in t he morning in maybe plus 2 degrees centigrade. However, we were more prepared than our tour mates, a mother and daughter from South Carolina, Suzie and Sidney. It was mighty cold there for two Southern Belles but we all survived and learned about pruning the vines from our tour guide Trong.
Trong explains the three types of grapes that go into the making of champagne: pinot nor, pinot meuniere, and chardonnay. Vines are planted on a slope for maximum sun exposure and the chalky soil of this region is ideal for growing conditions. This type of soil retains moisture and makes irrigation unnecessary.
The vineyards stretch for miles in all directions and are are owned by various champagne barons, many of whom are families who have had their business for generations. However, because play station has become so popular with youngsters in France, they are finding it difficult to entice young people to participate in the work involved in keeping the family business going. As a result, migrant workers from the eastern European countries are taking up the pruning jobs and living in the country for 7 months of the year earning 9 euros an hour and then retuning to their families for the remainder of the year with their relative riches.
You will notice how low the vines are pruned. This keeps them close to the warmth of the ground and requires that during the pruning and picking season the workers must bend over to carefully clip the buds or to snip the clusters of ripe grapes. Apparently for the first few days the amount of ibuprofen consumed by workers with aching backs is very high. As we commiserate with the workers who we now see in the fields crouched over pruning the plants, Trong assures us that they are fortified by their flasks through this arduous process.
The windmill in the distance marks the place where executives from the Mumm Champagne dynasty meet for special occasions and conferences. Apparently, Madonna was invited to one event but when she arrived by helicopter, the local population of this small rural village were terribly offended by her insensitivity. She has not been invited since.
We drive sensitively by mini van into the small town of Verzenay forewarned that the townsfolk are extremely suspicious of strangers as this village is in the region where the Germans and French ‘duked it out’ in the first world war. This town as well as many others in the region were badly bombed by the Germans and many burial grounds and memorials to Allied soldiers dot the surrounding countryside.
In spite of our apprehension of perhaps missiles of rotten tomatoes we are graciously greeted by Henriette the daughter of founder Jean-Claude Mouzon. She, along with her husband, are now the owners of this small champagne operation. Henriette relays in French the entire process which is translated by Trong.
Henriette is very proud of their grape crushing machine. It was bought by her father after many years of saving his money This machine operates with a bladder system that inflates and gently crushes the grapes which saves doing it by hand but cost him $200,000.
We enjoys sipping the various blends of Henriette’s finest and we particularly enjoy the Grand Cru Verenay, although the Brut Tradition is lovely as is the Brut Rose. The tasting is a convivial event and at 11 o’clock in the morning, it is a somewhat light headed experience. However, we are soon whisked away to a restaurant in Reims for lunch.
After a typical French midday repast we rolled out of the restaurant and off to the less intimate tour of the Mumm ‘factory’. The next pictures show part of the process of removing the sediment. The bottles are turned (called riddling) on increasing angles for 6 to 8 weeks until the sediment sits in the neck only.
At that point the neck of the bottle is frozen and then the intermediary cap (like a beer cap) is removed and voila, the frozen bit pops out! Of course, the process is now mechanized. This is called disgorging.
The Mumm’s cellars are vast and it seems much like looking down a metro tube. Space is needed, however, as here are stored hundreds of millions of bottles of champagne.
The ancient vintages are locked away for many years. The official taster, however, accesses this cellar once a year to ensure the consistent taste that Mumm’s has developed over many years. It’s a tough job but someone has to do it.
The Mumm’s museum displays a vast array of vintage machines that have been improved on over the years. Here is an old corking machine.
After Mumm’s we were taken for an in-depth tour of the cathedral at Reims.
The Reims Cathedral was awe inspiring. We particularly liked the Chagall stained glass created in 1974. We bought postcards rather than try to get a good picture of that. Here is another modern stained glass in the church.
Finally, before returning to Paris, Trong took us to a library close to the cathedral that is dedicated to the Americans in gratitude for Kennedy’s generous donations in rebuilding the cathedral after the war. We particularly liked the art deco staircase and light fixture.
We arrived back at our apartment at 7:30 in the evening. To find out details about this tour go to their website at: www.parischampagnetour.com
Nov 20
adminParis
Walking into the grounds of the Branly Museum evokes an atmosphere of wildness, from the steel rods that are constructed to resemble the bull rushes they enclose (an effective deer fence we think) to the profusion of plants that would look more at home on Hornby than here in Paris.
A huge wall of glass encloses more wild thickets and creates a reflective silence broken only by the songbirds that enjoy this urban respite.
The building that houses this extraordinary exhibit of Indigenous art was designed by architect Jean Nouvel. He has raised it above ground on pillars to free up more space for gardens.
Designer Patric Blanc is responsible for the exquisite Vegetative Wall that covers one exterior wall of the six stories building. He has created an transition from the elegant and traditional limestone Hausmannian buildings in the neighborhood (see my previous blog on the 7th arr.) to Nouvel’s organic free form, steel, and glass construction. We attempted photos at dusk on a mid- November evening but we would love to see this cascading greenery of flowers and mosses in its summer brilliance.
Entering the museum you are transported along a ramp way on which a river of global and timeless words are projected like sparkling drops of light and which in places disappear off the edge of the inclined plane. One feels somewhat dizzy waking through this ever changing river, a feeling that is accentuated by the purposeful uneven path.
Next one crosses the dusky, narrow passageway that is dark like a birth canal. Everything is designed to transport you to another universe. The world of far away continents.
From Oceania to Asia then from Africa to America the collection features nearly 3500 pieces. There are no walls only glass display cases that seem to be scattered in a forest of filtered light.
One is guided through the exhibit along undulating walls about 7 to 10 feet high, of various thicknesses, carved and sculpted from concrete and covered in natural toffee colored leather.
The subdued natural light throughout the gallery created a feeling of intimacy as did the labyrinth of glass display cases of different levels and shapes that opened out to a gathering spot or resting place built into the leather walls.
The extensive exhibits defy description and of course cameras were discouraged. Someone who we will not name did manage to snap a few photos but if you are interested in the collection and can’t get to Paris, Glen and I have a book at home that captures some images sent to us from a woman we met in Paris in 2006 since we were disappointed not to have seen the exhibit.
Suffice to say we were suitably overwhelmed as we exited into the dusk. We strolled by the blue and purple light show the fiber optics cast which created a weird glow on the underbelly of the building, yacking as we went. We were particularly excited about the Asian exhibit, the clothing and how the women developed their own styling, the intricate bamboo baskets and fishing implements, the early guns inlaid with precious and semi precious stones, the palanquin fit for a camel and on and on…..
Nov 16
adminParis
Sunday morning is an opportune time to shop at the many weekend produce markets in Paris and we were most interested in the Marche d’Aligne. So we set off along the Seine, back towards the Bastille area, and then, voila, the Canal St. Martin.
Before motorized vehicles the Canals were used to transport goods to the city and throughout France. Horses plodded along the quai’s pulling the barges through the canals and locks. Nowadays, it appears that many Parisians make their homes in the boats moored in the canal.
This area of Paris used to be one of light industry but has recently become more residential with many new recreational facilities such as walking and cycling paths, and playgrounds and restaurants.
For a short period this November, a huge Antique faire was housed under the white tents that you see in the background along the canal. There was a profusion of antique furniture, dishes, jewelry, linens, Persian carpets, books, posters, paintings, etc. As we strolled by, the vendors were having lunch delivered on trays from neighboring restaurants. In typical French fashion, they had tables and chairs set up with tablecloths and of course they were sipping wine from elegant stemware. Would love to have taken photos but did not want to be invasive of their privacy.
We had to tear ourselves away from the antique market to get to the Marche d’Aligre before it was closed. We arrived to streets of stalls laden with beautiful vegetables and fruits and vendors shouting out their deals and competing for shoppers. The streets were teaming with Parisians stocking up on this weekend market.
Katherine searches for a ‘sou’ wanting to buy a few pears. However, it seems like they only sell by the kilo, but since just about everything is about a euro a kilo, it didn’t seem to matter.
Although shopping on streets like rue Cler, which we visited in our last post, is very pleasant and utterly Parisian, Marche d’Aligre is where the real bargains are to be had, especially in the weekly street portion of the market. Generally, we found that food is much less expensive in Paris than in Canada. A block of cheese at the monoprix is a couple of euros, and a rather decent bottle of wine can be bought for under three euros.
Sunday is traditionally a day for the French to dress up (even more than usual) and to visit their families and enjoy a huge feast together. This would be a ideal place to pick up a bouquet of flowers to grace the table.
Now I must warn you that the next five photos are not for the delicate or the dedicated vegetarian but if you ever wondered what happened to Bambi’s dad, we think we know.
A colorful display of pheasant, quail, partridge, and pigeons are some of the game birds available in the indoor portion of the market which is available every day of the week. You may even be lucky enough to find a pig roasting on a spit.
This poor rabbit is laid out in a most compromising position with its innards displayed, in case you should fancy making a pate.
The seafood vendors had a very fresh selection of seafood on display but I think they may not have appreciated our photo taking.
Laden with fresh figs, potatoes, carrots, cheeses, and meat, we head toward our little apartment promising ourselves to return next Sunday.
On the way home we just had to go via the Viaduc des Artes which was a former railroad line. In 1994 the restored and revamped Viaduc des Artes opened with 50 stores and studios nestled in the bridge’s rose stone archways. In keeping with tradition, the ateliers are all linked to the arts and some of the city’s master craftsmen have set up shop here. You will find such shops as those providing silk flowers for top fashion houses, restorers of paintings and period glass, as well as ‘hot’ interior designers.
The next photo shows a table made of sharkskin that we found particularly interesting.
We continued our walk on the Promendade Plantee which stretches along the top of the Viaduc d’Aligre for about 3 miles or 4.5 km., a lovely rooftop stroll.
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