Kye Grace

With all the advances in technology I am curious how home buyers are searching for real estate?

I ran into Ian Watt this morning at Raging Bean Coffee in Yaletown. Ian asked me how tech savvy I thought the residents of my neighbourhood were (Fairview, Vancouver). Fairview doesn't strike me as the most tech savvy area, although in hindsight this was based on my perception of the demographics and may not be accurate.

What follows is a description of the various methods one could use to search for properties for sale and a poll asking which is the first method you would use. Please take a minute to answer the poll, it would be most appreciated.

You can find the poll here http://www.kyegrace.com/ViewBlog/105/

MLS.ca/Realtor.ca - a website managed by the Canadian Real Estate Association which contains every property listed on the MLS system across Canada.

Web Search - There are numerous other sites where one can find properties for sale including http://Zoocasa.com, http://Craigslist.ca, http://Homes.Point2.com, http://RealtyLink.org or other online real estate search tools or online classifieds.

Google - Inputting the address into Google. If you search an address you will often find not only properties for sale but also sold properties with the address inputted. Very useful for condo buildings or townhouse complexes.

Newspaper - Your local newspaper, Province, or Vancouver Sun classifieds or real estate section.

Periodicals - Print advertising providing real estate listings. Examples would be Real Estate Weekly which is often found in the free newspaper boxes or a separate newsprint version included with your local news paper.

A Realtor - Contacting a Realtor and providing them your search criteria so they can provide you the results.

For Sale Signs - Traveling the neighbourhoods you are interested in, looking for ‘For Sale' signs.

This does not directly relate to real estate in Metro Vancouver but it can't always be ‘all business'!

Tim Ayres tagged me in the ‘5 Things' Meme, seemed like fun so here you have it. Here is a collection of 5 things about me you may not have known.

5 things I was doing 10 years ago:

1. Working for BC Ambulance Service as a Paramedic and Dispatcher.
2. Living in Whistler in winters skiing as many days as I could.
3. Not buying a condo in the Savoy at 928 Richards despite a strong urge to do so. Damn.
4. Being single and loving it.
5. Settling in for a lifelong government job. Thank goodness things change!

5 things on my to do list today:

1. Picking up a cheque, always a positive!
2. Calling expired listings.
3. Follow up with a couple of clients.
4. Working on my websites and getting a couple of blogs done.
5. My Real Estate Boot Camp home work.

5 snacks I love:

1. Burgers, they're a snack right?
2. Fruit of any kind, I know...complete opposite of burgers.
3. Island Oat Bar from Starbucks.
4. Beef Jerky, lots of it.
5. Cookies and milk, yes I just said that.

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire:

1. Buy two homes, one in Vancouver and one on a fishing lake in the Interior.
2. Invest in rental properties.
3. Take care of my friends and those that helped me get there.
4. Head to Florida, right now.
5. Give 10% to charities, Union Gospel Mission, KidSport BC and Greg Feely Family Trust

5 places I've lived (for various lengths of time):

1. Hope, BC
2. Sicamous, BC
3. Cranbrook, BC
4. Manning Park, BC
5. Vancouver, BC.

5 jobs I've had:

1. Ski Patrol
2. REALTOR®!
3. Green Chain in a Cedar Mill
4. Paramedic.
5. Designing and building the Terrain Park at Manning Park (best job ever).

There is so much more I would have included but alas it is 5 things, not as many things as I can think of...

http://kyegrace.com

People often ask me how long will real estate prices go down?

When will the real estate market turn around?

House prices will go higher than before, right?

I don't know. I have opinions on it which would be too long winded to share here.

I ask you, what event do you see occurring that will reverse the trend of dropping real estate prices? What do you see happening in the next 18 months that will motivate people to return to feverish buying of real estate?

Now I am not in the ‘doom and gloom’ camp that many are. I am simply asking you the question that I ask myself each day when I contemplate if the market has bottomed yet.

I think what we are going through is healthy, painful but very healthy for the economy and our long term financial well being. The lessons learned here will protect our children and generations to come.

That is until the lessons become so old they are forgotten, much like the lessons of the Great Depression were forgotten and here we sit in this mess.

Is the environment a factor in your decision when buying real estate in Metro Vancouver or British Columbia?

A large portion of green house gases are created by the buildings we live and work in, some estimates are as high as 55%.

Both municipal and provincial governments are requiring efforts by builders. Here is a link to the City of Vancouver's requirements and below is a summary of the provincial government's changes.

The British Columbia government is taking steps to make the province a greener place to live.

New Building Code requirements that came into effect September 5 are claimed to "green the B.C. Building Code," and are the first steps designed to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions related to all construction.

"Greening the B.C. Building code will reduce the environmental footprint of buildings and will lower energy bills for British Columbians," said B.C. Housing Minister Rich Coleman.

The new requirements are focused in two key areas: energy and water efficiency.

With the legislation now in effect, single-family, small multi-family, commercial and industrial buildings all must adhere to new insulation standards to improve energy efficiency.

High-rise multi-family residential buildings and larger industrial, commercial and institutional buildings also have new insulation standards to improve energy efficiency.

To meet the water efficiency requirements, ultra low-flow toilets (6L) and other water-saving plumbing fixtures and fittings became mandatory in new construction and renovations.

When it comes to housing, builders can opt out of the insulation requirement by achieving an EnerGuide Rating System rating of 77.

The EnerGuide system applies computer software to consider the building as a system, and includes an energy efficiency rating.

Builders will have the choice of combining different building materials and techniques to achieve the EnerGuide rating of 77.

When it comes to high-rise residential buildings and larger commercial buildings, builders must meet the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Engineers 90.1 standard, (ASHRAE 90.1).

Although the new Building Code requirements follow the spirit of LEED, the new code does not go as far as the LEED standards. For example, LEED considers secondary elements of a building such as landscaping and sewer when assessing a building for LEED status.

When you buy a home do you take security and crime into consideration?

Do you want your Realtor to have data on crime in the areas you are looking?

I would love to hear your thoughts, use the comments option below.

The Vancouver Police Department has done an excellent job reducing auto theft, with our support they can continue to make further progress.

Here are some tips to avoid auto crime from ICBC

* Keep your spare keys in your wallet, not in your car.

* Invest in a good anti-theft device.

* Close windows and lock doors. Take your possessions with you.

* Avoid parking behind fences or hedges.

* At home, light your driveway all night. Elsewhere, park in well-lit areas near pedestrian traffic.

* After opening an automatic gate to underground parking, watch out for thieves waiting to slip inside. Wait for the gate to close behind you.

* Engrave your stereo and other on-board valuables with your driver's licence number.

* Install an anti-theft device to protect your stereo, or buy a unit that's removable and take it with you when you park.

* If you see any suspicious person or activity near a vehicle, call the police immediately.