Hot Hot Garage Sale Weekend!
This weekend looks to be spectacular for Garage Sale Hosts & Guests alike.
There are a number of Neighbourhood events going on including our own.
Here are the maps and link to them.
(click on image for maps page)
Follow-Up on Missing Dog
We wanted to update you on our post of last Friday regarding Tofu, the Boxer taken from outside the Walmart in Morgan Crossing.
On Sunday, our client called to say the Surrey SPCA had poor little Tofu. OK, Tofu’s not so little.
Well, here watch the video:
Neighbourhood Garage Sale
Saturday May 26th 2012 Starting at 9AM – NO EARLYBIRDS!
Come find the bargains and treasures in the South Surrey area bordered by 140th, 148th and 16th up to 20th.
For participation or information, contact Andrew – 604-773-3940
White Rock, South Surrey & Cloverdale Garage Sales
Good Morning!
Here is the list of Garage Sales for May 19th long weekend. Not as many this week (never are n a long weekend). But it’s a beautiful Saturday morning and there’s probably lots of good deals to be had.
South Surrey/ White Rock & Cloverdale Garage Sales for May 12th 2012
Wow! Garage Sale season is in full swing. South Surrey & White Rock have so mane events, we had to separate the map into east and west.
There is a Neighbourhood Sale planned for the Bayridge Elementary School catchment area on May 26th. If you live in this area and are interested in participating, contact us to have your sale added to the neighbourhood map for that day.
If you have a community event coming up, let us know and we will publicize it; a complimentary service of HudsonHomeTeam.com
Click on the image for the Garage Sales Maps.
It’s Slowly Starting to Take (new) Shape…
I was scrolling through our Facebook page and noticed a headline by our friend Miss604 about Ashiana Tandoori.
Way before kids, we lived within walking distance of Ashiana (in East Van). Before that, we lived within walking distance of Vij’s, back when it was half the size, Rangoli, didn’t exist and if you wanted a table, you had to wait in line outside, no matter what the weather (although they usually brought you tea if it was cold and/or wet). But back to Ashiana…
The food was great and, well, we could walk home, which made it more enjoyable in the form of sharing a full bottle of Gewürztraminer with our dinner; our favourite wine for spicy Indian food.
At first I didn’t bother to open the Facebook post because, well, living so far away from Ashiana, I didn’t want to torment myself by reading about it. Then I noticed the word Surrey in the subtext. I clicked on the link and read to my delight that Ashiana has opened in Surrey (their website doesn’t seem to note this as of yet).
Backtracking once more, I remember when we first moved to Surrey years and years ago, I thought; as a lover of spice/curry/tandoori, that it would be wonderful to live in a city that had so many Indian residents and, no doubt, some amazing Indian restaurants. Well, it turns out, we had a difficult time finding Surrey’s answer to Ashiana for Tandoori, or Vij’s for South Indian flare. Apparently, the Indian community doesn’t eat out at Indian restaurants often enough to warrant many establishments other than those catering mostly to weddings and events.
So, Ashiana, is now available in Surrey and Vij’s; coming to South Surrey. Most of us live minutes from a beach (or two). It’s like a poor man’s Kitsilano (you know, houses are only $1 Million not $3 Million). Of course, if we keep saying how wonderful it is here, $3 Million can’t be far behind.
Our community is slowly starting to take (new) shape.
South Surrey/ White Rock & Cloverdale Garage Sales for May 5th 2012
Tonnes of sales this weekend including our associates, the White Rock Walkers’ Annual Neighbourhood Sale. Maps for all available – click on the picture.
Added Feature to #WhiteRock #SouthSurrey #Cloverdale Garage Sales Map
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.
Garage Sales for #SouthSurrey #WhiteRock #Cloverdale–Apr 14th
Hey great news! Holy Smoke Coffee (The Tepee on King George Blvd) is now offering our Garage Sale Maps complimentary when you come in and experience their in-house roasted coffee.
What a great way to get started on your day of bargain hunting.
We have included the Tepee location as “A” on the map.
Here it is, click on it:
Easter Weekend Garage Sales–2012 #SouthSurrey #WhiteRock #Cloverdale
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.
Good Friday Garage Sales–2012 #SouthSurrey #WhiteRock #Cloverdale
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.
#WhiteRock Charity Event featuring the White Rock Players’ Club
TICKETS GOING FAST!
Pacifica Partners is proud to announce our sponsorship of the White Rock Players' Club performance at the White Rock Playhouse (Coast Capital Playhouse) on April 9th 2012 of "The Lion in Winter".
Pacifica Partners has reserved all 218 seats to this exclusive performance night and will be hosting a pre-performance social at 7pm on Monday April 9th.
This is a great event for culture in our community and a thank-you for our clients and centres of influence in the Surrey White Rock area.
Charitable donations may be made at the event to support the Umoja Operation Compassion Society (UOCS). The UOCS is a respected registered charity and provides support to the African refugee immigrant community in Surrey and surrounding area, however makes its services available to all immigrants trying to establish themselves in Canada. UOCS provides resources and support for these vulnerable new members of our community so that they may flourish in their new home. In addition, the UOCS provides international support to orphanages and clean water projects in Africa. To learn more about UOCS please click here.
A donation has been made by Pacifica Partners Inc. – Capital Management, to White Rock Players Club – itself a vital non-profit entity in our community, to make this opportunity available to all.
Doors will open at 7pm with a networking social. Proceeds from a cash-bar will also benefit the White Rock Players' Club. The play will commence at 8pm. To reserve your complimentary tickets please email: lion@pacificapartners.com.
BUYERS' DUE DILIGENCE OBLIGATIONS
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Number 452, February 2012
BUYERS' DUE DILIGENCE OBLIGATIONS
Most licensees are familiar with the doctrine of caveat emptor or 'buyer beware.' That maxim holds that a seller has no obligation to disclose patent defects: those discoverable upon a reasonable inspection. However, a seller does have an obligation to disclose latent defects – those not discoverable upon a reasonable inspection – which make the premises dangerous or unfit for habitation. Courts have balanced a seller's duty to disclose certain facts and to avoid misrepresentation with the buyer's duty to protect their own interests. Characterizing a defect as patent or latent is a question of fact requiring consideration of the defect's nature, its importance to the buyer, and the extent of the inspection and inquiry that would be reasonable in the circumstances to reveal the defect. In determining the applicable standard of care, the court will consider the investigative actions that a reasonably prudent buyer would take in the circumstances. The buyer's level of sophistication is relevant in determining the standard. Our courts consider that buyers have the primary responsibility for investigating a property they propose to purchase, and a duty to carefully review all information provided to them regarding the property. Consider the facts in Creswell Investments Inc. v. Pavone1: a sophisticated commercial buyer purchased a commercial strata unit that had a removable mezzanine installed without the necessary building permit. The buyer's offer was non-subject and specified that the mezzanine was included. While the seller had completed a Property Disclosure Statement (PDS), which indicated the seller was aware of alterations or additions done without a required permit and referred to the mezzanine, the buyer did not ask for the PDS and thus it was not provided. Prior to completion, and at his request, the buyer received authorization from the seller to review the property's city file and received the contact information for the mezzanine manufacturer. The buyer did not follow up in reviewing the file or contacting the manufacturer. After the sale completed, the buyer discovered the mezzanine did not comply with the building code. The buyer sued the seller for failing to disclose the mezzanine's status. After dismissing the claims for misrepresentation against the seller, the ultimate issue for the court was whether the mezzanine's status constituted a latent defect, which the seller was obliged to disclose, or a patent defect. The court found that the mezzanine did not comply with the fire safety provisions of the building code and this was a latent defect as the premises were potentially dangerous. However, the court concluded that, as the mezzanine's status could have been discovered by a reasonable investigation by the buyer, the defect was patent. The court held that a reasonably prudent buyer in the buyer's position would have made enquiries about the property at the time of his offer and made the agreement subject to being satisfied with the results of those enquiries. The court held that at the very least, the buyer should have requested a copy of the PDS. Had those steps been taken, the buyer would have discovered the mezzanine's status. The decision serves as a reminder that while sellers are obliged to make full and complete disclosure of defects not readily discoverable, making the property dangerous or unfit for habitation, buyers are equally obliged to exercise due diligence in investigating properties they propose to purchase. The standard of inquiry will be that of a reasonably prudent buyer in the circumstances.
Jennifer A. Clee
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There have been a number of recent articles on a seller's obligation to make full and complete disclosure of all issues respecting property offered for sale. What about a buyer's obligation when purchasing property?Fraser Valley Real Estate Statistics January 2012
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.
Garage Sales for This Week
The Garage Sale list is a bit small this week, but better than last week. I’ll bet you can find some good finds at this weeks. Click on the photo for the map.
Garage Sales for January 7th 2012
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.
Fraser Valley Real Estate Statistics – Dec 2011
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
BC Government Raises Homeowner Grant Threshold
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
Fraser Valley Real Estate Statistics – November 2011
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.
Movember Hot Dog Fundraiser
Help us raise funds and awareness of ‘Movember’ by buying a hot dog.
