D’Arcy Harris - Real Estate Update May 16, 2005

----------------------------------------------------------------- D’Arcy Harris - Real Estate Update May 16, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Today is the summer equinox, the longest day of the year. The glass is half empty (from now on the days are getting shorter) or the glass is half full (Summer is finally here!). Sort of like the real estate market right now (stay with me here people): It’s going to go up (the Olympics are coming!) it’s going to go down (interest rates have to rise don’t they?). What are you? Someone will be right, someone will be wrong, and a lot of people will be on the sidelines talking about it. Stop talking about it! Now is the time to buy, there are still deals out there.

I’ve been all over Canada, and Vancouver is the best city in the country. Where do you think all the baby boomers are going to go when they get tired of shovelling their walks? Something to think about on this beautiful summer day….

Call me,

D'Arcy R. Harris Real Estate Broker Sutton Group - Westcoast Realty Tel: 604 484 6236 Fax: 604 488 0885 darcy@darcyharris.com P.S: Now is the time to sell. Find out what your home is worth with a free and confidential market evaluation: http://www.vancouverrealestateinfo.ca/redir.asp?page=homeeval.asp&t=list

----------------------------------------------------------------- Success Stories ----------------------------------------------------------------- This week, I’m proud to congratulate K. on her purchase of an awesome one-bedroom apartment in East Van. Those of you who think East Van is ‘the bad part of town’ should take a drive along Wall St. and have a look. Houses are affordable and large, and the neighbourhood is close to the city. Reminds me of Kitsilano in the ‘70’s, only in East Van the lots are twice the size. A lot of people are kicking themselves now over the prices in Kits (if only….), and in 10 years, will be kicking themselves again for not buying in East Vancouver. A one bedroom under $180,000 within 5 minutes of the downtown core with HUGE views of the North Shore and the tugboats can ONLY go up in value.

Congratulations, I look forward to many more with this knowledgeable investor.

----------------------------------------------------------------- Today’s Real Estate Listings ----------------------------------------------------------------- My Listings: http://www.vancouverrealestateinfo.ca/silver_listings.asp

My Featured Listing: http://www.vancouverrealestateinfo.ca/silver_listingDetail.asp?ID=174622

These are all the current listing out right now from all the real estate companies; in fact, some of them are so new they’re not even posted on Realtylink or MLS.ca. Now that’s an advantage most buyers don’t have! If they don’t load, hit refresh.

Vancouver Lofts: http://mlslink.mlxchange.com/EmailView.asp?r=1411036557&s=BRC&t=BRC

Investment and Revenue Properties: http://mlslink.mlxchange.com/EmailView.asp?r=232133707&s=BRC&t=BRC

Vancouver House Foreclosures: http://mlslink.mlxchange.com/EmailView.asp?r=202625778&s=BRC&t=BRC

Vancouver Apartment Foreclosures: http://mlslink.mlxchange.com/EmailView.asp?r=1075899469&s=BRC&t=BRC

Tired of leafing through hundreds of listings to find what you’re looking for? Would you like to have access to all the new listings that match your home buying criteria, including area, price range and style of home emailed to you directly? This is a free service and will allow you to view only the homes that you're interested in seeing. Become a VIP Buyer and beat other buyers to all the hot new listings in Vancouver. How does it work? Visit: http://www.vancouverrealestateinfo.ca/redir.asp?page=vip_buyer.asp&t=list

----------------------------------------------------------------- Buy of the Week: Investment Buy ----------------------------------------------------------------- $8,000 a month in revenue for 1.2 million. It’s cash flow positive even with 0% down. Looking for an investment? Can you qualify? This could be the one. Email me for more information. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Market News from the B.C Real Estate Association: ----------------------------------------------------------------- BC Home Sales Hit Record Highs in May: BC’s hot housing market shot to new heights in May as more homes were sold than in any other month on record. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports 11,093 homes, worth $3.68 billion, sold on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in May, not including a yet-to-be-tallied number from the Powell River Sunshine Coast Real Estate Board. This is a 26.55 per cent increase in dollar volume and an 11.03 per cent rise in unit sales, compared to May 2004. “Sales hit an all-time high in May, and I don’t think anyone would have predicted that,” says BCREA President Dave Barclay. “The fact is that sales are strong right across the province, and we’re seeing some of the biggest gains in the north and the interior.” All BC real estate boards reported increases in dollar volume sales over May 2004, with all but one recording higher unit sales. Statistics for the first five months of 2005 show sales are keeping up with last year’s record pace. Year to date, sales have reached 43,535 units, worth $13.91 billion—an 11.72 per cent improvement in dollar volume, and a slight increase in unit sales, over the first five months of 2004. “Strong economic conditions are fuelling the market and low mortgage rates are keeping affordability within reach,” says Barclay. “There are still lots of people in communities across this province who are looking to get into the market, and they will find that their realtor makes the process easier.” http://www.bcrea.bc.ca/news_room/2005-05.pdf

----------------------------------------------------------------- Hot Off the Presses ----------------------------------------------------------------- Each month, I publish a series of articles of interest to homeowners- money-saving tips, household safety checklists, home improvement advice, real estate insider secrets, etc. All the Information that won’t fit in this newsletter, check it out: http://www.vancouverrealestateinfo.ca/redir.asp?page=gold_newsletter.asp&t=list

Buying into BC's Winter Warmth by PJ Wade http://realtytimes.com/rtcpages/20000307_bcwarmth.htm

---------------------------------------------------------------- Mortgage Tip of the Week – From Reed Harris, Canada’s Best Mortgage ----------------------------------------------------------------- 5 Reasons to Call Reed for your mortgage inquires: 1.) You get fully discounted rates, every time. So you can save thousands of dollars: every time. 2.) I represent your interests, NOT the banks! I work for you, so you save money, every time! 3.) I am a mortgage specialist. You get the fastest turnaround time, so you have your mortgage faster! (ask any realtor who they’d rather have behind their clients!) 4.) No personal meetings are required, so you get your mortgage the easy way: on your time! 5.) I work for you for FREE! Fast, Cheap & Easy Call me direct 1-866-369-3532!

----------------------------------------------------------------- Real Estate Term of the Week ----------------------------------------------------------------- Unconditional offers: An offer with no subjects. Sellers love them, and buyers fear them. In this market, they are the only way to win every time.

If you have too many subjects on your offer to purchase, you will lose out to unconditional offers. No question about it. The best way to strengthen your offer is to be pre-approved for financing. Call Reed Harris direct to find out how you can start writing unconditional offers! Call me direct 1-866-369-3532

----------------------------------------------------------------- Contact Info ----------------------------------------------------------------- I supply this information to you free of charge and without obligation with the hope that when you decide to buy or sell your home, you’ll call me to help make it a reality. If I do all this for free, imagine what I do when we’re working together!

I invite you to forward this newsletter on to friends and family.

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I have instituted a ‘New Client Appreciation Program’. If you’re thinking about buying a new development, and want to get some cash back, check out my new offer: http://vancouverrealestateinfo.ca/gold_customform2.asp To be removed from future mailings simply hit reply with REMOVE in the subject line.

Thanks for Reading!

D'Arcy R. Harris Real Estate Broker Sutton Group - Westcoast Realty Tel: 604 484 6236 Fax: 604 488 0885 darcy@darcyharris.com

Quote of the week:

Long stormy spring-time, wet contentious April, winter chilling the lap of very May; but at length the season of summer does come. - Thomas Carlyle, 1795 - 1881

----------------------------------------------------------------- Quick Over-the-Net Home Evaluation: http://www.vancouverrealestateinfo.ca/redir.asp?page=homeeval.asp&t=list

Become a VIP Buyer and Beat Other Buyers to all the New Listings: http://www.vancouverrealestateinfo.ca/redir.asp?page=vip_buyer.asp&t=list

Access Vancouver Real Estate Information at: http://www.vancouverrealestateinfo.ca/redir.asp?page=default.asp&t=list