British Columbia

Vancouver's real estate market started bubbling in January. I was in a multiple offer situation back then and noticed an increase in buyer inquiries compared to last Fall. In February I noticed condos that were priced right were selling in 30 days. But April was when it went crazy and it hasn't stopped since.

I listed or sold within a week, condos in the Capers building, Citadel Parade, 1616 Bayshore Drive, 2057 W. 3rd, The Qube, Aquarius 1 and many had multiple offers.

If sales for June are less than May I believe it's because the listings aren't keeping pace with the sales. Vancouver west side has fewer listings than they did a year ago and the sales for June will be more than June 2008

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It's Canada's Birthday! When the British North American Act came into being on July l, 1867 Canada was born. There were places called Canada before official Confederation though. Jacques Cartier discovered it in 1535.We're living in Vancouver, which is voted the Most Liveable City In The World! We're also living in British Columbia, which the BC Government tells us is the Best Place on Earth!

Here's what's happening in Vancouver on July 1st Lots of fun outdoors.

Here's Wiki's version of our history.

View other Vancouver events.

Share your Canada experience with us! I will be enjoying the rays on the Sunshine Coast. Have a wonderful day!

REBGV just released Vancouver real estate numbers for June, as follows.

The combination of low interest rates and more affordable pricing helped propel Greater Vancouver home sale numbers to the second all-time highest total for the month of June.The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that sales of detached, attached and apartment properties increased 75.6 per cent in June 2009 to 4,259, from the 2,425 sales recorded in June 2008. The figure is just short of the record-breaking 4,333 sales which occurred in June 2005.New listings for detached, attached and apartment properties declined 17.9 per cent to 5,372 in June 2009 compared to June 2008, when 6,546 new units were listed. However, new listings increased 13.5 per cent from May to June of this year. Total active listings in Greater Vancouver currently sit at 13,252, down 27 per cent from June 2008 and 2.9 per cent below the active listings count at the end of May 2009."Price reductions and low interest rates have created an improvement in affordability, which is causing the number of sales to rise to levels comparable to 2003 to 2007," Scott Russell, REBGV president said.

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July 3, 2009.

I'm always happy to sponsor various art presentations, as I do believe that artistic expression "feeds the soul", and this next week the Precious Metals display at ArtCraft is one of the things I am pleased to "present", via sponsorshiip of the Salt Spring Arts Council. Tonight is the opening reception, between 6 and 8 p.m. The silver and goldsmiths will be in attendance, and their magical work will be showcased on the stage of Mahon Hall. This special presentation runs from July 3 to 16th. See you there!

This Sunday is the 7th Annual Lavender Festival at Sacred Mountain Lavender location on Musgrave Road. Lots going on! Don't miss this event.

Music and Munch, on July 8th, welcomes renowned harpist, Josh Layne. Performance begins at 12:30, at All Saints by the Sea, followed by an optional lunch ($5.50). Enjoy!

Wander into Jill Louise Campbell Gallery, across from Treehouse Cafe...you will be instantly energized by Jill's paintings. Evocative and romantic renderings, that both soothe and interest the soul. Love the sailboats clustering in race mode, off one of the Harbour islands, in a new painting by Jill.

If you haven't made it to the photography exhibition at ArtSpring, Lumiere, don't miss this -- it runs till July 12th. Such talent, on this Island!

Not too late to get involved with the ArtSpring's main fundraiser event, Treasure Fair. Silent and live auctions, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, July 16 to 18.

Salt Spring Woodworks Inside/Outside show opens for the summer season, with new sculpture and art furniture on display. Amazing works, here! Open daily, for the "season", between 10 and 5.

Don't forget the Salt Spring Potters Guild, with their annual summer showcase in the windows of Mark's Work Wearhouse. The theme this year is "Our Harbour".

So much to see and to do, in this busy summer season! Enjoy!

Pictured above is Jeff Hill, Operating Partner for Seattle. He’s showing that a cardboard box can be used twice for moving, while one FROGBOX can be used up to 400 times before its recycled.

In our estimation, Greater Vancouver uses about 450,000 cardboard boxes per month for moving, and Seattle uses about 1 million. That’s a heck of a lot of trees going down that don’t need to.

We encourage you to let people know these alarming statistics. Help us spread the word that FROGBOX wants to rid the Northwest of its dependence on cardboard, one move at a time.