Jay Banks' Blog: All Categories

 Attached housing is very popular in areas around Vancouver including Richmond.

They give the owners some private outdoor space on the ground level and are usually offer 2 or 3 stories of living space.

Monthly maintenance fees are still paid for common expenses, parking is usually in an attached garage.

Concrete is the most popular style of  condos in Vancouver. Lowrise buildings are usually of frame construction and high-rise are of concrete. Most of the new construction downtown is concrete.

But in residential neighbourhoods where the condominiums blend with single family housing the construction is frame.

There is usually an underground parking space for each unit, there is a monthly maintenance charge to cover the management and upkeep of the common areas of the building. The maintenance charge is based on the "unit entitlement" or square footage of the suite.

As there is little snow removal or salt damage to common areas the monthly maintenance charges in Vancouver and Richmond are usually considerably less than they would be in Toronto for…

This is a form of housing unique to British Columbia and is popular in the Westside of Vancouver where it allows buyers to purchase a house without the extra costs of being detached. Both owners hold the land in common and pay whatever costs they decide upon.

In Ontario and many other jurisdictions they would be semi-detached and each side would be freehold.

Vancouver in its early days did not develop many loft style warehouses that could be turned into modern residences. The exception would be in the Yaletown and Gastown districts. There are historical buildings that are now lofts and there are new buildings that have been developed with high ceilings and a loft style floor plan.

Live / Work residences have also been offered to the market in areas zoned for them. Old buildings are being redeveloped almost every month, like this one on Hamilton Street.

Yes, we all know that location does matter. It does not only determine the future market value of your house, but more important it sets pretty much the way of your everyday life for years to come. There are some issues you should not forget to consider when looking for the perfect location of your new home.
 

• Noise and smell - Heavy traffic, fire station, construction works, gas station, factories nearby - you have to look out for these factors.
• Visual Pollution - ball fields that play night games, power lines, radio and television towers, bus fleet parking spots, 24/7 shopping zones and big nightclubs are known to light up the skies at night.
• Comute time - Ask yourself, How long does it take to reach your office, the nearby amenities,…

Today, I would like to write about Cambie, this unique neighbourbood, currently very popular among my clients.

Cambie is considered one of the smallest neighbourhoods in Vancouver, housing just over 7000 individuals on 217 hectares of land. It's well known for it's villagey feel and for the fact of practically serving as the city centre some 70 years ago. It was named after Canadian Pacific Railway engineer Henry Cambie, who was in charge of the railway's wester division in the nineteenth century.

Cambie is located between Queen Elizabeth park (a former pit mine) and Little Mountain. Its corridors are Oak Street on west, Cambie Street on the east and the West 16th & 41st Avenues on the north, respective south.

The modern history of the area starts with…

The key to moving is organizing. Here's my "universal" tips amassed from my own experience of domestic and foreign moves.

• Set a moving date well in advance.
• Pack all your belongings properly.
• Keep the most important things accessible.
• Check your new home and set up a temporary bedroom.
• Set up the kitchen.
• Inform affected neighbors.
• "Edit" your belongings.
• Prepare your kids and pets.
• Allocate a moving budget.
• Inform institutions of your change of address.

Read more on this tips in my other weblog at my Vancouver Homes website.

Here are five essential to-dos that will surely improve your home's value: