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I have sold a property at 1 3393 DARWIN AVE in Coquitlam
I have sold a property at 1 3393 DARWIN AVE in Coquitlam.
Detached, custom built, quality home by a 3rd generation builder! Beautiful family home has everything that you need to move right in; open concept with huge kitchen, bright dining room & great room, laundry/mud room with side door access, office/den, covered patio for year round enjoyment, sound resistant media room with wet bar & 2 bdrm legal suite! Kitchen is perfect for entertaining; huge quartz island w/ wine fridge, pantry, gas stove & white shaker cabinetry. Soaring ceilings, crown moulding & engineered hardwood. Large master, W/I closet, 5 piece ensuite incl free standing soaker tub & separate shower, 2 other bedrooms & flex space. Flat back yard is fully fenced, tiered veggie garden, double garage & open parking from lane. Walk to elementary school & dog park. Not a strata!
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New property listed in Burke Mountain, Coquitlam
I have listed a new property at 1 3393 DARWIN AVE in Coquitlam.
Detached, custom built, quality home by a 3rd generation builder! Beautiful family home has everything that you need to move right in; open concept with huge kitchen, bright dining room & great room, laundry/mud room with side door access, office/den, covered patio for year round enjoyment, sound resistant media room with wet bar & 2 bdrm legal suite! Kitchen is perfect for entertaining; huge quartz island w/ wine fridge, pantry, gas stove & white shaker cabinetry. Soaring ceilings, crown moulding & engineered hardwood. Large master, W/I closet, 5 piece ensuite incl free standing soaker tub & separate shower, 2 other bedrooms & flex space. Flat back yard is fully fenced, tiered veggie garden, double garage & open parking from lane. Walk to elementary school & dog park. Not a strata!
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Crown Life Building

Crown Life Building

1. Crown Life Building
1500 West Georgia Street
By Rhone and Iredale (Peter Cardew)
Completed 1977

The Crown Life building is a 20-story glass office tower that still looks as clean and contemporary now as it did when it was built back in the 70s. Its wedge-shaped floor plates and tall slender columns make it a graceful character on the Georgia stretch. The annex retail space across the reflecting pool from the tower was originally intended to act as the base of a pedestrian bridge that would stretch across Georgia Street – unfortunately, that feature of the building never made it to construction. The sloping brick bank along the street side water feature has become an unexpected landmark for skateboard films in the city.

Evergreen Building

Evergreen Building

2. Evergreen Building
1285 West Pender Street
By Arthur Erickson
Completed 1978

Sitting amongst the blue glass towers of Coal Harbour is Arthur Erikson’s Evergreen building. From its most photogenic angle, it is a pyramid of overflowing concrete gardens, the windows of offices just barely peaking through the greenery. The terraced face of the building is cut on a diagonal across the site, ensuring a choice view for tenants towards Stanley Park and the North Shore Mountains. Thanks to its fans, the project has managed to resist pressures to convert or demolish the structure to make way for condominiums.

Marine Building

Marine Building

3. Marine Building
355 Burrard Street
By McCarter Nairne and Partners
Completed 1930

You may recognize the Marine Building as the Daily Planet Headquarters from the popular TV show, Smallville, or you may just know it as that big old Art Deco building on West Hastings. Back when this tower was built, it enjoyed almost a decade of being the tallest building in the British Empire. It may no longer be the tallest but it is definitely the most impressive example of Art Deco architecture in the city and maybe even the country. From the interior fixtures to the carved stone, all of the buildings details showcase marine symbols. I strongly recommend lingering in front of the impressive brass doors of the main entry and admiring the illustrative carvings in the surrounding stonework.

Vancouver Convention Centre West

Vancouver Convention Centre West

4. Vancouver Convention Centre West
1055 Canada Place
By LMN Architects (Lead Design Architects) MCM Architects and DA Architects + Planners (Local Architects)
Completed 2009

I can’t help but mention the Vancouver Convention Centre’s West Building, when talking about architectural landmarks in the city. The extensive project has been one of the largest projects to take place in the city in the last decade and the city has gained some valuable public space in the process. The green roof unfolds and climbs upwards from Coal Harbour towards Canada Place, peeling back in places to allow for an outdoor program and views towards the North Shore. The sloping glass façade is definitely an impressive addition to Vancouver’s waterfront, especially when experienced from The Seawall along the building’s lower level. I can easily spend a whole afternoon exploring the different kinds of public space created by the Vancouver Convention Centre. Not all of these spaces are necessarily successful but the project is an ambitious one and an important cultural landmark in the city.

Jameson House

Jameson House

5. Jameson House
838 West Hastings Street
By Foster + Partners
Completed 2004

Vancouver really wouldn’t be the same without Coal Harbour. The glass towers here have become a symbol of our local urban vernacular. It is the kind of place in Vancouver that you would only expect to find a tower designed by the renowned UK firm, Foster + Partners. The Jameson House, with its flamboyant curved glass façade and condominium units worthy of a James Bond scene, is the epitome of high-end living.

Odlum Drive Live/Work Studio

Odlum Drive Live/Work Studio

6. Odlum Drive Live/Work Studio
1332 & 1334 Odlum Drive
By Peter Cardew
Completed 1998

As lots are subdivided in lower density neighborhoods of the city, a narrow and streamlined residential building type is gaining popularity. The most notable examples of this typology are Peter Cardew’s live/work units on East Vancouver’s Odlum drive. Four live/work dwellings – two facing Odlum drive and two facing an interior courtyard – sit shoulder-to-shoulder on a small lot. The project is characterized by vertical concrete block walls and robust seismic bracing on the front face. It is a real gem on a street of old houses and run down industrial buildings. If you are on Commercial Drive, I strongly encourage walking a few blocks west to check this project out.

Waterfall Building

Waterfall Building

7. Waterfall Building
1540 West 2nd Avenue
By Arthur Erickson with Nick Milkovich Architects
Completed 1998

A later and lesser-known Erickson project, the Waterfall Building near Granville Island is a beautiful mixed-use residential project. The building consists of concrete and glass live/work units arranged around a bright courtyard and sky-lit gallery. An opening along West 2nd street provides views of the gallery behind a veil of water and invites those wondering by to enter the central courtyard.

2386 Cornwall Avenue

2386 Cornwall Avenue

8. 2386 Cornwall Avenue
By Battersby Howat (Designer), Hancock Brückner Eng & Wright Architects (Architect)
Completed 2006

Another beautiful residential project I always enjoy passing by is the Battersby + Howat designed four-storey apartment at 2268 Cornwall Ave. Much like Cardew’s Odlum Drive Live/Work Units, this four-unit building maximizes space on a narrow lot with its simple block typology. It’s a refreshingly minimal project with beautiful concrete work wrapping the sides of the building leaving the front and back face fully glazed.

UBC Click on Map to Expand

UBC
Click on Map to Expand

Making your way out of the downtown core to the University of British Columbia is a bit of a trek, especially if you are already familiar with some of the campus’s landmark buildings like Erickson’s Museum of Anthropolgy or Cardew designed Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery. However, if you haven’t been on campus in the last 4 years, I strongly recommend you head out there to check out these projects:

Beaty Biodiversity Centre

Beaty Biodiversity Centre

9. Beaty Biodiversity Centre
2212 Main Mall, University of British Columbia
By Patkau Architects
Completed 2009

The Beaty Biodiversity Centre shows a great deal of restraint while still keeping consistent with the Patkau’s famous attention to detail and design rigor. The museum component of the building proudly displays its enormous Blue Whale Skeleton from behind fully glazed walls while the buildings behind host laboratory and research program behind screened facades. Over the years since its completion, the naturalistic landscape has grown in, providing a fantastic contrast to the rawness of the building.

Pharmaceutical Sciences Building

Pharmaceutical Sciences Building

10. Pharmaceutical Sciences Building
2405 Wesbrook Mall
By Saucier + Perrotte Architectes and Hughes Condon Marler Architects
Completed 2012

This building is unlike anything Vancouver has seen before. Dark, reflective glass and a staggered block façade give this building its high impact aesthetic while still keeping a clean and restrained form. At the base of the building, stunning board formed concrete folds into the building, giving way to an impressive wood-clad lobby.

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I have sold a property at 1402 3430 E. Kent
I have sold a property at 1402 3430 E. Kent .
Paradigm is a mix of condominium homes and townhomes focused on value, quality, and efficiency, complemented by unexpected amenities and perks that take your lifestyle to another level. These thoughtful homes stand out because they also offer a change to the home-buying experience to give you real information, honest advice, and worthwhile options.
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Home buyer demand remains elevated across Metro Vancouver
METRO VANCOUVER MARKET HIGHLIGHTS
JANUARY 2021
DETACHED
 
 
Active Listings:
2,809
Sales:
740
Benchmark Price:
$1,576,800
Avg. Days On Market:
51
TOWNHOUSE
Active Listings:
1,206
Sales:
454
Benchmark Price:
$815,800
Avg. Days On Market:
34
APARTMENT
Active Listings:
4,291
Sales:
1,195
Benchmark Price:
$680,800
Avg. Days On Market:
44
January 2020
1,571
Sold
January 2021
2,389
Sold
(+52.1%)
Residential property sales in Metro Vancouver

In the first month of 2021, Metro Vancouver’s* housing market continued the pattern set at the end of last year with home sale activity outpacing the supply of homes listed for sale.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential home sales in the region totalled 2,389 in January 2021, a 52.1 per cent increase from the 1,571 sales recorded in January 2020, and a 22.8 per cent decrease from the 3,093 homes sold in December 2020.

Last month’s sales were 36.4 per cent above the 10-year January sales average.

"With home sale activity well above our January average, the supply of homes for sale isn’t able to keep pace. This is causing increased competition amongst home buyers and upward pressure on prices. "
Colette Gerber, REBGV Chair

There were 4,480 detached, attached and apartment properties newly listed for sale on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in Metro Vancouver in January 2021. This represents a 15.7 per cent increase compared to the 3,872 homes listed in January 2020 and an 86 per cent increase compared to December 2020 when 2,409 homes were listed.

The total number of homes currently listed for sale on the MLS® system in Metro Vancouver is 8,306, a 3.6 per cent decrease compared to January 2020 (8,617) and a 2.7 per cent decrease compared to December 2020 (8,538).

For all property types, the sales-to-active listings ratio for January 2021 is 28.8 per cent. By property type, the ratio is 26.3 per cent for detached homes, 37.6 per cent for townhomes, and 27.8 per cent for apartments.

Sales-to-active listings ratio - January 2021
Detached homes
26.3%
Townhomes
37.6%
Condominiums
27.8%
Total 28.8%

Generally, analysts say downward pressure on home prices occurs when the ratio dips below 12 per cent for a sustained period, while home prices often experience upward pressure when it surpasses 20 per cent over several months.

“Shifting housing needs during the pandemic and historically low interest rates have been key drivers of demand in our market over the last six months,” Gerber said. “People who managed to enter the market a few years ago, and have seen their home values increase, are now looking to move up in the market to accommodate their changing needs.”

The MLS® Home Price Index composite benchmark price for all residential properties in Metro Vancouver is currently $1,056,600. This represents a 5.5 per cent increase compared to January 2020 and a 0.9 per cent increase compared to December 2020.

Sales of detached homes in January 2021 reached 740, a 68.6 per cent increase from the 439 detached sales recorded in January 2020. The benchmark price of a detached homes is $1,576,800. This represents a 10.8 per cent increase from January 2020 and a 1.4 per cent increase compared to December 2020.

Sales of apartment homes reached 1,195 in January 2021, a 46.8 per cent increase compared to the 814 sales in January 2020. The benchmark price of an apartment home is $680,800. This represents a 2.2 per cent increase from January 2020 and a 0.6 per cent increase compared to December 2020.

Attached home sales in January 2021 totalled 454, a 42.8 per cent increase compared to the 318 sales in January 2020. The benchmark price of an attached home is $815,800. This represents a 4.3 per cent increase from January 2020 and a 0.2 per cent increase compared to December 2020.


*Areas covered by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver include: Burnaby, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, New Westminster, North Vancouver, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Richmond, South Delta, Squamish, Sunshine Coast, Vancouver, West Vancouver, and Whistler. 

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CMHC: Cost gap between owning and renting widens in Canada’s largest real estate markets

The gap between the cost of owning and renting intensified in the nation’s major urban markets last year, according to data from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

In its 2020 Rental Market Report, the Crown corporation said that in the most severe cases, urban carrying costs are now nearly double that of paying rent.

Toronto, which saw supply growth and lower rental demand for much of 2020, currently lays claim to the nation’s largest cost gap between owning and renting. In its analysis of the CMHC data, Better Dwelling estimated that condo apartment owners in the GTA are paying 86% more to own than rent in a purpose-built building, a rate roughly 60% higher than it was just five years prior.

Among the major drivers of the trend is the dwindling number of a specific cohort that represents a significant fraction of the GTA’s renter households.

“The COVID-19 pandemic all but halted immigration flows to the GTA,” CMHC said in its report. “The closure of international borders lessened the population growth of these two key groups that drive rental demand.”

Another market exhibiting similar symptoms is Vancouver, although at a less frenzied degree. Better Dwelling estimated that the Greater Vancouver Area’s condo apartment owners are paying 54.38% more to own than rent – down from the record high of 84.12% in 2018, and in line with the decade-low level of 53% seen in 2016.

“While the pace of rent increase slowed, lower mortgage interest rates helped offset an increase in carrying costs due to higher condominium prices,” CMHC reported. “However, entry-level home prices continue to remain high relative to local incomes, resulting in many potential home buyers facing financial barriers to entry into home ownership. Some potential homebuyers may therefore choose to rent longer term, contributing to high baseline rental demand.”

On the other end of the spectrum, Edmonton, at a mere 7.03%, currently has the smallest cost gap of all Canada’s major urban markets. The current figure is a significant improvement when compared to the oil-driven peak of 32.49% seen in 2013.

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New property listed in
I have listed a new property at 1402 3430 E. Kent .
Paradigm is a mix of condominium homes and townhomes focused on value, quality, and efficiency, complemented by unexpected amenities and perks that take your lifestyle to another level. These thoughtful homes stand out because they also offer a change to the home-buying experience to give you real information, honest advice, and worthwhile options.
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