The Vancouver Sun reported a couple of days ago that both the Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley real estate boards reported record home sales for the month of July. Below are the juicy details (aka the numbers)!!

July Sales for Vancouver Real Estate

4,114 sales in Metro Vancouver (via MLS)
–> 89% increase from July 2008
Price of typical single family home in Greater Vancouver area: $711,702
–> -5.5% since July 2008
–> +10% since beginning of 2009

2,089 sales in Fraser Valley (via MLS)
–> 62% increase from July 2008
Price of typical single family home in Fraser Valley area: $477,420
–> almost -6% since July 2008
–> almost +4% in the last 3 months

Of these sales, a whopping 37% were comprised of first time home buyers.

Its not that surprising for the people that have already moved here, lived here or has ever been here.  But it might surprise people who have not been to Vancouver. Here is the Full Story.

http://www.news1130.com/more.jsp?content=20090608_174330_9272

Makes me proud to be living in a world class City!

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.