friday free for all!
Here’s your open-topic post for Friday July 20th. Here’s a few stories I’ve noticed this week to kick the discussion off:
- Whats that smell? City workers strike looming.
- 65,000 homeowners in BC affected by leaky condo issue?
- Young families move to the suburbs.
- New blog about bad landlords in Vancouver.
- Buyers remorse: just get over it?
- US home builder confidence plunges again in July.
- Ohio AG files suits against 10 lenders for appraisal fraud
- Fed, Lenders and Wall st. to blame for US mortgage crisis?
…everyone but the buyer it seems. What are you seeing out there? Post your news, anecdotes, links and commentary here!
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July 19th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
July 19th, 2007 at 9:12 pm
The possibility of ever owning a home has been ripped out of the average worker’s hands - they just want to try to get it back.
The powers that be have been capitalizing on this run-up, and I for one think it’s time to share the wealth.
Excuse me if I’m mistaken, but if we can afford to supply homeowner grants to owners of million dollar properties, then we can afford to give a city clerk a nice raise. I’d rather have my tax dollars going to the garbage man than a millionaire.
And just for the record - I know no one who works for the city - just want to start seeing some wage increases across the board.
July 20th, 2007 at 6:17 am
The way out of this house price spiral is for people to just say no to house prices which are out of whack with the actual value of accommodation (i.e. rents).
Employers are not responsible for this insanity, and it is not reasonable to expect them to enable employees to make an attempt at home “ownership”. People should be paid enough to rent decent accommodation.
If people just refused to buy as long as payments were out of whack with rents, the two would converge - with a lot more downside on buying than upside on renting. It’s that simple.
July 20th, 2007 at 6:26 am
I would love to see the negotiated wage settlement that raises earnings enough, so that houses become affordable for city workers. That would be what- about 1000% ?
July 20th, 2007 at 6:51 am
I believe condo absorption in Miami is something like 5K per year, so that’s an 8+year supply. Anyone know how those numbers compare to Vancouver?
And patriotz, too right - wage inflation may be one way out of this mess, but it isn’t the right way. But either way there’s going to be some pain.
July 20th, 2007 at 7:07 am
I am now approaching the stage of righteous fury. If I don’t get my dd in the mail today, its revenge time folks!!!
I already know that City Hall doesn’t know about the suite I lived in. Also, there numerous fire safety violations and certainly some building code issues.
I would hazard a guess that Revenue Canada doesn’t know about the suite.
Of course, I’m going to apply for double back and will place a lien on the property if necessary.
Any more suggestions?
July 20th, 2007 at 7:24 am
- From the May 7th, 1981 legislative session.
So I guess this isn’t the first time Vancouver has faced a ‘housing crunch’ huh?
July 20th, 2007 at 7:36 am
July 20th, 2007 at 8:19 am
If the employer decides to reduce wages on the next contract (which is what happened at my last employer– some highly-skilled technical people were going to have their wages cut by 50%), then your choice is to either quit, or accept it and constrain the other activities in your life.
Most people can’t just quit their job on the spot– they’ve spent years building a career, they have families, mortgages, etc.
July 20th, 2007 at 8:31 am
Any more suggestions?
Depends on your goals. If it’s retribution you want, start with the fire code violations. In every city I’ve lived in, you may be able to snow building inspectors, but the fire department is both hard to influence (read: bribe) and has a very big stick. Most firefighters I’ve met take their job very seriously and get very mad about unsafe buildings. If you’re lucky, the fire dep’t will actually do some of the other stuff for you (like checking to see if the suite is official or not). I don’t know how anonymous tips work regarding rental income to the CRA, but I’d do that last.
If you just want your DD back, call the landlord and say something along the lines of “can you tell me what part of the tenancy act overrides section 38, which is the part stating you have 15 calendar days to give me back the DD?” If you get a “cheque’s in the mail” runaround, say “and the postmark will show you mailed a couple of days ago, right?” If he tries then to claim damage, at that point I’d essentially end the call with “okay, see you in arbitration” and then go and apply for it IMMEDIATELY (tinyurl.com/32d54v). PITA landlords deserve all slapping they invoke under the RTA. Don’t forget to also request the landlord also cover the $50 filing fee you’ll have to front.
If he doesn’t agree to get you the money by the end of business THAT DAY, call the RTO and start the process for getting double back. LOG EVERYTHING: time of the call, etc. If you do it from a cell phone, even better; your bill should later reflect the time/date/duration of the call.
Don’t know if you’ve seen it or not, but I love this site:
http://apartmentguide.ca/Advice/
July 20th, 2007 at 9:11 am
If you want revenge rather than renumeration, that’s a sure way to do it. Back taxes and fines add up quick.
Remember, revenge is a dish best served cold. Don’t rush, and make sure to change your address with Can Post for an extended period, because your landlord won’t be forwarding your mail after getting burned.
July 20th, 2007 at 9:20 am
So I guess this isn’t the first time Vancouver has faced a ‘housing crunch’ huh?
Yep, and we all know how that affordability problem got solved, don’t we?
Wages aren’t going to rise to meet home purchase costs. That’s not the way it works. House prices fall until they are in line with wages again.
July 20th, 2007 at 10:20 am
July 20th, 2007 at 10:31 am
July 20th, 2007 at 10:56 am
July 20th, 2007 at 11:01 am
July 20th, 2007 at 11:02 am
July 20th, 2007 at 11:07 am
July 20th, 2007 at 11:18 am
Start taxing these houses at appropriate rates - drop the homeowner grants - and pay people what they need to live in this city.
If Vancouver can pay millions to a hell’s angel for a run down building - why shouldn’t the guy cleaning the streets be able to live a little more comfortably?
All the governments are always pushing the line that this is the best place in the world to live.
All I’m saying is that wages obviously need to rise to actually make this the best place in the world to live.
and if it has to start with the city workers - so be it.
As for employers not being responsible for the house prices - who do you think buys the houses?
Who do you think has the wealth?
I know of many people pushing their bosses for huge raises - because they can’t afford not to.
So I really see this strike as the little guy just trying to get his piece of the pie - and I personally hope he gets it.
July 20th, 2007 at 11:36 am
On a more serious note would it be possible to launch a lawsuit against the city to recoup the tax money for services not delivered? Is there a legal ground or precedent for this? Surely somebody is a lawyer here…My point here is that the city and the workers have to be forced into an intelligent solution instead of having the same 1930s spectacle with garbage every 2-3 years. Get an impendent binding arbitration BEFORE contract expires, not after you piss of everybody with 2 months of strike/lockout. That would demonstrate some progressive thinking for a change…
July 20th, 2007 at 11:39 am
So your individual action of quitting won’t change anything. Maybe if you get a whole bunch of people to threaten to quit at the same time, or to actually quit at the same time, they might sit down with the union and renegotiate the contract.
But guess what? That’s pretty much a strike!
July 20th, 2007 at 11:58 am
Draft separate letters to CCRA, City of Vancouver, and the Fire Department. Do not send them but give copies of them to the landlord with another letter marking your intent to send these unless your deposit arrives in 2 days. If nothing happens, fire off the letters and then follow shikko and beta’s advice. Don’t give the landlord any leniency because he is not giving you any.
In the end, if you get your deposit in the next 1-2 days, drop the whole thing and move on.
July 20th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
You should let CCRA know about the suite no matter what. If they’re aware of it then no problem, if they’re not then the owner can start paying their share of the tax burden. Under what circumstance would cheating on that taxable income be acceptable?
July 20th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
You should report these as well - thats not a matter of revenge, It’s a matter of safety for the people living in the building.
July 20th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
The real problem with real estate prices is not wages but a population that has no understanding of the real value of real estate as an investment. And people who have no understanding of a free market. Vancouver is a city of children that strike and get their demands when things don’t go their way. People who go out and spend more than they can afford then demand the government take care of them. If they don’t like their jobs they can quit. I have done this more than once.
July 20th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
July 20th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
- but I know of no doctor/lawyer/accountant/architect/engineer etc that makes less then a city worker.
July 20th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
July 20th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
http://tinyurl.com/yvmbub
July 20th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
- but I know of no doctor/lawyer/accountant/architect/engineer etc that makes less then a city worker.”
Pathetic. I know of no city worker that sacraficed to go to University for 10 years. I see a lot leaning on their shovels every day though.
July 20th, 2007 at 6:36 pm
Exactly - that’s why professionals MAKE MORE then city workers - not like what fedupbear said. - doesn’t mean they don’t deserve to feed their families though - does it? Doesn’t mean that they don’t have a right to say “we want more”.
As for them leaning on their shovels - seems to me that their shovel leaning = our playing around on blogs all day - so who’s worst?
July 20th, 2007 at 7:13 pm
This may shock you, shikko, but my ex-landlord is a firefighter (among other things). That makes this even more inexcusable. mold city is right on this matter. Morally, I have to take action on this, regardless. There are no smoke or CO2 detectors (I had my own ones but not installed and took them with me). No fire extinguishers. There is not a separate outside exit for the basement suite (enters into common laundry room), and no fire separation between the upstairs and downstairs suites. No face-plates on most outlets and wires hanging from the ceiling where there should lighting fixtures. The fan over the stove just circulates smoke around the room.
The city may be interested in hearing about the suite strictly because of taxes. No permit was issued for the suite (I checked) so the city is not taxing for it.
I’ll have to see on the CCRA. That’s my ultimate revenge, and it won’t be an anonymous act. I don’t feel the same on this as I don’t know for a fact that he is cheating. If he is, its over 25K income a year for both suites. Anyone who turned in everyone they suspected of cheating, would be very busy and hated.
jesse, i agree with you about dropping it once he coughs up the cash (still no cheque in the mail today) as I look forward to leaving this behind me. But I don’t think I’ll threaten to do anything. Either I do it or I don’t, and if I do it, it will leave him shocked and (hopefully) regretting his ways.
The only thing I might remind him of is the doubling of the damage deposit quoting the legal text that shikko mentioned. But if that doesn’t move him, he is f**ked.
I have logged him on email twice promising to send my DD cheque. I hope that is sufficient. Also, the ex-landlord failed to do opening/closing inspections even after I asked for them. And I have proof through a registered mail receipt that I sent the notice on time. Mind you, I doubt he filed for anything. He is a very busy and disorganized guy.
beta, my important mail never went to that address so I’m not worried about forwarding.
All I know is I immediately handed over my rent cheques every time, the first time asked. I left the place in better condition than I found it and gave more than enough notice. He has not treated me with the same consideration.
July 20th, 2007 at 9:41 pm
Salaries never reflect house prices unless your a realtor, they never have and never will. It is the other way around house prices should reflect salaries. Its a big world if you vancouver gets too unaffordable just leave. We all have choices to make. I left I didn’t go on strike. Your an adult not a child. Its not the governments problem.
July 20th, 2007 at 10:16 pm
Blue, it’s been said ad naseum by others.
No. One. Deserves. To. Live. Here.
Or anywhere for that matter. If the skills a person has cannot generate enough revenue to exist in a particular location, said person should either move to a place where it is financially agreeable to do so, or upgrade their skills.
It is as simple as that.
July 20th, 2007 at 10:19 pm
I’ll tell you what fedupbear, if it makes you feel better to assume that I’m some high school drop out - go right ahead - I won’t lose any sleep.
As for defining “city worker” - I believe the mention of “garbage man” and “the little guy” in my posts, should have been enough to make it clear who I was speaking about.
Global News had a very informative report this evening that broke down what kind of salaries we’re dealing with at the city, you should go take a look.
July 20th, 2007 at 10:21 pm
Furthermore, is it just me, or does every PR hack from the union sound like they’ve got the presentation skills of a junior high drama student? For the amount of dough those operations roll in, you’d think they could hire some professional front-people.
July 20th, 2007 at 10:22 pm
Whether you like it or not - we all actually NEED these guys. How much would we have to pay YOU to pick up garbage, work on sewers etc etc.
July 21st, 2007 at 6:16 am
The people buying right now are idiot speculators whose favourite TV show is “The Apprentice”, and foolish homedebtors who think they have to buy now or never.
Just like south of the border a couple of years ago.
The wealthy are not buying now. They know better. You get rich buying low and selling high, not the other way around. The smart money knows when to get out. Warren Buffett sold his Laguna Beach, California house in 2005.
These people know what makes a good investment and they know that Vancouver RE is about the worst investment in the world right now.
That’s the way it was in 1981 and that’s the way it is now.
And when the market crashes again this will become obvious to everyone, as it is becoming obvious in the US. Wake up and smell the burnt toast.
July 21st, 2007 at 7:34 am
Have you heard of the concept of Supply and Demand? If not, you’ll have to trust me that if no one wanted to do garbage pickup, the salaries would escalate until people were interested.
Regardless, I have a hard time feeling remorse for a group of people who continually hold cities hostage when they have some of the best benefits packages around.
July 21st, 2007 at 9:37 am
As a landlord/taxpayer, I would say none. Patiently, as a tax-paying rule-following landlord and tenant, I’d ask you to please follow up with CCRA on this one.
Regarding the garbage strike, lets be honest, anybody and everybody knows that a job with the city (or any government/union) is highly desired by anyone without an education, as they know this is a meal ticket for a decent living. Do you think the janitors or security guards that work at office buildings after hours for $10/hr (no benefits) have any sympathy for the bus drivers and garbage collectors that make 2.5 times their wage with full benefits?
(rant)
I’m all for fair wages and reasonable working conditions, but when this asshole who makes $25/hr refuses to pick up more than one recycle box outside my house, I could give a shit whether he gets a raise. (rant off)
July 21st, 2007 at 9:59 am
Make sure when visiting, some new re stats blog, your security settings are at max, and run a spy ware scan immediately thereafter.
Beware of Trojans and other malware.
July 21st, 2007 at 10:09 am
Can’t speak for garbage collectors, but bus drivers have a tough job. A lot of routes are rolling freak shows. Also they have to work split shifts until they get enough seniority. You can’t compare their work to an office cleaner or desk jockey.
July 21st, 2007 at 10:13 am
Actually I know a guy who was working overnight security shifts for $10-$12/hr, and recently became a bus driver. As a security guard his job was mostly boring work, but occasionally he was hassled by punk teenagers and that sort of thing. Now he’s on with the coast mountain bus as a driver for Translink. Its not trouble-free, but its a lot easier, better hours, more money, full benefits.
There aren’t many jobs out there that I’d say are “easy”. Work is work.
July 21st, 2007 at 10:46 am
A new report projects home-price declines for the next two years. The riskiest markets are in Florida, California, Nevada and Arizona. Here’s how to ride out the hard times.”
the exact warning lights are flashing red alert in Vancouver
Also:
Robsnumbers:
Thanks, I also think the new RE stats blog is suspect. (gee, I wonder who he might be)*
*note no question mark
July 21st, 2007 at 10:47 am
Are you saying that REstevens site is installing malware? If not, can you PLEASE specify the site that you believe is a security threat? Its not fair to make vague warnings but give no details.
July 21st, 2007 at 2:32 pm
July 21st, 2007 at 2:34 pm
July 21st, 2007 at 2:40 pm
They thought it was very naive and childish.
It is so embarassing.
(My 10 year old is visiting Canada’s Wonderland in Ontario and she called me and said Mommy, its the Greatest Place ON EARTH!!!!!!
July 21st, 2007 at 3:20 pm
Here’s a link to something similar. Housingmaps.com.
Unfortunately you can only track a certain price rage, but nevertheless it’s pretty good to see the supply concentration by area visually.
I’ve made a Photoshop comp of all price ranges and vancouver looks pretty concentrated.
Also, with GoogleEarth you can look at all Re/Max listings in Greater Vancouver and Fraser Valley, there are about 4000 of them combined.
If you have GoogleEarth installed take a look at This!
What i also did to make these stupid icons smaller is I edited the file with an editor that replaces all remax icons with the smaller one I made. I also combined Greater vancouver listings with Fraser Valley listings, which gave me a pretty clear picture of supply. And mind you 4000 it’s only 1/3 of the total.
July 21st, 2007 at 3:34 pm
lol - maybe your garbage man just doesn’t like you. My neighbour thought it was a good idea one week to fill his can with broken glass and not tell the garbage guy - who ended up cutting himself.
Needless to say, neighbours garbage wasn’t picked up for weeks.
So you’ve probably angered the garbage gods somewhere along the way - do some feng shui, burn some incense, pray to the big blue recycling sign, and maybe your extra recycling will get picked up - and you can let go of that pent up anger.