Comments on: The Best RE Anywhere – Africa, Dubai or Right Here?

By: smalltime slumlord

smalltime slumlord — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:23:54 +0000

Seriously people, did you all really think the person who called her/himself “The Chinese” was actually from China? There were so many racial clichés in it. Whoever posted it does not represent the “Oh so tolerant Vancouver” some of us here are ranting about

By: Economix

Economix — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:16:50 +0000

What we are talking about is economics of permanent fixed assets in Vancouver BC. Supply vs. Demand. This thread so far has dealt mostly with Demand. Supply hasn’t been mentioned really. The technology available to builders today is far superior to the technology of yesterday. This increased efficiency will allow supply outside of the downtown core (which is basically full) to meet demand in the future. With lasers, cranes, prefabricated modules all speeding up construction the supply is assured.
The demand forecasts are for a 40% increase in population by 2040. Much less growth than the last 30 years percentage wise.
Variables: Interest rates, Immigration.
Interest rates can only go up.
The U.S. is more affordable, every other city in Canada is more affordable and the world’s industrial base is shifting to Asia.
The real question in Vancouver is can you afford an apartment in a safe neighborhood and can you afford that apartment if interest rates rise significantly?
The world is different than it has ever been, there is no precedent, too many variables to account for in a global economy.
I am going to buy an apartment this year because only one thing to me is sure.
VANCOUVER HAS NO SUBSTITUTE

By: Rob Chipman

Rob Chipman — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:08:07 +0000

Larry:

No worries about bandwidth. You’re right, a link would be nicer, but some things are beyond our control!

By: Larry Yatkowsky

Larry Yatkowsky — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:03:05 +0000

Rob,
Apologize for the waste of your bandwidth.
While I thank ‘Anon’ for his/her interest in my scribblings, I remain uncertain as to why ‘Anon’ is pasting my posts on your blog when a link would do nicely.

By: FTBuyer

FTBuyer — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:35:26 +0000

I passed the Onni line-up about 20 minutes before sales began, and I’d say there were about 20 people waiting outside, and 4 or 5 inside. There definitely weren’t 50 waiting over night as far as I could see.

By: Rob Chipman

Rob Chipman — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:48:14 +0000

Local Knowledge 122:
See http://www.robchipman.net/blogs-as-business-generators comment 40.

By: Rob Chipman

Rob Chipman — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:27:54 +0000

HP:

Great links as always. Gotta love Slim Pickens and Stanley Kubrick. Black and white, and cheesy graphics, and yet it stands the test of time.

I also like the UofA law professor. Not only was he able, with his lawyer hat on, to characterize acting in your self interests as a clearly moral act, but as an egghead he was able to blame it on those “…”social control agents,” … banks, government and the media…” I am both awestruck and surprised. Who’d have imagined it possible?

(Note all – I’m far from arguing that people should do more than a contract requires them to do, and I realize that keymail is legal, but seriously, what’s the point of arguing that its moral?)

In an interesting juxtaposition to the Uof A aproach, I recently read a Middle America heart warmer about a short sale. Short sales are where the bank agrees to accept less than the face value ofthe mortgage (in my expereince they just don’t happen here). Reputedly long, drawn out, and frustrating. Anyway, the article is about dream homes (everyone’s dream home is different), but in this case the woman lost a job and was being foreclosed on. Short sale because she’s underwater. Realtor helps her start the short sale process. And then…good news! The woman gets a new job and can start paying her mortgage again. The short sale process is stopped. All the realtor’s work is wasted. But the woman is happy. I guess she’d be what the Uof A law professor calls a “woodhead”, except she’s not doing it because she’s been subjected to the pressures of social control agents. Here’s the full story: http://www.daytonmostmetro.com/?p=2910

(I’m not saying she’s right and the Uof A guy is wrong. I’m just saying the market has a lot of diffferent players).

By: GR

GR — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:27:29 +0000

I was informed this week that the feds will be cutting off all infrastructure stimulus funding in March 2011, and those provinces and local governments that have not used it by then will be caught holding the bag for uncompleted projects. There will be no extensions in funding!

This announcement means that there is effectively only one building season left for most of the Province, so all projects will be pushed through because no one wants to be left holding the bag. If you couple this drying up of stimulus funding, with the completion of all Olympic venues, the BC construction boom is all but done. All the emergency bullets to keep the construction boom going have now been used up….

Federal austerity measures are just around the corner….1990s, here we come

By: Local Knowledge

Local Knowledge — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:12:09 +0000

Looks like Gavin has been away for the past month? Latest stats from October 23?

By: blueskies

blueskies — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 04:59:06 +0000

“Developers hope to get approval for 41 floors, Good said, with top-floor sales targeted at international investors expected to be in Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics in February.

While the global debt and credit crisis continues to haunt developments in former real-estate hotspots like Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Good said Vancouver is back in boom times.

“The [real-estate] strength in Vancouver is unlike anything in the world,” Good said.”
in the world!
that’s the entire freakin’ planet!!