The City of Surrey is transforming its waste collection process to reduce emissions and divert waste from landfill.

 

---

Starting October 1st, 2012, residential waste will be collected using new state-of-the-art automated Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks, which emit 23 per cent less carbon emissions and 90 per cent less air particulates, compared to traditional diesel trucks. Studies show, replacing one diesel truck with a CNG truck is the equivalent to taking 475 cars off the road each year.
The new services will help residents separate kitchen and yard waste from solid waste by collecting organics separately from garbage, which will help the City meet its 70 per cent waste diversion objective before 2015. In the future, the organic waste will be delivered to the City's proposed Organics Biofuel facility, which will process it into fuel to power the waste trucks.
The new contract includes the use of standardized waste carts, which will be delivered in advance of the start date to all households receiving City waste collection service. The new carts will improve aesthetes and minimize scattered litter.
"The City of Surrey's new direction for waste collection and processing will help establish a benchmark in North America, and will go a long way to creating cleaner, more sustainable communities in the region," says Mayor Dianne Watts. "It's important for municipalities to demonstrate and advance new technologies, and to help facilitate new ways of reducing waste."

Tonnes of sales this weekend including our associates, the White Rock Walkers’ Annual Neighbourhood Sale. Maps for all available – click on the picture.

Good Morning!
For all you Smartphopne Garage Sale Hunters & Collectors out there, we’ve added the option to view the weekend Garage Sales List through Google Earth on your smart phone. Now, the clarity of this may be spectacular, but to be clear, you still won’t be able to see the items on driveway using this method.

Click on the house to see the map.

Here are the garage sales for Saturday. Don’t forget there is a pancake breakfast and Easter Egg Hunt in Ocean Park courtesy of our associates at Verico Dreyer Group Mortgages starting at 8:30.

Click the eggs for Garage Sales Map.

Because this is a long weekend (and the sun is shining), there are a few more garage sales than there have been lately. YAH!

Here is a link to Fridays.

We’ll update them each night. If you know someone in the area having a garage sale, and they aren’t on the list, let them (or us) know.

2012 KICKS OFF WITH NEW HOME PRICE MEASUREMENT; AND, A SLUGGLISH START TO SALES

(Surrey, BC) – The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board’s Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) processed 799 sales in January, a decrease of 4 per cent compared to the 834 sales in January last year and 10 per cent fewer than were processed in December. In the last decade, January 2012 was second only to 2009 for lowest volume.

On the flip side, compared to other starts during the last 10 years, the Board received one of its highest influxes of new listings for January – 2,753 – 5 per cent more than January 2011 and 143 per cent more than December the month before. The increase in new inventory raised the volume of active properties in Fraser Valley to 8,320 by the end of January.

Sukh Sidhu is the Board’s president. “For spring house hunters this is great news. For buying power you can’t beat the combination of greater selection, the continuation of extremely low interest rates and stable prices.”

The Board’s new MLS® Home Price Index (MLS® HPI), launched today, reveals that residential home prices in Fraser Valley have decreased gradually over the last six months, while still showing increases year-over-year.

In January, the benchmark price of a detached home in the Fraser Valley was $567,700, an increase of 7.6 per cent compared to $527,500 in January 2011 and an increase of 0.1 per cent compared to December.

For townhouses, the benchmark price in January was $314,200, an increase of 2.4 per cent compared to the same month last year when it was $306,800 and down 1.1 per cent compared to December. The benchmark price of apartments in January was $199,600, a decrease of 0.1 per cent compared to January 2011 when it was $199,800 and an increase of 0.3 per cent compared to December.

The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI), replacing the Lower Mainland’s MLSLink® Housing Price Index, is a new measure of price for residential properties in five major markets across Canada. It includes Greater Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal, with more markets to be added. It was pioneered by six founding partners: the real estate boards of Calgary, Fraser Valley, Greater Montreal, Greater Vancouver, and Greater Toronto and the Canadian Real Estate Association.

Sukh Sidhu says the new MLS® HPI will be very helpful to REALTORS® in guiding homeowners. “It’s a bigger, better tool to measure the change in home prices in the Fraser Valley and now we can more accurately compare our market to other major cities in Canada.” Learn more at www.homepriceindex.ca.

Download Stats Package here.

Here is a message for you to support the wonderful people at Bayridge Elementary School:

Helping without having to do anything – sort of.

Thrifty Foods Smile Cards - If you don't already have one of our special Community Smilecards from last year, pick one from the counter at the office. The card comes with a zero balance, and each time you shop at Thriftys, just load the card at customer service and pay anyway you like. Every time you load or reload the card, Bayridge gets 5% of the amount loaded. Then use your card at the cashier to pay for your groceries. You still collect your Thrifty's points as normal. This can really add up over the year, so your support in remembering to load at the service desk before you shop is really appreciated! The program runs until June and please feel free to grab a card for friends and family as they work at any location.

If you would like one, let me know and I will drop one off at your door, complimentary.

604-773-3940

Happy New Year!

Similar to the holiday season, there are few sales going on at the moment. However, that does not mean that there is not quality to be found in the ones going on.

Click on the photo for the map and list.

2011 REAL ESTATE MARKET SHOWCASES REGIONAL VARIATION

(Surrey, BC) – Overall, Fraser Valley’s real estate market in 2011 was below the 10-year average in property sales and above average in the number of new listings received, however, according to the president of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, results varied widely depending on the community and property type.

Fraser Valley Real Estate Board President, Sukh Sidhu observes, “I can’t remember a year that illustrates better how local real estate is and the importance of talking to your REALTOR® before making a decision to buy or sell. For example, in my community of Abbotsford, sales of single family homes dropped by almost 7 per cent compared to 2010, pushing prices down slightly, while in South Surrey/White Rock sales increased year over year by 45 per cent resulting in double-digit price increases.”

The Board’s Multiple Listing Service® processed 15,529 sales in 2011 compared to 14,891 the previous year, an increase of 4 per cent, while the number of new listings remained about the same – 31,592 in 2011 compared to 31,437 in 2010. Over the year, the number of active listings for buyers to choose from dropped by 9 per cent going from 8,139 properties in December 2010 to 7,399 in December 2011.

Although 2011 ranks the third slowest year for sales in Fraser Valley since 2002, it was only 10 per cent less than the 10-year average of 17,210 sales. The volume of new listings received in 2011 was 6 per cent more than the 10-year average of 29,867 new listings, placing last year third in ranking since 2002.

Sidhu adds, “One trend from 2011 that is clear was the preference for single family homes. For the most part in our region, both sales and prices of townhomes and condos either stayed on par with 2010 or decreased.”

In December, the benchmark price of a detached home in the Fraser Valley was $522,998, an increase of 3.3 per cent compared to $506,145 in December 2010 and a decrease of 1.7 per cent compared to November.

For townhouses, the benchmark price in December was $315,330, a decrease of 2.1 per cent compared to the same month last year when it was $322,054 and down 3.8 per cent compared to November. The benchmark price of apartments in December was $237,285, a decrease of 1.2 per cent compared to December 2010 and a decrease of 0.5 per cent compared to November.

Average prices year over year show detached homes up 9.1 per cent – $610,269 in 2011 compared to $559,456 in 2010. The average price of townhomes increased by 2.6 per cent, going from $336,484 in 2010 to $345,138 in 2011 and the average price of apartments increased by 0.9 per cent going from $223,910 in 2010 to $225,976 in 2011.

The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board is an association of 2,893 real estate professionals who live and work in the BC communities of North Delta, Surrey, White Rock, Langley, Abbotsford, and Mission. The FVREB marked its 90-year anniversary in 2011.

Full package: Here

The B.C. government has raised the threshold for homeowner property grant to $1.285 million to accommodate rising property values.

The news comes as hundreds of thousands of annual property assessments are being prepared for B.C. property owners by the government. Last year, the threshold was $1.15 million. The grant effectively reduces the property tax paid by most B.C. homeowners by up to $1,045

Every year the province adjusts the grant to ensure 95.5 per cent of homeowners receive the full amount of the grant. Those with homes above the threshold may still be eligible for part of the grant.

"The homeowner grant provides a maximum reduction in residential property taxes on principal residences of $570 in the Capital, Greater Vancouver and Fraser Valley regional districts and $770 elsewhere in the province," said a statement issued by the government on Tuesday.

"An additional grant of $275 is available to those who are age 65 or over, permanently disabled or a veteran of certain wars,."

"We continue to see challenging economic times around the world. By maintaining the homeowner grant, we continue to help families with the costs of owning their homes," said Finance Minister Kevin Falcon in the statement.

The grant is only available to Canadian citizens and to landed immigrants who normally reside in B.C.

For more information regarding the homeowner grant, please contact us at 778-869-7653

STEADY DEMAND FOR HOMES HEADING INTO THE HOLIDAYS

(click photo to download stats)

(Surrey, BC) – The November property sales in the Fraser Valley are up slightly compared to last year and didn’t experience the usual month-over-month seasonal decline.

The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board processed 1,120 sales in November on its Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®), an increase of 3 per cent compared to the 1,084 sales during the same month last year and a decrease of 2 per cent compared to 1,139 sales in October. In the last decade, sales decreased on average 9 per cent from October to November.

Board president, Sukh Sidhu says, “Given the time of year, Fraser Valley is experiencing steady buying activity with notable month-over-month increases in the sale of homes with an attractive price point.

“For example, townhome sales in central Surrey increased by 20 per cent in one month and in Langley by 43 per cent.” Sidhu adds, “Fraser Valley offers buyers the key value of affordability. Currently, over half of our townhomes and condos are listed for $289,000 or less.”

While sales remained stable, MLS® inventory decreased from October to November, typical for the time of year. The board posted 1,926 new properties in November, an increase of 9 per cent compared to November of last year and a decrease of 23 per cent compared to October. November finished with 9,471 active listings in the Fraser Valley, 5 per cent more than the same month last year and 5 per cent less than October’s 10,005 listings.

Sidhu says, “Even with fewer listings coming on stream, buyers can still take advantage of almost nine months of inventory, which is putting downward pressure on prices in certain areas and property types.” Prices for a typical Fraser Valley apartment are down year-over-year and month-over-month, while both single family detached and townhomes are still showing positive price gains compared to November last year and remain stable compared to October.

In November, the benchmark price of a detached home in the Fraser Valley was $532,086, an increase of 5.4 per cent compared to $504,848 in November 2010 and an increase of 0.3 per cent compared to October.

For townhouses, the benchmark price in November was $327,764, an increase of 2.5 per cent compared to the same month last year when it was $319,623 and up 0.7 per cent compared to October. The benchmark price of apartments in November was $238,461, a decrease of 1.6 per cent compared to November 2010 and a decrease of 2.2 per cent compared to October.

 

Property sales on the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board’s  Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®)  in September were the third lowest for that month in the last decade, while new listings for September ranked the second highest.

Sukh Sidhu is FVREB’s president. “This is the third month in a row based on the 10-year average where we’ve seen lower sales combined with a higher influx of new listings.”

The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board processed 1,165 sales in September, an increase of 12 per cent compared to the 1,044 sales during the same month last year and a decrease of 13 per cent compared to 1,341 sales in August.

The board posted 2,651 new properties on its MLS® in September, an increase of 10 per cent compared to September of last year and on par with the listings it received in August. The number of active listings in the Fraser Valley remained at 10,096 in September, at an annual high for the last three months.  

Sidhu adds, “This trend is stabilizing home prices in the Fraser Valley resulting in the price of a typical detached home in September being only slightly higher than it was in May.

“Although average prices year-over-year are still showing strong increases or decreases for some communities, make sure to ask your local REALTOR® for the benchmark price as well. It’s the predicted sale price of a typical home in your neighbourhood and unlike the average price, isn’t sensitive to sales of high-end or low-end homes. It’s one of our most reliable pricing tools.”

The benchmark price of a single family detached home in the Fraser Valley in September was $530,321, an increase of 4.5 per cent compared to $507,429 in September 2010 and 0.3 per cent higher than the price in August.

For townhouses, the benchmark price in September was $327,546, an increase of 1.8 per cent compared to the same month last year and unchanged with the price in August. The benchmark price of apartments in September was $243,420, an increase of 1.6 per cent compared to September 2010 and down 0.9 per cent compared to August.

Full Statistics package here

1. I can walk to the beach
2. My children are thriving
3. My husband and I love walking through the beautiful neighbourhoods; everybody smiles and says hi
4. The architecture and communities are quite varied; something for everyone
5. There are some wonderful restaurants down at White Rock Beach and scattered around the area
6. Sticky Rice Thai has the best Thai food I have ever tasted and wonderful service!
7. Strolling the Promenade along  the Beach in White Rock feels very Cosmopolitan
8. The schools are highly ranked;  more importantly, they have awesome teachers
9. I watch Bald Eagles hunt and ‘play’ with crows from my home office window
10. The community is strong and involved; from infant through to the sixth age of man
11. The Peninsula of Semiahmoo has 2 enormous wooded parks latticed with trails
12. Amazing Amenities. Recreation Centers, Parks, Playing Fields, Swimming Pools, Arenas…
13. The air is fresh with the Ocean Breezes crossing the Peninsula
14. It is peaceful
15. Traffic is minimal
16. There are community shopping centers on the Peninsula and Major shopping  on the other side of King George Blvd
17. The people are so friendly and kind; everyone is polite and well mannered
18. My husband can cycle over to the grocery store(and liquor store) in 6 minutes
19. It is under 10 minutes to get to anything I need
20. Did I mention I can walk to the beach? :)

EARLY SPRING SURGE IN SALES & NEW LISTINGS IN FRASER VALLEY

The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board processed 1,279 sales on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in February, an increase of six per cent compared with 1,204 sold during February 2010, and 53 per cent more than the 834 listings that sold last month.
 
Sukh Sidhu, Board president, confirms the market is more active earlier than expected. “Fraser Valley REALTORS® are busy. We sold 659 detached homes last month compared to 398 in January. We also saw the greatest amount of new inventory come on stream since last summer.

“We think one of the drivers is the change in mortgage rules that is coming up on March 18. Some clients have asked that their sale complete before that date. Plus, our REALTORS® are telling us that almost fifty per cent of their buyers paid less than 25 per cent as a down payment for their home purchases during the first half of February. A 35-year amortization could be more attractive to those buyers.”

In February, the benchmark price for Fraser Valley detached homes was $514,161, an increase of 1.2 per cent from the February 2010 price of $508,136.

The benchmark price of Fraser Valley townhouses in February was $316,578, a 2.5 per cent decrease compared to $324,708 in February 2010. The benchmark price of apartments remained on par year-over-year going from $245,879 in February 2010 to $245,519 in February 2011.

The MLS® received 3,038 new listings in February, an increase of 15.4 per cent compared to the volume received in January and 6.2 per cent more than the 2,879 new listings received during February last year. Last month finished with 8,680 active listings, an increase of 2.3 per cent compared to the 8,485 active listings available during February 2010, and 12.4 per cent more than were available in January.

Download the complete stats package by clicking here.

Property Sales are HOT!

So, there?s a lot of talk in the media these days about Vancouver West and the Real Estate activity there. It is pretty incredible what properties are selling for in that area.

I don?t believe there is anyone who will disagree that the market in that area is being fuelled by primarily ?overseas? interests.

Similar activity is going on in areas of Richmond.

But lesser know to most of Metro Vancouver is that it?s also happening on the South Surrey/White Rock peninsula.

Detached homes in the area are selling like supply is limited. And you know, when you live on a peninsula, in the big picture?. IT IS!

Call us at 778-869-7653 and we will be more than happy to just chat about the South Surrey & White Rock areas.

EARLY SPRING SURGE IN SALES & NEW LISTINGS IN FRASER VALLEY

March, 02 2011 12:55:37 pm, by FVREB
Categories: Statistics

The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board processed 1,279 sales on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in February, an increase of six per cent compared with 1,204 sold during February 2010, and 53 per cent more than the 834 listings that sold last month.
Sukh Sidhu, Board president, confirms the market is more active earlier than expected. ?Fraser Valley REALTORS® are busy. We sold 659 detached homes last month compared to 398 in January. We also saw the greatest amount of new inventory come on stream since last summer.

?We think one of the drivers is the change in mortgage rules that is coming up on March 18. Some clients have asked that their sale complete before that date. Plus, our REALTORS® are telling us that almost fifty per cent of their buyers paid less than 25 per cent as a down payment for their home purchases during the first half of February. A 35-year amortization could be more attractive to those buyers.?

In February, the benchmark price for Fraser Valley detached homes was $514,161, an increase of 1.2 per cent from the February 2010 price of $508,136.

The benchmark price of Fraser Valley townhouses in February was $316,578, a 2.5 per cent decrease compared to $324,708 in February 2010. The benchmark price of apartments remained on par year-over-year going from $245,879 in February 2010 to $245,519 in February 2011.

The MLS® received 3,038 new listings in February, an increase of 15.4 per cent compared to the volume received in January and 6.2 per cent more than the 2,879 new listings received during February last year. Last month finished with 8,680 active listings, an increase of 2.3 per cent compared to the 8,485 active listings available during February 2010, and 12.4 per cent more than were available in January.

Download Complete Stats package here.

Stable property sales and a steady erosion of inventory for the last seven months of 2010 have brought equilibrium to Fraser Valley’s real estate market.

“Our market was a bit of a rollercoaster in 2010 with buyers appearing earlier than expected in the year, tapering in the summer and returning in the fall,” says Deanna Horn, Board president.

“As consumers regained their confidence in the overall economy, we saw a normalization of the market with sales at or slightly below average, inventory dropping and modest changes in home prices.”

A total of 895 sales were processed on the Board’s Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in December, a decrease of 17 per cent compared to November and a decrease of 29 per cent compared to 1,260 sales in December of last year. The Board’s 10-year average for December sales in the last decade is 1,020.

In terms of listings, the Board finished 2010 with 8,139 active listings, 10 per cent fewer than in November and an increase of 25 per cent compared to the 6,534 properties available in December 2009. December’s inventory represents a 28 per cent drop from 2010’s peak of 11,411 active listings reached in May.

Horn adds, “If there’s one lesson buyers and sellers can take from our market in 2010, it’s to recognize there are real differences in home values based on their type and location making it prudent to have your REALTOR® show you comparisons specific to your property type and neighbourhood.

“For example, benchmark prices of condominiums in North Surrey have decreased by 3.8 per cent in the last year while benchmark prices of detached homes in west Abbotsford have increased by 4 per cent.”

Overall, the benchmark price for Fraser Valley detached homes in December was $506,145, an increase of 0.3 per cent compared to November and 1.7 per cent higher compared to $497,732 in December 2009.  

The benchmark price of Fraser Valley townhouses in December was $322,054, an increase of 0.8 per cent compared to November and a 1.2 per cent increase compared to December 2009 when it was $318,174. Year-over-year, the benchmark price of apartments increased 1.2 per cent going from $237,157 in December 2009 to $240,101 in December 2010 and 0.9 per cent lower compared to November 2010.

Download the complete stats package by clicking here.