Blog by Betsy Carstairs

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Lane Way Housing solution

March 31st, 2012
I recently was invited by Kottage Rv in Port Coquitlam to a look see @ their company. It is a green initiative recycling box cars into mini homes for cottages or lane way housing. It was a very interesting visit to the factory with  Mayor Greg Moore of Port Cquitlam & Joan Drabyk from  New Westminster's inspections division. I did find the concept good as all the customizing is done in a cont ...
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Vancouver vrs Vietnam real estate

March 27th, 2012
 I recently was in VIetnam & was surprised at how narrow the new homes are. Some homes are as narrow as 2 meters!!!! Yes they are going up 3-4 stories but with this narrow a footprint the staircase would eat up 1/2 of the floor space unless the staircase was very narrow.. Makes me look at Vancouver's smaller 33' frontage lots with a whole new appreciation of how much space one has with a 3,30 ...
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Indian Arm, North Vancouver, appealing property assessments

March 10th, 2012
I attended a hearing this week with a Indian Arm owner who was challenging her property assessment. It was interesting to see how values are estblished as each of the properties up The Indian are so different from one another. Not a easy task. There are lease hold properties, free hold properties & properties that have 200' frontage all the way down to 50' frontages. Views vary dramatically a ...
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building Inspections, why

December 25th, 2011
Building Inspections are not always necessary...or are they???? I take the position that the buyer has the option (in most cases) to do a inspection. It is usual to insert a clause into a offer that the buyer will have the opportunity to pay the $ & hire a inspector. Often in strata properties buyers read the strata minutes & decide not to pay the money for a inspection. For detached homes, b ...

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Selling houses, timing

November 17th, 2011
Timing is everything when it comes to selling your real estate investment. I had a conversation with someone looking to sell her property & I was surprised that she thought that the fall is a down time in being successful in selling homes. My experience over the 25 years I have been selling is that heading into Christmas is the BEST time to market property. Inventory is down soooooo less comp ...
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Vancouver real estate prices

November 15th, 2011
Market Update       As we approach the end of 2011 real estate prices in most urban areas of British Columbia continue to rise. The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver is showing gains in average price of over 10% from 2010.Yet many clients, especially those in the under $500,000 price point in Greater Vancouver, are wondering why their ...
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Whistler BC, Cornucopia

November 8th, 2011
Cornucopia in Whistler is a fun way to spend a weekend. As it is my birthday @ this time I always schedule in a few Cornucopia events to make the weekend extra special. This year I will start off with the Fairmont's wine tasting Thursday night then be spontaneous for the next few days. Who knows with the amount of snow we have had so far I might even be able to head on up the mountain for a f ...

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Halloween, Costumes

October 22nd, 2011
I love Halloween & thought I would share this e-mail from my highschool chum & professional Clown Gumboat Lollipop or as I know her Dolly Hopkins Hello I have something to share....my friend Little Woo has put this information together that I thought would interest you about costumes....I have worked along the same lines in creating my look for costumes or personal stat ...
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Whistler BC, town home sale

September 28th, 2011
I just sold a very cute 2 level town home in the Creekside area of Whistler @#4-2101 Whistler Rd. This is a 1 bedroom & den completely reno'd unit with great access to the gondola. This unit sold for $280,000. & is completely turn key. The Highpointe Complex is a small building of 22 units & has great vistas. This sale demonstrates the reverse market in Whistler as compared with Vancouver. On ...
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Shifting Real Estate Markets, Vancouver BC

September 26th, 2011
As we head into the fall there is a definate change in the market.  It is usual for our fall market to kick in mid September BUT this year  I am noticing  a shift in the wind...so to speak. Many properties are not selling & the new listings are not flying of the shelf. Vancouver sellers are so conditioned to a rising market they can not seem to fathom that their piece of dirt's value would do ...
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