HappyHomesBC ::Home of the TV Tours

We do a lot of things behind the scenes to help our clients listings sell. Sometimes it is hard to explain so we thought that we would put a little video together to show our clients.

It is only 26 seconds long. Take a look.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/yt-xU1oUfe-tYo/happyhomesbc_commercial/

I appreciate you taking the time to view the video.

Have a great day.

HappyHomer.

August Market Report

This is your happy home specialists bringing you the Real Estate Market Report that has been compiled from data that is distributed from the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board.

Another strong month is behind us and all indicators are that the market is now on the move and people are taking advantage of fantastic interest rates and low prices. We are definitely witnessing signs of an upward movement in sales prices. Buyers seem to be responding with more confidence which is driving sales in an upward direction.

Over 52% of the residential sales that occurred in the month of August were in the price point of $275,000 to $500,000!! This is up from last month which saw the largest amount of residential sales between $225,000 to $400,000. Sales in the price point of $400,000 to $500,000 increased by over 30% from the month of July. This is what we have been waiting for...

Average days to sell dropped to an average of 64 days down from 72 last month so that tells us that the market is responding. We hear it loud and clear.

Total residential sales increased in dollar volume by 19% and the amount of inventory on the market is down 36% from the year prior. That is the trend that we have been experiencing this year and it is continuing which is really good news.

We are looking forward to an excellent Fall. The media seems positive but they don't seem to understand how good it is here in Chilliwack. Well to us it is big news and we are excited to help families get into the best homes for the best price in todays market. Call us anytime if you would like more specific market information.

Talk to you next month.

Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board Statistics for July 2009 as interpreted by HappyhomesBC

Chilliwack had a major heat wave reaching temperatures over 35 degrees !!! But there was another heat wave and that was the Real Estate Market. Hot hot Hot!!!!

We are feeling the heat and we are fired up about it.

The total value of residential sales increased almost 42% compared to last year and the amount of units that sold also increased by the same basic number which means that prices have stabilized and there is a major increase in market activity.

Total inventory in the Chilliwack and District Real Estate board decreased from 2008 by almost 30%.

There are less than 50% of the townhomes on the market today than there were last year....

The number of days on the market for residential homes is in the 70 to 85 day range which is a little bit longer than last month. That tells us that the really good deals that injected the market a few months ago have been snapped up and now people are pricing realistically but have just taken a little longer to react. The second layer of homes are now selling which is good - good - good news for everybody.

60% of all the sales that took place were in the price ranges of $225,000 to $400,000. That is the hottest price point. If you are priced in that area then you should be getting a lot of action on your home.

This is really balanced market right at this point. This is a good time to sell and more importantly - This is a great time to buy right now. Did I mention that this is a great time to buy??? If I forgot to mention before - THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!!!

The market is now in the incubation stages and we will be experiencing some market changes that will begin the next wave in a short period of time.

This is what you have been waiting for....Right now is it.

This is HappyhomesBC signing off with your monthly market report for July 2009. Have a good summer.

New BC Survey Suggests Real Estate Purchase Confidence Improving

Vancouver, BC - July 15, 2009. A new survey of BC homeowners and renters on housing affordability and green housing issues suggests consumer confidence concerning real estate purchases may be improving.

Sponsored by the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA), the May 2009 Mustel Group survey tracked several key measures asked in a January 2009 BCREA survey, including top affordability barriers and how provincial taxes impact BC homebuyers. It also uncovered new primary data on buyer intentions and energy-efficiency practices at home.

Findings revealed that four-in-ten British Columbians plan or hope to purchase homes or properties within the next five years, with about half of these potential buyers expecting to do so in the next two years. A higher proportion plan to purchase in Metro Vancouver (46 per cent) than elsewhere (35 per cent), which may indicate that consumer confidence is now higher in the urban area. In the January 2009 survey, findings did not vary by region.

"We've had five consecutive months of increasing home sales, which may suggest that the optimism uncovered in this survey is being reflected in provincial home sales," explains BCREA president John Tillie. "The May 2009 survey also revealed that people's perception of the barriers to home ownership have also changed, which is good news for homebuyers, sellers and renters."

Although affordability continues to be the key barrier to purchase, along with concerns about job security, lowering market values and general concerns about the economy, a slightly higher proportion of BC residents in the May 2009 measure indicated they did not have any purchase barriers at all. There was also a decrease in the number of people concerned about depreciating property values and less mention of general financial barriers.

The survey findings also revealed that making smart green choices at home is still top of mind for most British Columbians. When asked if they were more likely, less likely or about as likely to make green improvements to their homes compared to this time in 2008, one out of every two BC residents answered that they were more likely now to green their home than they were approximately one year ago.

"It's important to remember that all of us can take part in reducing household greenhouse gas emissions by improving the overall energy efficiency of our homes," says Tillie. "Green choices are smart choices, and they help improve the Quality of Life in our communities."

Survey findings suggest the majority of British Columbians (65 per cent) would be willing to pay more for an energy efficient home. "Because this survey immediately followed the provincial election, we also asked British Columbians whether they were happy with the attention paid to housing issues during the campaign," says Tillie. "Only one in four were satisfied, which is something BCREA plans to address looking toward the next provincial election in 2013."

Market Report for June 2009 from the Chilliwack District Real Estate Board statistics.

This is HappyHomesBC with the monthly market report taken from the Chilliwack and District Real Estate board for the month of June 2009.

Well summer is here and the temperature is heating up but so is the Chilliwack Real Estate Market. Personally we have increased our sales in our office over 30% over the last 60 days but the stats across the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board remain active and are rising slightly.

The number of days that homes are listed on the market before selling is hovering around the 70 day mark and that was consistent with the month earlier. I think we will see that number decrease over the next couple of months. If you have listed your home this year and have not received an offer within 70 days of listing then there are 3 things that you need to consider - 1) either nobody knows about your property or 2) you are over-priced and need to think about adjusting your price or 3) you are priced in the upper echelon price point over $700,000.

For Single Family and attached town-homes we saw a slight increase in those target areas of about 10% from the year before. Total sales value was consistent with last year so prices have stabilized.

The biggest jump in sales occurred from $225,000 to $275,000. About a 28% increase in homes sold compared to the month of May. Who are those buyers? Investors and First time buyers. Welcome back you guys. Good to see you again. Interest rates were too good and you just had to get off the fence didn't you. We are happy to see you back in the game.

Once gain for the second month in a row, - the most amount of sales were in the $300,000 to $350,000 bracket. OK now, I repeat from last month. If you have a home priced in that category and it hasn't sold over the last 30 to 60 days then chances are you are over - priced for what you have and you are just helping other people sell their homes. We encourage you to consult with your REALTOR today to analyze where you are at.

We are looking forward to helping people get into homes over the summer and we are here to serve you. google Chilliwack Real Estate and you can find us on the internet or just type in HappyHomesBC.ca and you can learn a lot about how we can help you. Have a great July