Canadian Economic Forecast 2018: IMF and OECD Gives Canadian Economy Two Thumbs Up!

The Canadian Economic Forecast

The International Monetary Fund says Canada is the leading G7 Country

How odd is it in 2018, that a country on the verge of trade wars, real estate collapse in its major cities, flat wage growth, mediocre job growth, merciless consumer debt, and a sagging national housing market would be cited as the G7’s darling child?

In a new report just released, the IMF likes Canada’s economic situation and they’ve forecasted some lofty economic growth rates. Quite a rosy prediction for 2018 and beyond

Their confidence could impact the Toronto real estate forecast, | Calgary Housing Market Forecast and the Vancouver real estate forecast for 2018. And it could end the talk of a real estate market crash and begin to attract foreign investment into Canada once again.

Growth of 3.6% to 3.7% Predicted

For entrepreneurs, mortgage agents, realtors, manufacturers, retailers, builders, renovators, homebuyers and banks, this is a positive signal about growth ahead. Trump is looking to renegotiate NAFTA which doesn’t mean shutting out Canada. The negative media hype is ridiculous. Even with renegotiation, Canadian small business has a good opportunity. If Trump has an issue, it’s likely with the multinationals who continue to rule everything including politics.

Despite sluggish growth for its major trading partner, the IMF believes Canada is poised for growth of 3.6% this year and 3.7% in 2018. That has to sound good for job hunters, real estate agents, mortgage agents, house buyers, and business development managers alike.

Underpinning all the optimism is the IMF’s belief in a broad-based global economic upswing. Does this mean the world has adjusted to US trade protectionism, or is Trump actaully unable to do anything about the US situation? The IMF points to Trump’s inability to get new tax laws passed and to the level of optimism globally. With Trump’s new tax bill passed, the US stock market could boom for at least one more year, and that’s good news for the Canadian economy.

This might come as quite a surprise to most of us who haven’t heard such a rosy forecast for the world as a whole. However, much of the uncertainty of housing and stock markets was of a global nature and it may be subsiding.

An earlier report from the OECD set Canada’s growth rate at 3.2% for 2018. Strangely, although Canada is believed to be the leader, overall global growth is set for 3.7%, a half percent above Canada’s forecast rate of growth.

The OECD is also calling on Canada to ease foreign investment restrictions and ease the Toronto/Vancouver housing crisis. Given that Canada is mired in the lowest levels of foreign investment ever, it would be healthy for the Vancouver and Toronto housing and condo markets along with the TSX stock market if such investment was allowed to flow.

The OECD also cites Canada’s lack of productivity as a big concern, however it appears the country has been able to make use of its assets to generate growth.

A BNN poll found that most viewers believe tax rates and the NAFTA deal are the key worries about the Canadian economy.

Canada’s Economic Facts

growth in 2nd quarter of 2017 was 5%
household spending was up 4.6% in June (YoY)
job growth was 186,000 over the first half of 2017
exports expanded 9.6%
central bank only expected to raise interest rate slightly
national trade deficit increased to $3.4 billion in August

October 10, 2017April 5, 2018

Toronto Condo Market Report – Update and Forecast 2017 2018

Toronto Condo Market Forecast 2018

While the Toronto housing market in 2018 is overshadowed by severe house supply shortages and ultra-high prices the condo market in Toronto and Mississauga is an attractive alternative for young buyers.

Sales of condos particularly in the under $500k market are rising and prices have risen as well. The latest Toronto condo market sales report from TREB has ben released. While TREB doesn’t publish stats on the condo market specifically much anymore, you can see the averages for each district below.

Toronto Central, Milton, Oakville, and Peel region continue to enjoy strong market demand while other areas have seen a decline in price since last fall.

The new mortgage rules now enforced means many buyers will only qualify for a much lower mortgage.

You likely have your own opinions about government meddling in the markets, however such interference can be a housing crash factor in itself.

Should you invest in a new or resale Toronto condominium? The Canadian economic Forecast and Toronto economy in particular look very good. That means condos new and old will be in demand next spring from fully employed buyers who have had time to save the big downpayments and meet more stringent lending stress tests.

As mentioned in the Toronto housing report for October, prices for Toronto condos are up 24.5% in the city of Toronto year over year. Some of this rise is due to the coming mortgage chages. If you need a monster mortgage, you need to get hopping and call a real estate agent.

The issue of whether to buy is one of affordability for Millennial-aged buyers and as many are saving, there will be plenty of demand next spring, putting upward pressure on prices.

Millennials Are Driving The Toronto Condo Market

They’ll need more creative mortgage financing and improved condo searches to find something they can afford. Although the mortgage changes in 2018 will put an extra burden on them, and force them to stay in the rental market, they will likely have more money in the spring to buy a condo.

There’s big investor demand for condos too. Student housing is in a severe crunch in Toronto and Vancouver. Investors are well aware of the rental potential of condos and many may be investing in the Vancouver condo market and here in Toronto because of so much rental demand.

If you can’t earn a profit on capital appreciation, you can still make it on rental income.

Toronto Rents Are About to Rise

A report from BNN shows how rental income properties, including condos in Toronto. See where the big rents are.

Why are Toronto Condos such a Draw?

Toronto Condos offer higher cap rates and a larger growing pool of potential renters and buyers. And at this point with severe shortages of detached houses and townhouses, buyers are buying condos. Barry Fenton, President & CEO of Lanterra Developments, a major condo developer suggested Toronto Condo prices could could have risen 40%. They have reached 20% over this time last year. The detached housing shortage is still alive.

When foreign investors look to escape their own country’s currency nightmares and leverage our weak loonie, they like the Toronto market. Note: If you’re a foreign real estate investor, people often refer to Toronto as being the greater Toronto area encompassing Oakville, Mississauga, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, East York, Pickering and even out to Oshawa. The Newmarket, Bradford, and Aurora regions are included in TREB’s housing sales reports.

Toronto Condo Prices 2017

TREB District	Toronto Condo Prices March 2018	Toronto Condo Prices October 2017	Toronto Condo Prices Sept 2017	Toronto Condo Prices August 2017	Sept 2016	March 2012	Price Change over Last 17 months
City of Toronto	$651,100	$555,004	$554,069	$550,299	$561,376	$361,800	13.78%
Toronto West	$494,400	$446,794	$450,485	$434,218	$487,061	$286,366	1.48%
Toronto Central	$656,000	$620,322	$615,654	$615,680	$682,427	$422,396	-4.03%
Toronto East	$411,000	$407,775	$395,859	$403,028	$467,689	$237,909	-13.79%
Halton Region	$465,300	$478,611	$519,348	$528,579	$485,128	$442,625	-4.26%
Burlington	$520,300	$553,029	$514,755	$476,222	$497,800	$370,667	4.32%
Halton Hills	$486,300	$516,450	$294,500	$446,971	$381,017		21.65%
Milton	$432,000	$413,808	$418,219	$427,594	$406,300		5.95%
Oakville	$442,100	$419,438	$606,131	$523,507	$513,682	$485,800	-16.19%
Peel Region	$423,600	$389,587	$385,588	$395,188	$461,830	$433,780	-9.03%
Brampton	$360,000	$354,618	$336,091	$350,401	$374,596	$351,500	-4.05%
Mississauga	$435,000	$395,683	$393,441	$402,344	$485,240	$453,250	-11.55%
York Region	$507,000	$495,973	$481,138	$500,456	$544,528	$537,903	-7.40%
Aurora	$477,000	$608,750	$562,500	$685,874	$532,785	$525,000	-11.69%
Markham	$509,000	$503,796	$486,369	$503,455	$554,643	$527,518	-8.97%
Newmarket	$536,000	$416,260	$444,250	$400,340	$496,125		7.44%
Richmond Hill	$475,400	$452,319	$446,505	$470,076	$542,470	$596,667	-14.11%
Vaughan	$531,000	$532,144	$513,618	$521,400	$593,725	$554,211	-11.81%
Durham Region	$407,800	$399,687	$365,297	$376,250	$317,855	$274,350	22.06%
Ajax	$396,000	$337,317	$397,125	$379,431	$378,180	$281,688	4.50%
Oshawa	$358,000	$302,333	$226,347	$315,075	$243,000	$210,667	32.12%
Pickering	$501,000	$448,036	$384,300	$402,316	$396,301	$340,667	20.90%
Whitby	$410,000	$448,036	$395,633	$457,143	$344,461	$294,350	15.99%

The Toronto Real Estate Board covers a huge area and below we’ll zero in on communities that may represent the best ones for you to research.

Barry Fenton, President & CEO at Lanterra Developments joins BNN to discuss the Toronto Condo market. He suggests the market is aggressively priced and complains a little about how competitive it is. He says prices will rise 40% but he has a few misgivings about the Toronto Condo market.

Big Demand for Condos as Entry Level Homes

Most home buyers in the Toronto area can only hope to own a condo. Homes are averaging over $1.5 million in some areas in the GTA. And condo developments are offering more for tenants. And perhaps the key feature of Toronto condos is their proximity to work, leisure, restaurants and shopping and freedom from the grinding commute that many Torontonians face each day. So there are good reasons to buy a condo in Toronto.

But the condo investment landscape has recently been darkened by Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne. Her government’s new foreign buyer tax might hit the condo market the hardest, but most credible experts expect demand to return. It’s a short term blip (and as of Dec 2017, the demand for condos did indeed return).

Oddly, the condo market in Toronto is much less volatile than the single housing and townhouse market in Toronto. Her foreign buyer tax and rental price controls look like they’ll miss the mark.

Lets’ take a look at the most recent Toronto condo market prices and then look onward to 2018, 2018, 2019 and 2020. This blurb from the latest TREB condo market report says it all about what’s happening right now in April of 2017:

What else is supporting condo sales is proximity to work. Commute times are awful, gas prices are very high, and young millennials are having trouble handling rent/mortgage/ and car payments. Something has to give, so workers are choosing to move into the city near their jobs.

Where are Toronto’s Best Investment Condos?

As the graphic above shows, the top location is Toronto Central (where home prices are highest too), Toronto West and Mississauga. The bulk of these listings are in huge mega-sized condo towers and there are more of them being built. Toronto Central is also close to the U of T, Ryerson, and other colleges where off campus housing is in hot demand. It’s the same situation for Vancouver condo rental and investors should take note.

Toronto’s C02 district is your million dollar listing area. With an average price of $1,050,000 these are your Toronto luxury condos. This area is located just north of Downtown/Bloor st, near the University of Toronto. This suggests that proximity to U of T and downtown offices may be the primer driver of Toronto condo prices and may drive sales of Toronto homes as well.

Screen cap courtesy of the Toronto Real Estate Board. See more at trebhome.com

How Much Have Prices Risen in the Last 5 Years?

Should I Buy a Condo in Toronto?

Should you buy a condo in Toronto, Mississauga, Scarborough, or Brampton? Demand for condo purchases is rising, the Toronto economy is strong and positive, and rents are rising fast. At some point, you have to jump in, or you’ll never build homeowner equity.

What to Consider Before you Buy a Condo

October 5, 2017March 25, 2018

11 Better Ways to Generate Real Estate Leads

I know, you get all your leads from word of mouth and all the rest “don’t do nothin” for me. What you may not be recognizing is that all channels power up your personal referral network and build word of mouth referrals from anywhere.

Staying old school agent and procrastinating on using all methods to grow your word of mouth referral network is unwise. 90% of agents avoid digital marketing. I hope you’re not one of them, because the top realtors I know all talk about how online is their growth area.

What is random and slow can be accelerated and improved. You can build your audience and continuously engage them and avoid leaving your local neighborhood markets to your competition. Weave these 11 tactics below into a powerful overall strategy that is self-supporting.

Header graphic above is a Business vector created by Freepik

How Impressed Will Clients Be if They See You Have it All Together?

It’s not this or that tactic or, it’s using all of them to win. Smart professionals who take the future seriously know they need to combine tactics like these and stick with them. Persistence is paramount.

And social media? Well, that has a special place in the engagement of your inner circle and their connections. Each of these 11 tactics below will feed the others. Look at them as an army that will bring it all together for you. Have faith that this inexpensive effort will pay big dividends.

Most Realtors lack an overall strategy and they resort to hacking tactics to scrape out leads. Wouldn’t it be better to put together a multichannel strategy that helps you dominate local presence? These tactics below should help you step it up in lead gen.

Feed the Team!

If you’re a Realtor team leader, it’s not just about you. Teams are where the success is, yet your team members need leads and to feel they have reach into the market. and supporting them generates big returns for you and a healthier sustainable agency. If you’re not doing it, your agents know it and begin jumping ship.

Let’s revisit the whole lead gen thing quickly with the 11 Best lead generation tactics.

The essence of excellent lead generation is wide scope visibility to the buyer and seller market and creating a clear emotion to choose you. Sounds so simple and maybe it is?

Create topics, events and beliefs that bring you and prospects together. If they fish, play golf and tennis, travel, like fixing old cars, build furniture, grow flowers, watch HGTV, or eat health foods, then shouldn’t you be into these things too? This is more than blog and FB posting. It’s a way of getting invited into their lives.
Create a visually welcoming website: a new website is fresh, easy to read and navigate, and has pics, videos, text and interesting headlines to draw them in. They’ll come back again and again because it’s fun, helpful and interesting. You may need to hire a good creative content person to get this accomplished. No, it isn’t easy but if you have the goal of a great website in mind, you will get your wish.
Promote through social media, print flyer and local radio ads: A multichannel approach helps to focus the impact of your promotion. One channel by itself may not be engaging enough for your audience. Your offline promotions should bring them to your website and FB page, and get them on your email list. How well are you doing that now?
Create a highly visual brand image and use it on your website, lawn signs and vehicle wrap: bright and ugly is what one very successful agent did, it really worked and made him stand out from the rest. Differentiation is the key. Don’t be boring.
Leverage the new RETS industry standard MLS IDX system: RETS IDX gives you more flexibility and success in using your local MLS listings. These are the assets that your prospects crave.
Use a new CRM system: with advanced lead scoring and engagement/conversion analytics, and the ability to send to a friend thus getting your circle to promote for you. Are your Google leads looking for bungalows, condos, or 4 bdrm houses near schools? Let your analytics tell you what they want and then give it to them.
Hire an SEO / Content Strategist: 90% of buyers and sellers go online as part of their sales process. To create high Google rankings along with epic, lead converting content that gets shared social you need someone who loves doing this stuff. Plenty of strategically generated, amazing content optimized for Google really can generate huge traffic and leads. Don’t stick your head in the sand about online traffic — it’s the future of real estate and it’s your future.
Build social media connections, interact with them, make them feel good: because people buy when all their miseries fade away and they’re left with one clear state of feeling good. You make people feel good when you rid them of their troubles. One agent I know of relies totally on Facebook and uses it as a central lead conversion center (he revealed some of his secrets to me). You can only have 5000 connections but that’s a big farm to grow sales. The points is that homeowners are avid FB users and you can go from stranger to friend.
Travel, meet people, study industry news and be more interesting: dull and uninteresting kills so build interesting material for your blog and FB page. That’s engagement. All that activity inspires others. Show your travels, celebrations, achievements, learning, and other people’s good stuff too. Celebrate everything and show them life is a fun blast and they need to buy or sell and start living themselves. Who wants a dull life? Yes, travel is expensive. I wish I could travel because it can take your business to a whole new level and revitalize your personally. You need an “experience strategy.”
Start a charity that helps homeless people, unemployed people, physically challenged and other forgotten people: show genuine caring by doing something them to suffer less and feel more hopeful: generosity does work so give away things for free and don’t favor any recipient. Be fair and helpful. You’ll get respect and admiration with your own local charity.
Advertise on Google and Facebook: Can’t ignore his quick direct connection to prospects. It isn’t because you can’t afford it, it’s because you can’t convert the leads with just a phone number. This comes back to your CRM and lead conversion system, and the quality of the value offer prospects are seeing in your web content. Some agents win solely with PPC ads because with local targeting on FB, Google and remarketing. These give you an economical, continuous presence. Don’t use the lead gen companies. You can do it yourself.

There’s plenty more lead generating ideas, but these 11 give you the best bang for your buck. Check out these top skills for luxury real estate agents.

Search Engine Marketing Services

I provide packaged services for successful agents, yet I am fully open to helping agents at a lower price point. Take another good look at your website and ask yourself what’s missing. Does your website and digital promotion really hit to the heart of what buyers and sellers like? Are you making them feel really good?

Call me anytime at 416 998 6246. I’m looking forward to working with a progressive and success minded realtor.

October 3, 2017March 25, 2018

Best Home Renovations to Help Sell Your House Now or in 2018

What are the Best Home Renovations for Maximum ROI?

Home prices may be plateauing but we’re far from a housing crash or stock market crash in 2018. If you think selling your home is the prudent decision, then it’s time to create a plan that includes dressing it up for market.

You can sell your house for more with a blitz marketing strategy and by doing some renovation. You don’t have to advertise it of course. Let buyers be amazed with your upgraded home.

Below are the Top 10 House Renos and links to other helpful resources to assist in your reno decision and sell it for the highest price. You’ll find it does make a difference in your sales results.

Which are the renovations that will bring the biggest return in 2018? You might be intrigued by the numbers from Metrostudy’s renovation index and report for the last quarter. Homeowners and sellers are spending 5% more on renos and they’re likely spending it in bathroom and kitchen upgrades or overhauls.

If you’re strategic, you might be able to get more professional results over several rooms, instead of use one room.

We’ve got the help of Houzz and the HGTV home renovation empire to help us stay on top of trends with a list of your best bets below.

With the real estate markets in some cities cooling (except Vancouver) and with a slight chance of a housing crash in cities such as the SF Bay Area, Toronto, Dallas, Denver and so on, homeowners are having to dress up their property to get a great price. If you can get the financing, and you choose the right renos that buyers like today, and it should be money well spent.

If your house is up for sale, you’ll need to do more in 2018. And why wouldn’t you go for the best return on your investment if you can? If you need some more motivation take a look at what they did to this cottage in Atlanta.

What is the Average Cost of a Home Reno?

Homeadvisor.com conducted a survey of almost 4,000 members of house renovation costs:

And How About that Beach House Reno?

Are you selling your oceanside or country cottage? With the prices Airbnb are charging for vacation rentals, make sure your prospective cottage buyers understand the full possibilities. Build the features that draw buyers and renters into a frenzy.

Photo by kelley gardner – Search exterior home pictures

What Chip and Joanna, and Drew and Jonathan Know

Final Season for Fixer Upper. We’ll miss Chip and Joanna.

The returns house flippers are getting on some houses (40%) suggests it is well worth it. And if the house is earning rental income returns, then it’s a no brainer if you can get the funding to proceed. Apart from tear downs, HGTV has shown that renos can elevate the price of normal homes considerably and help get the house sold fast.

The added beauty of your renovated house will help your Realtor to build a multiple offer, over asking buying frenzy. And that’s still happening now in the fall of 2017.

HGTV’s recent post on the best renovations to help sell a house sell includes these 10 possibilities:

Light Bathroom Reno: 98% ROI: Why only 98? Because a light reno may not remove the stagnancy of a bygone era nor the odor or wood rot! But it does get rid of the worst flooring and fixture issues.

2. Landscaping: 100% ROI: Why? Because value is about perception, especially public perception so anything to do with the exterior and curb appeal is evaluated strongly.

3. Light Kitchen Remodel: 98% ROI. Why? If the layout’s okay and it’s done right, it’s a great way to make the house look new, clean, functional, and inviting. Replace the flooring and fixtures and refinish the cabinets and it might do the trick. Buyers may overrate the importance of the kitchen these days. Something to consider.

4. Exterior Improvement: 95% ROI. Why? New siding adds energy efficiency and gives the house amazing curb appeal. Stone facades are very attractive but expensive. Siding still gets good reviews. Take a good look at the exteriors of new homes and adopt some ideas from them.

5. Attic Bedroom Conversion: 93.5% ROI. Why? An additional bedroom puts your house into a whole class of price, so any addition to code can help. The attic is popular with kids and offers great outside views.

Photo by Bright Common Architecture & Design – Discover bedroom design ideas

6. Major Bathroom Reno: 93% ROI. Why? Prestige. The new bathrooms usually have the latest in glass walls, high tech fixtures, soaking tubs, ceramic floors, recessed lighting, and big picture windows to make buyers believe they have their own soothing spa. Stress is a big negative in people’s lives.

Photo by Bubbles Bathrooms – Look for bathroom design inspiration

7. Major kitchen remodel: 91% ROI. Why? When Chip and Joanna, or the Property Brothers show the completed new kitchen reno, it’s modern, open concept, and gives buyers exactly what they want. Not just a kitchen, it’s more like a lifestyle command center with the best appliances and Chi possible.

Photo by Bloomsbury Kitchens and Fine Cabinetry – Look for kitchen design inspiration

8. Deck, Patio or Porch Addition: 90% ROI. Why? Well, you’ve watched enough Disaster Deck shows to know they create a whole new living space which makes the buyer think they’re getting a big bonus with a great view.

Photo by Greene & Grey Design – Look for deck pictures

9. Basement Remodel: 90% ROI. Why? This one’s a little dicey. Basements are typically not well used even when they’re halfway above ground. If a house has limited room upstairs then the basement reno makes a lot of sense and that’s where the return will be high.

Photo by Meadowlark Design+Build – Browse basement photos

10. Replacement Windows. 89% ROI. Why? If the old windows are shoddy and leaky, then you have no choice. Big picture windows, and casement windows that swing open for air movement are very functional. Can’t compare to a kitchen or bathroom reno, but with lower value houses, it could be the upgrade to go with.

Photo by – Browse exterior home ideas

Should you reno one room at a time?

How will costs factor into your reno decision?

5 Best design software tools to visualize your renovation.

Home design Trends from Architectural Digest.

Property Brothers discuss top 10 home renovation errors.

October 2, 2017March 25, 2018

Beautiful Condos in Vancouver

The Newest Condominium Developments in Vancouver are Amazing

If you could move anywhere in Canada, I’m betting that Vancouver or Victoria or Kelowna might be first on your list. For many young and old migrants they are the destination and that’s pushing up condo prices for houses and condos here.

The climate, economy, lifestyle, culture, nature, and recreation here has made Canada’s West coast desirable for decades for Canadian retirees and now for new residents from around the globe. Its changed the culture and reputation of British Columbia and Vancouver. The 2010 Olympics played a big role in that.

Despite the alternatives of Costa Rica, Mexico, Florida, and Arizona, BC has a special allure for the modern retiree who has few plans to sit around. And for others who want to continue working, Vancouver’s economy in particular should keep them busy and open up new career possibilities.

Vancouver’s Wealth Inspires Modern Luxury

Yes the world’s attention has been on Vancouver real estate for some time now. While the cost of condos here is rising as fast as the skycrapers, the lack of land and housing availability in Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, and City of Vancouver ensures demand will be strong for condos as rental properties or homes. Builders and investors are smiling.

In September 2017, the average price of Vancouver Condos hit an all-time high at more than $872,000 CAD. Condo sales are up 21% YoY and condo inventory is down 34.4%.

Housing here is some of the most expensive in the world so investors and condo buyers are focusing on condo apartments, just as they are in Toronto or Miami. The influx of immigrants and foreign students in Vancouver is making the condo market even more heated. Builders are at least trying to respond with a new attitude toward condo living.

Global Investors Love Vancouver

Investors and buyers from around the world are excited with the beauty of the luxury houses and condominiums being built here. Designers are breaking through tired, outdated design concepts to create places people actually want to live in.

There are few 4k videos of new condo construction available, but let’s have a quick look at one prestigious condominium in Vancouver.

Vancouver residents are exhausted from the high prices and believed it was only Asian buyers who were driving condo prices up. The truth may be that Vancouver is now a world class city, perhaps the most beautiful place to live on the planet. Combine Canada’s booming economy and the seaside/mountain lifestyle and how could it be a surprise that everyone wants to move here?

How many cities offer world class restaurants and museums, mountain hiking and snow skiing, ferry rides, biking trails, mountain biking, kayaking, watersports, seaplane tours, coastal train rides, deep sea fishing and more all within a half hour city drive? I could spend all day just drinking coffee and watching the seaplanes coming and going. Vancouver’s fascinating attractions just never seem to end.

vancouvercondosblocks — Ole Schearen’s Proposed tower at 1500 West Georgia Street breaks condos out of the boring mode. The building will have offset apartment modules and outdoor terraces which offer exhilarating views of the city.

The views of the greater Vancouver region and the lack of housing availability may be the key engines of the drive to the sky.

Asian buyers in particular only want to live in Vancouver and that’s pushing up demand for condos keeping Vancouver realtors very busy. Fortunately, they’ve got all of these stylish condominiums below and more to choose from.

And while we’re on the topic of condos, there is a growing demand for student housing in Vancouver. And that has drawn substantial interest in Vancouver’s condos as student housing communities. Recently CIBT converted the Viva Tower Hotel to luxury student accommodations.

And due to severe land shortage, Vancouver’s condo architects and developers must design with higher density in mind. Now the reach for the sky begins, with some people agreeable to erecting 1,000 foot tall skyscrapers to help Vancouver “grow up.” That’s already occurred in Toronto, however the new Vancouver condos are truly awesome.

Before we soar above Vancouver, you might also like the low rise condominiums too:

And the neighbourhoods such as Coal Harbour and False Creek are a big part of the draw giving new residences a much better living experience.

Trump International Hotel and Tower
Trump International’s newest development looks amazing. It’s coming along well toward completion. Located in Vancouver’s Coal Harbour area, this 63 story high mixed-use development features 217 and residences and a luxury hotel with 147 suites.

Lavish Luxury in Coal Harbour

This $18 Million Penthouse has plenty of ceiling room and panoramic views. You’ll never get bored of something to look at on the 48th floor of The Private Residences at the Hotel Georgia. You can watch ships float up English Bay and see all the way to Vancouver Island’s mountains.

The Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel

This 47 story reinforced concrete and post tension slab tower has 415 guestrooms on the bottom 22 floors and 175 residential units above. The top floor unit sold for a record $25 million but offers amazing views of Canada Place.

Terraces at the Peak at SFU by Intergulf

This new construction project is an amazing location in Burnaby as the pics below attest. The 13 storey building features 117, 1,2 or 3 bedroom condos up to 2000 sq ft. It may be sold out by now, however you can find out more at their website. Definitely worth a quick visit.

Image courteys of www.terracesatsfu.com/

One Harbour Green

This building was completed in 2006. It offers 57 suites on 23 floors.

The Arc by Concord Pacific in Yaletown

Concord Pacific’s very creative architects and engineers have built something so unusual, modern and luxurious, it’s beyond words. This building wins my award for this most luxurious and well architected condominium in Vancouver.

First Baptist Church Residential Tower

It’s in the works, a 56-storey zebra-like tower in downtown Vancouver situated next to a church. It will contain 295 units. It was designed with an external channel to reduce heating/cooling costs and allow residents to socialize.

Shaw Place on the Harbourfront

Shaw Place stands 483 feet high. The lower 16 floors of the tower are offices while the upper 24 floors have 130 work-live condominiums. One of the most attractive features of living on Coal Harbour is that it’s next to Harbour Green Park, the Vancouver Convention Centre and Vancouver’s famous Seawall.

99 Pender

99 Pender will be a uniquely shaped tower at the crossroads of the business district and historic Chinatown and Gastown in downtown Vancouver. It is in the proposal phase presented by two developers and Bing Thom architects.

Vancouver House

Vancouver house is a 56 story twisting structure which seems to shy away from the Granville Bridge to tower over Howe Street. The condominium development will offer 407 condo units, 95 rental units, 80,000 square feet of retail space and 77,000 square feet of office space.

Tower Green West

Tower Green’s unique value proposition is sustainability, energy conservation, water efficiency, occupant well being, located in Coal Harbour. The waterfront, shops, and good access via the aquabus makes it a very different way to live.

Just one more beautiful condo building to see, but this one is in Victoria BC. This is my idea of the ultimate condo, mid rise with amazing views.

The Janion

Over looking Victoria’s Inner harbour is the Janion, a fusion of past and present. The front of the building is restored brick structure while the back is sleek, modern with endless windows.

Have a good at some amazing Toronto Condo projects too.

Are you a condo developer or condos resales realtor who wants to build leads online? I offer dedicated digital marketing services which can’t be delivered by low price automated marketing companies. Everybody wants to build a tech startup in marketing, but what they’ve forgotten and what you know, is that high quality content and engagement are too important. And your customers can tell.

A more desirable alternative to taking in an in-house college grad, is to hire a dedicated Vancouver SEO consultant. We can build the most cost effective yet productive digital marketing results in any market from New York to Vancouver. Check out the hot market forecast of Toronto mls housing and real estate construction and sales for 2017. And watch the US housing market forecast for the next 5 years.

September 27, 2017March 15, 2018

Houses for Sale in Phoenix | Arizona Real Estate Glendale AZ

Houses for Sale in Phoenix

Need a little help searching for houses for sale in Phoenix AZ? A more thorough approach that uses the full power of the Internet to maximize visibility of homes to you is recommended.

Relying solely on a local Phoenix Realtor might be common, but putting all your eggs in one basket could mean you’re not finding the best houses for sale.

The reason for this is that a lot of homes aren’t listed on the MLS where Realtors draw almost all of their leads from. Some realtors have pocket listings which they want to sell themselves. Can’t blame them. The real estate business is a difficult, competitive industry.

There are at least 5,400 homes for sale in Phoenix listed on realtor.com alone and zillow has almost 7,000 homes listed. That’s a lot of houses for sale! The house you’re looking for may never be listed so you’ll want to be more proactive to get first dibs.

House prices have not reached the pre-recession highs in 2007 and given the moderation trends occuring now, they may not reach them. You should have slightly better luck in 2018.

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You might see a better result overall if you follow my homes for sale search strategy. Whether you’re looking for a detached house, condo, townhouse, or rental property, a thorough plan for searching is a must. Without it, you’re missing out on some of the best houses on the market or soon to be up for sale. There’s 3 sources of non mls listed homes in Phoenix — Craigslist, ForSaleByOwner, and Zillow. Check out the Zillow house listings below:

September 27, 2017February 4, 2018

Houses for Sale in Denver CO | Colorado Homes Detached Listings

Denver Houses for Sale

The housing market cooled just slightly this summer of 2017 in Denver. The average price of a detached house is hovering around $500,000 according to Realtor.com. This is consistent with price trends of houses for sale across the US.

Housing markets in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and San Francisco have seen the same moderation. Detached houses are tough to find in Denver, with only 3300 homes listed on Realtor.com however DMAR reports 7300 active listings in August 2017 which is a slight rise over July. Sales fell by 6% so we know homeowners will be a little more eager to take lower offers.

Find houses for sale in Denver with Zillow.

September 27, 2017February 4, 2018

Houses for Sale in Boston MA – Detached Homes Townhouses Zip Codes

Houses for Sale in Boston

Finding houses for sale in the Boston area could be lot easier with a great home search strategy. If you’re lucky and you find a competent Boston Realtor, then filtering through the best houses out there might be a little easier. But don’t count on it.

You should remember that Realtors like to keep their search within the MLS or from their own pocket listings. That can reduce your effectiveness and result in less home for your money or a weak investment.

If you’d like to get access to the best pocket home listings from Boston Realtors, you’ll need to get in touch with some Realtors who cover the specific communities in the Boston are Real Estate Market you’re targeting in Brookline, Back Bay, Charlestown, South Boston, Roxbury, Mission Hill, Dorchester, and Brighton for example.

There are at least 13000 homes for sale in Boston listed on realtor.com alone.

You might see a better result overall in finding great Boston area homes if you try my homes for sale search strategy. Whether you’re looking in Boston for a detached house, condo, townhouse, or rental property, a thorough plan for your home search is a must. Without it, you’re cheating yourself out of the very houses you’re hoping to get. With the number of listings available in Massachusetts and across the country limited, you need a better way to search for homes. Before you buy, ensure you’re up on all the factors related to the current and forecasted prices of houses for sale.

There are 3 sources of non mls listed homes in Boston — Craigslist, ForSaleByOwner, and Zillow.

September 27, 2017February 4, 2018

Houses for Sale in New York | Detached Homes in New York State Queens Brooklyn

Houses for Sale in New York

You’ll enjoy better results in finding a home in New York’s many burroughs online. Finding the best houses for sale in Staten Island, The Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn is difficult without an advanced search strategy and paying attention to trends in the New York Real Estate forecast.

NY Realtors like to keep their search within the MLS or from their own pocket listings. That can reduce your effectiveness and result in less home for your money or a weak investment.

If you’d like to get access to the best pocket home listings from NY Realtors, you’ll need to get in touch with some pros who know the neighborhoods in Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island for example.

There are nearly 18,000 homes for sale in New York listed on realtor.com alone. Incredibly, Zillow has 86,000 houses for sale listed. That’s a lot of houses for sale! By all means, check out Zillow’s listings below.

To get yourself positioned to learn of more NY houses for sale or other properties including land, townhouses, and condos, use my homes for sale search strategy. To find a bargain priced detached house, condo, townhouse, or rental property in New York City, a thorough plan for your home search is a must. Without a good search process, you’re not going to find the investments or residential houses you’re hoping to live in. With the number of listings available in NY growing, this is a good time to be searching. Make sure you up on all the factors related to the current and forecasted prices of houses for sale.

There are 3 sources of non mls listed homes in NYC — Craigslist, ForSaleByOwner, and Zillow. Check out Zillow’s huge online listing now.

September 27, 2017February 4, 2018

San Diego Houses for Sale | La Jolla Pacific Beach Mission Beach Point Loma Homes

Houses for Sale in San Diego

Amazing San Diego is ready to welcome you. Get started finding home anywhere in San Diego including the North County.

The number of listings is rising slowly, and the SD real estate forecast is still good, but you must remember that detached houses are at a premium here in SD County, just as they are in Los Angeles and Orange Country.

Connecting with Realtors in San Diego is okay, but you will find it more productive to expand the sources of potential listings and soon-to-be-listed homes. San Diego has many waterfront and inland communities you’ll love living in. The most well known are La Jolla, Coronado, Mission Beach, Mission Valley, El Cajon, Chula Vista, University City, Clairemont, National City, and to the North Rancho Santa Fe.

You might choose to stick with San Diego realtors, (SDAR) however, they tend to stick with the MLS and their own pocket listings. That can hamper your overall property investment strategy. You may end up with less home for your money.

There are 2,200 homes for sale in San Diego listed on realtor.com and Zillow has 1,800 houses for sale listed. That’s still a lot of houses for sale! Let’s hope more affordable home become available soon. By all means, check out Zillow’s listings below.

You can find other properties including land, townhouses, and condos in San Diego County too. Use my homes for sale search strategy to find them. Without a good search process, it’s unlikely you’re going to outcompete other buyers who are more search savvy than you. The home prices in San Diego and much of California have started to flatten. Make sure you up on all the factors related to the current and forecasted prices of houses for sale in California.

There are 3 sources of non mls listed homes in NYC — Craigslist, ForSaleByOwner, and Zillow. Check out Zillow’s huge online listing of San Diego houses now.

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