The Patz McMillan Team

Believe it or not, despite all the distractions and decisions homeowners tend to face during this busy spring season, many are thrilled to be taking on yet another project of significant proportion, by moving to a more desirable home.

They know the time is ripe to reap the rewards for the investment they made in their home. It could be their best chance to buy into a larger home or move to a more desirable area, while interest rates are near an all time low. It’s also an ideal time to list their home to sell, because the same low rates are compelling many new buyers to act now, before there is a significant hike in borrowing costs.

This season’s economic

The benchmark price of a detached home in Greater Vancouver as of March 2006 reached $610,382, an increase of 21 per cent over 2005, an increase of 55.5 per cent since 2003 and an increase of 79.5 per cent since 2001. For home hunters this isn’t good news. For those who got their foot in the door a few years ago (or long ago) and have home equity, trading up is possible.     But for first-time buyers eager to buy their first home, the Board’s benchmark detached home price of $610,000 is likely too high, even if they reach up, way up.     If

Believe it or not, despite all the distractions and decisions homeowners tend to face during this busy spring season, many are thrilled to be taking on yet another project of significant proportion, by moving to a more desirable home.

They know the time is ripe to reap the rewards for the investment they made in their home. It could be their best chance to buy into a larger home or move to a more desirable area, while interest rates are near an all time low. It’s also an ideal time to list their home to sell, because the same low rates are compelling many new buyers to act now, before there is a significant hike in borrowing costs.

This

Air conditioning (AC) has evolved from luxury status (expensive equipment powered by cheap fuel) to a convenient basic (affordable equipment powered by expensive fuel). Traditional AC was designed to efficiently cool an entire home from one central unit. The logic of that design is changing as we realize the unnecessary cost of continuously cooling an entire building when only portions are used at any given time.

When the time comes for you to upgrade your household AC system, you may have an opportunity to consider more efficient systems that cool only necessary areas and only at the times required. While individual window insert models limit the

When the time comes to repair or replace one or more fence sections around your property, you may find yourself imagining an entirely new look. If so, you will have quite an array of choices to consider. The practical and aesthetic benefits of having a well-planned, well-designed fence – or no fence at all – may depend on getting your neighbour(s) involved. But, before you consult with others, do your own homework. Carefully review the options and determine the type and cost of fence that would best suit you. Then, identify the compromise options that you would consider. The first logical step is to determine your height and privacy requirements as well

Here is yet another interesting article that doesn’t (yet) apply to me, but is still well worth the read:

Driven to Distraction – Time to Repair or Replace Your Driveway?

The driveway becomes an important and highly used part of a home, yet few people spend the time to understand the variety of driveway material choices. You need to determine whether your driveway is ideally suited to your neighbourhood, your street, your home, and your usage. Of course, there is always the visual aspect of “curb appeal”, but there is also the question of withstanding heavy weights, or maybe just the odd one-on-one basketball game. All of the choices have different properties

Fraser Valley up 71 per cent over last year Ashley Ford, The Province Published: Tuesday, April 11, 2006 Another month and another blazing housing-start performance across the Lower Mainland.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.'s latest numbers show Fraser Valley starts jumping an astonishing 71 per cent from March a year ago to 833 starts from 485.

Vancouver's performance was also impressive with a 30-per-cent increase over a year ago to 2,016 units.

The performance from all urban areas in B.C. was also impressive with starts increasing 27 per cent to 7,934 units.

"Despite a limited supply of land and skilled

Healthy home sales fuel March housing market

Vancouver, B.C. April 3, 2006 - Continued demand in the Greater Vancouver housing market led to an increase in sales and listing activity last month. Sales of detached, attached and apartment properties reached 4,033 units in March 2006, an increase of 2.4 per cent compared to March 2005's 3,938 units, and a decrease of 7.7 percent compared to March 2004's record-breaking 4,371 sales.

"By investing in real estate, homebuyers are demonstrating confidence in our economy and confidence in the high reputation of the Vancouver housing market," says Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver president Rick Valouche.

I just finished uploading this , 115 2222 PRINCE EDWARD ST, Vancouver BC

Bright and spacious 2 bedroom unit with functional floor plan. Bedrooms are separated for greater privacy. Very close to transit, schools and amenities. Private patio at back of the building. Quality building with a new roof last year.

If you have one or more adult children living at home, you are not alone. It seems that young people everywhere are living with their parents longer, even though they have finished school and are leading otherwise productive and independent lives. One of the more common reasons for this phenomenon is to save money for a down payment on a house. This is a most laudable goal, as such an investment will almost certainly appreciate significantly over time.

You might even choose to help them, by offering low (or no) cost accommodations to enable a more accelerated savings agenda. Many experts agree that this setup can work very well, as long as