Vancouver

Icon 2 building in Yaletown

Amy and Laura visit the Icon 2 building in Yaletown.

Icon 2 is definitely one of my favorite buildings in Yaletown so far. Unlike it’s sister building Icon 1, Icon 2 is a low-rise building with only 11 stories. This building is perfect for just about anyone who has a healthy social appetite and loves the outdoors; it’s located right on the Yaletown seawall in front of the northern shores of False Creek, next to the George Wainborn park and very close to David Lam park as well. It’s also only blocks away from Yaletown’s social district; which means, although most units come with parking, you won’t be in need of a car very often, which means you’re officially eco-friendly!

Icon 2 Low-down

Location: 633 Kinghorne Mews, Vancouver (Yaletown)
Year built: 2006
Architect: Peter Busby
Stories: 11
Units: 52

Features & Amenities

• “Club Oasis”
• 80 foot indoor pool
• Whirlpool
• Fully equipped fitness facility
• Shower facilities & steam room
• Lobby & lounge
• 24 hour concierge service
• Massage & spa room
• Hollywood style theatre
• Meeting room
• Billiards room
• Landscaped courtyard garden
• Multi-purpose room with kitchen

The Icon 2 amenities are shared with the Icon 1 building and also the Silver Sea building across Kinghorne.

For more information on units currently available in Icon 2, get in touch! Amy: 778 855 0841 or amy@vancouverpowersearch.com.

Vancouver

Vancouver 2010 Olympic wrap up video!

As many of you might have seen on TV, the city of Vancouver has been absolute mayhem during the 16 days of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

We’ve been working to prepare for this event for the past 7 years…and despite the controversial glitches in the beginning of the event Canada managed to pull it together and emerged victorious at the final US vs Canada hockey game for the goal medal. We ended up winning 14 gold medals, the most gold medals ever won by the Olympic host country.

Several events were held in the Downtown core of Vancouver, including live concerts, light shows, ziplining down Robson Street (which supposedly had a 7 hour wait), and parties virtually everywhere; Granville Street, Vancouver’s main nightlife strip, was just packed during the night hours. Several pavilions were open showcasing the different provinces in Canada and the different countries participating in the games.

I myself visited Downtown a few times during the games, but the most memorable visit had to be after the Closing Ceremonies…walking down Granville was an experience for sure, and it made me so proud to live in this country with such patriotic residents. People dressed in red and white were walking down the streets high-fiving random people in opposing traffic, screaming and cheering and having a blast…all without getting into trouble! There was security probably every few feet but not a single fight could be spotted. At least by us.

It’s not often which we get to experience such a magnificent event in your own city! Hopefully you’ll enjoy the video, which shows a little bit of the Downtown mayhem, both day and night.

Vancouver

Tax Assessed Value vs Fair Market Value?

In just this past month, I’ve had 3 buyers tell me that they aren’t willing to pay much higher above what the tax assessed value of the property is. Reason? They all seem to be under the impression that tax assessed value equals what the price of the property should be.

It’s because of this misconception that some listing agents write things such as “priced under assessed value” etc in their marketing remarks, and in turn, partially because of those marketing remarks properties priced under assessed value have been deemed good deals. This is not necessarily true.

ASSESSED VALUE is a valuation placed on property by a public tax assessor (in BC it’s a provincial crown corporation called BC Assessment) for purposes of taxation. Tax authorities, for example the City of Vancouver, then apply their own tax rates to the assessments provided.

FAIR MARKET VALUE is the price that a knowledgable, willing and unpressured buyer is willing to pay to an owner who is willing and is under no obligation to sell their property. Prior to listing a property, the listing agent typically will pull up comparable properties that sold in the last 3-6 months, depending on what they find. They then guide the seller as to how to price their property. The agreed upon price between a buyer and seller effectively becomes the fair market value of that property. This is also why you should take a look at comparable sold listings prior to making an offer; it’s a great way to determine whether the subject property is priced accurately.

Have any questions? Feel free to reach me or my partner Laura at any time.

Amy Kizaki
Team Leader
Vancouver PowerSearch

778 855 0841 direct
604 209 3674 Laura direct
amy@vancouverpowersearch.com
laura@vancouverpowersearch.com

Vancouver

Coal Harbour Video Tour

Amy and Laura take you on a tour of one of Downtown Vancouver’s waterfront communities, Coal Harbour.

Coal Harbour is located on the southern shores of the Burrard Inlet and is home to one of Vancouver’s more prestigious marinas, Coal Harbour marina (which is also one of the two marinas that will accommodate larger boats with 330′ slips.

The boundaries of Coal Harbour are Georgia Street, Denman Street, Burrard Street, and the waterfront.  Here you will find condominium units in newer highrise buildings, many with fantastic views of the Burrard Inlet, North Shore Mountains, Stanley Park and the marina. Studios start right on the $300,000 mark, one bedrooms in the mid $300,000′s and two bedroom units start in the higher $500,000 range.

The seawall starts in Coal Harbour and trails along the edges of Stanley Park back to the West End community. The Downtown waterfront is home to the new green-built, state of the art convention centre, a close to $900 million dollar project which will be the meeting grounds for the 2010 Olympic staff. Trendy furniture boutiques, yacht sale broekrages and seafood-type restaurants also line the seawall.

Want to know more about Coal Harbour real estate or would like to see some listings? Call or email us. Amy or Laura at 778 855 0841 or 604 209 3674!

amy@vancouverpowersearch.com
laura@vancouverpowersearch.com

Vancouver

Have you used your home renovation tax credit?

Deadline is approaching! At the end of January 2010, the Federal Home Renovation Tax Credit incentive, part of Canada’s economic action plan, will be coming to an end. If you’re a Canadian homeowner and were thinking of a kitchen remodel or finally landscaping your front or back yard…time to move.

Here’s the low-down on the Home Renovation Tax Credit.

What is it? : It’s a federal non-refundable tax credit based on eligible expenses for improvements to your house, condo or cottage exceeding $1,000 but not more than $10,000.

Maximum credit: $1,350.
Valid period: Purchases made before February 1, 2010.

Eligible expenses must be of an enduring nature and integral to your property (no, new TVs or lawn mowers don’t count, sorry).

Be sure to get your contracts in writing, and keep your receipts. Claim the credit on your 2009 income tax return at the time of filing.

Examples of Eligible Expenses:

• Kitchen, bathroom, basement renovations
• New windows, doors, flooring
• Major remodels such as building an addition, garage, deck, shed or fence
• A new furnace, woodstove, fireplace, water softener, water heater
• A new driveway or resurfacing a driveway, re-shingling a roof, or painting of a house
• Landscaping- new sod, perennial shrubs and flowers, trees, etc
• Swimming pools (must be permanent, in and above ground)
• Fixtures- blinds, shades, shutters, awnings, lights, fans, etc
• Associated costs such as permits, professional services, equipment rentals, and incidental expenses

Examples of Non-eligible Expenses

• Furniture, appliances, tools, and audio and visual electronics
• Routine repairs, maintenance and cleaning (eg. furnace cleaning, snow removal, lawn care, pool cleaning, house cleaning)
• Financing costs

For more information on the tax credit, call 1-877-959-1CRA or visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.

Hope that you’ve all had a fantastic holiday season and a great New Years! 2010 is going to be an exciting year for Vancouver and we wish you all the best as well!

Vancouver

West End Video Tour!

The West End is, in my opinion, Vancouver’s in-city suburb. The West End is the only area you will find in Downtown Vancouver where detached residential homes exist on tree-lined streets. Homes in this area are older heritage homes, with many Craftsmen style homes (strating in the lower million dollar range) that have been converted to duplexes and triplexes. The rental rate is some of the highest in this community of the Downtown Vancouver area so for investors looking for small rental investments, the area is ideal.

Just blocks away from the neighborhood is one of the city’s most populous beaches, English Bay. The close-by commercial corridors, Robson, Denman and Davie are also a 5 minute walk from the residential area and thus makes it a great home for those who like a more quiet lifestyle without the hustle and bustle of Downtown Vancouver.

Condos here can be found starting in the higher $200,000′s and lower $300,000′s. Buildings here tend to be older as most of the highrises are developed closer to Coal Harbour, Yaletown and Downtown, and thus provide more space compared to the new construction units with some of them being in the 300 sqft’s.

Several locally owned eateries call the West End home, including several Sushi places, Greek places and Gelato shops. The area is quite ecclectic as well and funky boutiques are seen one after another. My recommendations for eats? Try Stepho’s Greek Taverna on Davie Street (expect a lineup, my trick is to order take-out to avoid them), Tanpopo’s on Denman for all you can eat sushi, or Samurai’s on Davie, a little hole-in-the-wall type place with AMAZING food!

For more information on West End real estate and Vancouver real estate, contact me directly at 778.855.0841 or email me at amy@vancouverpowersearch.com!

Vancouver

Staged or unStaged, project #1! Downtown Vancouver condo

Late last month I wrote a blog about the impacts of staging. Since then Laura Howren and I teamed up with local decorator Hanan Arabatlian with Aura Interiors Inc and decided to do a video blog on what a difference staging can really make.

The subject condo is a approx. 560 sqft, one bedroom condo unit located in the TV Towers2 building on Vancouver’s main shopping drag, Robson Street. The unit had been sitting on the market for over a month, which for a unit in that location, in that price range, should’ve been snapped up within a couple of weeks at most. According to the listing agent of the listing they’ve had many buyers come through and all say the same thing: “Where does everything go?”

The layout of the unit is somewhat disfunctional, it’s open but has many angles. The kitchen is an open one with not much counterspace; the “flex space”, or storage room looks like it should be a utility closet, and the bedroom looks so small vacant that it’s almost impossible to envision a bed fitting in there.

The transformation was amazing; the small little space suddenly made sense, and the unit felt much homier, cozy and urban. At the open house that was held that weekend (the work was done on Friday) the listing agent found her audience saying the exact opposite of what they had been saying before; many commented on “how big” the unit was! Take a look at some before and after pictures below.

And the burning question…did the condo sell? Well, we haven’t gotten an update from the listing agent to date, but last we heard (which was right after the open house) they were working on getting an offer accepted!

Need to sell? Call Laura at 604.209.3674 or laura@vancouverpowersearch.com. And if you’re looking for a decorator, call Hanan at 604.209.5423 or visit www.aurainteriors.ca.

Photographer: Morgan Beall at Morgan_Beall@Vancity.com

Before Staging

After Staging

Vancouver

Go Canucks!

Yes yes, I know, hockey has nothing to do with Vancouver real estate…but it sure has a lot to do with Vancouver’s culture! With the ‘Nucks doing so well in the playoffs right now, I had to post a video I made a few games back actually before the playoffs, when they were playing St. Louis.

Canadians are notorious for being hockey fanatics and Vancouverites are no exception. With a new GM and much valued new team members, the Canucks have been in high spirits…and so has Vancouver. As I type they’re playing the Blackhawks right now and is up 1-0! GOOO Canucks, we need this one!!!!

If you’re visiting Vancouver during hockey season…you MUST go to a game. Even if you don’t like hockey, a live game is hard not to enjoy!

Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Viddler video.

Vancouver

Granville Island

Granville Island is a small island and shopping district in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is located in False Creek directly across from Downtown Vancouver’s peninsula, under the south end of the Granville Street Bridge. The island is now more or less connected with the mainland so it is not technically an island.

Granville Island was once an industrial manufacturing area, but is now a major tourist destination, providing amenities such as a public market, a large marina, a hotel, the Emily Carr University of Art and Design (named in honour of the artist), various theatres including the Arts Club Theatre Company and Carousel Theatre, and various shopping areas clustered around the one industrial outpost remaining, a cement plant. The island is very popular with tourists and locals alike.

Passenger ferry service from Granville Island to Downtown Vancouver is provided by two ferry companies, False Creek Ferries and Aquabus.
Since its redevelopment in the 1970s, Granville Island has maintained a healthy community of craft studios, including a glassblowing studio, a printmaking shop, a luthier, a master shoemaker, various jewellers, and the B.C. Potter’s Guild. A weekly farmer’s market has also been ongoing since the island’s redevelopment.
Granville Island Brewing Co. is also the name of a beer company which originated on Granville Island in 1984, but whose main base of operations was moved to Kelowna, British Columbia some time later. It does continue, however, to brew some of its varieties at the original site, and offers beer-tasting tours.

In 2004, Project for Public Spaces named Granville Island “One of the World’s Great Places”.

Vancouver

Gastown Area Info

Gastown is an area of Vancouver, British Columbia, located at the northeast end of Downtown adjacent to the Downtown Eastside. Its historical boundaries were the waterfront (now Water Street and the CPR tracks), Columbia Street, Hastings Street, and Cambie Street, which were the borders of the first townsite survey, the proper name and postal address of which was Granville, B.I. (“Burrard Inlet”). Today’s official boundary does not include most of Hastings Street except for the Woodward’s and Dominion Buildings.

Gastown is a mix of “hip” contemporary fashion and interior furnishing boutiques, tourist-oriented businesses (generally restricted to Water Street), restaurants, nightclubs, poverty and newly-upscale housing. In addition, there are law firms, architects and other professional offices, as well as computer and internet businesses, art galleries, music and art studios, and acting and film schools.

Popular annual events that take place on the faux-cobblestone streets of Gastown include the Vancouver International Jazz Festival and the Tour de Gastown international bicycle race.
Gastown’s most famous (though nowhere near oldest) landmark is its steam-powered clock, located on the corner of Cambie and Water Street. Built to cover a steam grate, part of Vancouver’s distributed steam-heating system, the clock was built as a way to harness the steam and to prevent street people from sleeping on the spot in cold weather. Its original design was faulty and it had to be powered by electricity after a breakdown. The steam mechanism was completely restored with the financial support of local businesses as it had become a major tourist attraction, and is promoted as a heritage fature although it is of modern invention. The steam used is low pressure downtown-wide steam heating network (from a plant adjacent to the Georgia Viaduct) that powers a miniature steam engine in its base, in turn driving a chain lift. The chain lift moves steel balls upward, where they are unloaded and roll to a descending chain. The weight of the balls on the descending chain drives a conventional pendulum clock escapement, geared to the hands on the four faces. The steam also powers the clock’s sound production as whistles are used instead of bells to produce the Westminster “chime” and to signal the time.

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