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Friday Free for All!

It’s time for our open-topic link round up from the past week - here’s a few stories to get us started:

-April REBGV listings grow dramatically
-Coco closes her daily economic news blog
-Caps owner has ‘no plans’ to build condos
-Coal Harbour is a weekend ghost-town
-Richmond RONA closing on Olympic tax hikes
-Forestry slump bites Prince George prices
-Live in a shipping container in Whistler
-Immigrants to Canada struggle financially
-Carney: ‘a lot of strength‘ in this economy
-Bank of Canada needs more power
-Soft landings are for the Moon
-US prices drop at fastest rate ever
-US foreclosures up 112%

So what are you seeing out there? Post your news, links and anecdotes here and have an excellent weekend!

update: The Sun finds some missing comments

note: any conversation on real estate or economics is allowed, please keep it civilized. when posting articles please only quote pertinent points and link to the original instead of pasting the entire article here. Thanks!

RSS 2.0 comments feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

150 Responses to “Friday Free for All!”

Pages: [1] 2 » Show all comments newest first

  1. 1
    The Pope Says:
    On a side note, I’m thinking about running another poll on monday, maybe on debt and credit rating. If you have suggestions on which questions and answer options you’d like to see there feel free to post them. Suggestions for future poll topics are welcome as well.
  2. 2
    ulsterman Says:
    I was at school on Wednesday night and one of the guys there is also a real estate agent. He’s selling a 4 storey development in Cloverdale and is of the opinion that prices will never fall here. He’s sold pre-sales to 2 people in my class and one of those buyers has brought in her dad and another friend. I asked them if they were planning on moving to Cloverdale and they replied “no, i’ll just hang on to it and flip it in a year or two.” Gotta love their confidence.

    Anyone know the Cloverdale market? The agent was telling me that you can rent these places for $1.90 / square foot. He says that there are no decent places to live there so rents are high. This appears over the top to me.

    I don’t bother to challenge their thinking. He’s made a small fortune flipping properties over the past 3 years, and the others are so naive that i don’t want to burst any bubbles.

  3. 3
    bdk Says:
    “He says that there are no decent places to live there so rents are high. ”

    When this building completes 85% of the building will be for rent or for sale and the units that end up being occupied by first time buyers should cause a rental suite somewhere else to be vacated, are there any other projects in Cloverdale or Langley under construction?

    History has shown that rental markets can loosen up rapidly once new product hits the market.
    In Downtown Vancouver it only took 900 completed units to crash the rental market as Spectrum 1-4 demonstrated when it flooded the market and it’s going to be followed by another 8-10,000 more!
    It is going to be a renters market downtown for years to come and decent renters will easily be able to take their pick of downtown units for $2/sq ft. which IMHO means that Cloverdale rents can’t get higher than that.

    But I only know about the Vancouver market and know nothing about the suburbs or the rich foreigners who’re flocking here to pay infinity rent on places .

    Are there any cafes or restaurants in Cloverdale?
    maybe Cloverdale is where the action is!!

  4. 4
    Anonymous Says:
    when will the prices finally fall off the cliff? I am tired of waiting!
  5. 5
    patriotz Says:
    decent renters will easily be able to take their pick of downtown units for $2/sq ft. which IMHO means that Cloverdale rents can’t get higher than that.

    Try “can’t get higher than half that”.

    http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/apa/664273072.html

    Man, I feel like I’m at the grand opening of the Metrotown Save-on Foods back in the 80’s.

    Watching from the outside. :-)

  6. 6
    Anonymous Says:
    The Pope,

    Have you read the privacy information on these polls your linking to your blog?
    You may mean well, but the polling website maybe collecting all this personal information on your bloggers for their own purposes.

  7. 7
    The Pope Says:
    Hey anonymous - Thanks for the question, the polls I run on this site are hosted locally and not run by any external polling website. I use a wordpress plugin that keeps things local, so I’m the only one that has access to the data (I tend not to trust external sites either). As you can probably tell by the history of this site I have no interest in ‘de-anonymizing’ anyone or data-mining. Of course if you don’t trust me you don’t need to take part in any of the polls.
  8. 8
    bdk Says:
    Hey Patriotz, just to clarify I meant $2/sq ft for Downtown Vancouver,you know where they have cafes and where action is!

    I go to Surrey once every two or three years and have never tried to rent out or rent anything there so I’m being like one of those baby bears on here spouting off without any evidence to back it up.

    All I know about all these pre sales is that a lot of people who won’t qualify for mortgages now only have a few weeks to sell and make their “easy hundred grand” before the developer restricts assignments and it’s going to get messy.
    It could be different in Cloverdale, maybe they’ve de coupled from the economy like other world class suburbs such as Yokohama….

  9. 9
    Burden of Proof Says:
    “when will the prices finally fall off the cliff? I am tired of waiting!”

    Six to nine months. That is they real estate markets have gone in the past and that is how they went in the USA. When listings explode and sales drop, price drops are only six to nine months away.

  10. 10
    Krrish2 Says:
    RICH R GETTING RICHER VS POOR’S R GETTING POORER

    Who is sitting out after sold?
    Who is waiting for crash?
    Would you like to be poor?
    That saying above remind people to ACT ON TIMELY MANNERS or face the after math called afordability,just think about it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs_WjstsqV4

  11. 11
    Anonymous Says:
    Before trying to figure out what Krrish means or debating the point you think he/she may be trying to make please read this:
    forum/viewtopic.php?t=48
  12. 12
    betamax Says:
    Man, I feel like I’m at the grand opening of the Metrotown Save-on Foods back in the 80’s.

    Watching from the outside. :-)

    LOL! I remember that day very well. Apt analogy.

  13. 13
    Anonymous Says:
    Here’s a good unbiased take on the census income data:

    http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/ … b3e0e68aa2

  14. 14
    Snark Says:
    Woah! Look at that spin! Is that Robyn Adamache formerly of the whirling dervishes? Incomes down, house prices up, but affordability is just the same as it ever was? Okaaaay…. Riiiiight.

    How about introducing some new 100 year mortgages now?

  15. 15
    visio Says:
    Sorry if i repeat one of the links
    …most Canadians don’t think we even have a Subprime market in Canada. 40 years mortage with 0 down doesn’t exists, neither Santa Clause but we still receive gifts on Christmas
    http://www.greaterfool.ca/2008/04/28/th … subprimes/

    … are you ready to let BoC steal your money directly from your pocket?
    The same crime is being committed all over the world. Time to call your MP’s, Canadians.

    Carney seeks wider powers for Bank of Canada
    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ … y/Business

    …no recession here? Really? We are different and wrapped up in our magic bubble? Did i say bubble?
    Carney ‘confident’ Canada will dodge recession
    http://www.financialpost.com/story.html?id=485409

  16. 16
    patriotz Says:
    40 year is already 91% interest, so that well is pretty much dry.
  17. 17
    VanToVan Says:
    Flipping in Cloverhole?
    That’s a no brainer. They’ve got the CLOVERDALE RODEO!
    http://www.cloverdalerodeo.com/
    This is like the alignment of the stars be-because you have rich, oily Albertans coming to town. Maybe you can rent out your condo for a thousand dollars a weekend on Craigslist.
    Olympics Shmolympics–the rodeo rides in to town every year.
  18. 18
    jesse Says:
    From the Sun article: “Earnings down, but house affordability is level”

    WTF? This is a new low for spin. I didn’t think it was possible. But then entered Robyn. At least the Sun could find some dissenting opinions on the matter.

  19. 19
    read on Says:
    err, jesse,

    that would require actual work, not simply cutting and pasting press releases …

  20. 20
    Patiently Waiting Says:
    “The Statistics Canada report shows that while a recent immigrant, man or woman, made 85 cents for every dollar made by a similar Canadian-born worker in 1980, men who have recently moved to Canada are now making 63 cents to the dollar. Recent immigrant women made only 56 cents to every dollar in 2005.”

    Oh great, our screwed-up immigration policies are creating an ethnic powder keg in our major cities. I fear for the future.

  21. 21
    Anonymous Says:
    that would require actual work, not simply cutting and pasting press releases

    That reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Scott Adams:

    “Reporters are faced with the daily choice of painstakingly researching stories or writing whatever people tell them. Both approaches pay the same.”

  22. 22
    mflat Says:
    Very interesting. We rent downtown in a great building. Our rent is very tiny compared to what the mortgage payment would be on a 25/40 year loan, even with 20% down. Not planning on buying for a while as this market is just insane, and about to tank (imho). Anyway, take a look at this link: http://6717000.com/bentley/mls-138.html

    This building usually had a handful (less than 5) units on sale whenever I checked over the past few years. Now, when I walk by, there are always listings taped to the door. The panic is on as people are looking to get out. The pricing competition may get fierce if people are trying to sell before the crash.

  23. 23
    Anonymous Says:
    Hey Pope,

    Did you see the comment at the end of the Vancouver Sun/Missing Comments Post by someone from CBC Early Morning edition? If so, are you planning on contacting them?

    (Hoping you do).

    BTW. Love your blog!

  24. 24
    Anonymous Says:
    .
    .
    .
    “Six to nine months. That is how real estate markets have gone in the past and that is how they went in the USA”

    Oh really??

    In 1981, our market started to drop about a month after inventory spiked, and it dropped more than 30% in less than a year. In 1990, it dropped more than 20% in less than a year.

    US markets that that started to drop later than the earlier ones, dropped at a faster rate than the earlyer ones. That’s obviously because they were not hampered by the uncertainties of the first ones to drop.

    Vancover has a history of extremes in both directions, and judging by the insanity of our bubble we will certainly live up to our reputation.

  25. 25
    johnny33 Says:
    I thought the “living in shipping containers” was a joke… apparently not. Nothing surprises me anymore in this housing market.
  26. 26
    The Pope Says:
    Anon 11:01 - I did see the note from mariana of the CBC.. Sorry to dissapoint, but I’m not really a ’spotlight’ kind of guy so I won’t be calling. If anyone else feels knowledgeable about the situation and can explain it on the radio in clear calm terms, go ahead and give them a call, they may set you up as a guest.

    BUT check this out: Whether it was a technical problem or intentional deletion some of the comments are now back online, and look who posted the indecipherable bullish comment number 7, It’s our local regular Krrish:
    http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/stor … 804&k=5982

  27. 27
    -A- Says:
    <<<<<<<<ONE MYTH AT A TIME EXPOSED<<<<<<<<<<<

    There must be some misunderstanding; there must be some kind of a mistake, and not the same that Phil Collins is referring to.

    I am talking about the income growth.

    The RE pimps have been citing income growth as one of the main drivers of real estate prices, and now it appears that there must have been some kind of miscalculation.

    Interesting, maybe we aren’t running out of land
    either, and maybe the rich immigrants aren’t so rich, and maybe Bill Good, Muir, Pastrick and others have been given the wrong information, what other possible explanation could there be?

  28. 28
    Tony Danza Says:
    men who have recently moved to Canada are now making 63 cents to the dollar.

    This is obviously false, everyone knows that rich immigrants are flooding our shores and snapping up multiple 400 sqft condos in downtown Whalley!

  29. 29
    jadeeast Says:
    I think what the Pope said about remaining out of the spotlight is one of the reasons it’s been hard for a bearish POV to appear in the MSM. Mostly the local voices that have been bearish are anon posters on blogs,that makes quoting them as sources a bit difficult. I completely understand the popes position and feelings about remaining out of the spotlight and taking the heat. Not everyone is a Garth Turner…
  30. 30
    anonymous Says:
    .
    .
    Thanks for the re-opened Vancouver Sun link pope.

    However, I could’nt help but notice that the comments are more selectively chosen than ever.

    It might be worth the effort to test their biased scrutiny and report back to us….Thanks

  31. 31
    visio Says:
    MLS# V687842 Sqft Fin. 837
    Current Price $339,900 Listed Feb 1/08
    Original Price $339,000 Entered Feb 7/08 Feb 11/08 $345,000 Status Chgd May 1/08
    Feb 1/08 $339,000
    Sale Date Apr 22/08 Sale Price $326,800

    This one sounds like a 4% drop and there are a lot of condos around SFU ….

  32. 32
    moldcity Says:
    You think those comments are selectively chosen? If thats the case then the sentiment on real estate in this town has taken a dramatic change for the worse. I only see two positive comments on the article - one from kathy claiming that the ‘facts’ are uncontroversial and one from krrish making his regular incoherent ramblings. If those are the only positive comments they had to select from that this market is about to crash hard.
  33. 33
    moldcity Says:
    jadeeast, there are many people paid to promote real estate, but as far as I know none that are paid to cut through the hype. How many people in Vancouver have full time jobs with income that is directly related to promoting the real estate market?

    That’s why you’ll always hear more ‘pro-market’ sentiment than caution. Of course that leads to those hillarious graphs showing cheerleaders like Learah proclaiming a market bottom regularly as US house prices continue to crash, or those shockingly bad local news predictions on the Vancouver market just before previous crashes.

    That said I’d still vote for Pope to give them a call, it would be great to hear this issue get some airtime.

  34. 34
    -A- Says:
    Anybody catch this comment in the vancouver sun myth special:

    Krrish2Wed, Apr 30, 08 at 03:49 PM
    Almost in decade-In vancouver rates of pay has increased three time higher,fuel-energy cost is up three times,grocery prices are up three times,gold prices are up three times so does the average home prices in Vancouver up three times,unemployment rates are down,interest rates are low,low,low and another cuts are on the finger tips, immigration and migration showing no sign of slow down,no more land in vancouver.no downturn in decades to come in vancouver bc bpe

    There you have it folks incomes have trippled, in the last decade, and I guess the rest of the post holds true as well.

  35. 35
    UnSunsored Says:
    Whoa! now it looks like ALL the comments are back! There are tons complaining about the comment deletion including duplicates. Why won’t they just post a note explaining what happened? Could it be that attention from several blogs and the CBC motivated a reversal?

    Just in case they have another ‘problem’ I’ll post the comments that I can currently see (without duplicates) onto digi’s post:

    forum/viewtopic.php?t=52

  36. 36
    hughz Says:
    Well, looks like the April figures are out:

    http://tinyurl.com/5yune7

    Although it is not clear what is being measured in the average detached price, it is down 4% from March (i.e. annualized drop of about 50%).

    I wonder if the local rags will now report that the average price of detached homes will be $220,000 by 2010 to counter their claim of a few months ago that it would hit one million. Something tells me not…

  37. 37
    Tony Danza Says:
    Hughz are you suggesting the Sun “look out to the downside”?
  38. 38
    Bankerman Says:
    Just saw the news flash on vancouversun.com, April 2008 averaged detached price at $880,844 down from $919,593 in March 2008. Yes, detached market down about four percent in one month.

    Sorry bulls, game is over. Sell, sell, sell now before the real panic hits in a couple of months. All markets move on greed and fear, looks like panic & fear have begun to arrive. Bottom line, if you are a seller now, cut your price immediately by 10 percent and beat the rush to the exits and maybe you will find sucker to buy your place!!!!

  39. 39
    beatstreet Says:
    I see in the Vancouver Sun MLS April numbers article it quotes board president Dave Watt as saying

    “residential sales continue to be strong, but there is a lot more choice on the market today”.

    That’s an interesting perspective given that sales fell 5% yr/yr according to the article.

  40. 40
    /dev/null Says:
    Benchmarks still up. Everything is fine.
  41. 41
    cheapskate Says:
    Take it easy with these figures. We only get the averages, not the spread, and it’s not clear how significant the drop is (how does it compare to other monthly fluctuations?). Regarding volume, I have heard that April this year has fewer days than last year (not that I am convinced that makes any difference, since maybe sales and listings are just processed on different days of the month). Also the drop is in SFH, not condos, presumably smaller volumes of these turn over.

    I’m expecting the downturn, but I’m don’t see the “smoking gun” in this report, or, to be honest, in paul boenisch’s fabulous data… yet.

  42. 42
    read on Says:
    “April this year has fewer days than last year ”

    What? April has 30 days every year, unless you move to bizzaro-universe.

  43. 43
    anonymous Says:
    .
    Amazing what some bulls will stoop to, but reducing the number of days in April has to top all.
  44. 44
    dimon Says:
  45. 45
    mk-kids Says:
    “What? April has 30 days every year, unless you move to bizzaro-universe.”

    I think days of business was meant to be implied.

  46. 46
    mk-kids Says:
    For further clarification:

    April had 22 business days (Mon to Fri) in 2008 & 19 days in 2007 (taking into account the easter holiday).

  47. 47
    hughz Says:
    My comments from above were tongue-in-cheek…more of a jab at 24 and the Sun for running with one or two month’s of price growth data and projecting it two years forward…
  48. 48
    mohican Says:
    I’ve posted charts and analysis on the REBGV numbers at http://langley-financial-planning.blogspot.com/
  49. 49
    vanguy Says:
    bctv has a teaser piece on the new numbers just now, and they had a visual of Spectrum along with the lady saying that there may be a dent in Vancouver’s ‘red-hot’ housing market.

    Spectrum!….I loved it.

  50. 50
    punface Says:
    Wow, looking at those charts, it really really looks as though the writing is on the wall.

    Still, I’m a sceptic, that’s why I’m here after all. June 1st, we will know for sure by then. :)

  51. 51
    Michael Randallbard Says:
    He’s right, April had only 23 days this year. I slept through the others

    -

    “April 2008 averaged detached price at $880,844″

    VANCOUVER SUCKS this is outrageous, they must think they are Moscow here lolol

  52. 52
    Michael Randallbard Says:
    “I think days of business was meant to be implied.”

    Chinese realtors don’t celebrate Easter nor do the ever stop working

  53. 53
    mk-kids Says:
    That’ll teach me for skimming comments & trying to be helpful…

    ;~

  54. 54
    cashisking Says:
    My wife is a realtor … since when do they care about “business days”. They do more business on weekends than during the week.
  55. 55
    Krrish2 Says:
    A,

    Statscan report is for british columbia not for
    vancouver alone,42 k is for average british columbians not for individuals.

    In 2005, there were 601,510 full-time workers raking in $100K-plus salaries — a 26 per cent jump over 2000.

    The jump was even more pronounced among the 206,160 full-time workers who earned $150,000-plus salaries. Their numbers were up nearly 30 per cent in 2005.

    here you got base and increased percent in half decade for bc bring it to vancouver and double the increased percentage to full decade,you can feel lots vancouverites income has been trippled in a decade include mine.

  56. 56
    Krrish2 Says:
    may be that was not appropriate analsis here we got mr. a who has earned $15,496 in 1997 same mr a $52,000 in 2007.
    mr b $27,040 in 1997 $104,000 in 2007. there might be some of bears with data but no body like to help each other is there any body to show us some light on this issue?
  57. 57
    -A- Says:
    Krrish you get caughted making big untrue again.

    Average tax filer went from 38k 1993 to 52k 2003, that does not compute with your usual lies.

    Also that is not inflation adjusted.

    The truth is you RE pimps outright lie.

    Incomes in Vancouver are lower than most cities in Canada, and housing costs are one of the highest in the world.

    The metrics are worse than just before the crash of 81

  58. 58
    bdk Says:
    Watch Mr.A go from $52,000 to $15,495 after he’s laid off and has to go work at Wal Mart in 2009.
    Which means he’s now earning one third of what was making and has to pay three times as much for stuff as he did in 1997.

    A)How does Mr.A afford his mortgage?
    As I just proved all wages will go down 70% in 2009
    vancouver bpe

    also watch mr.b go from $30,000 to $9,990.
    someone shed some light on this

    Prices go down for decades to come

  59. 59
    mk-kids Says:
    Geesh, my comment was based on the days the RE board uploads stats not the 24/7 hours of RE agents.
  60. 60
    krrish2 Says:
    look you guys always start draging some point to make counter arguments that’s why message is not getting through in a result you have wasted lots of time talking about bubble but somehow bubble did not show up in rebgv chart.

    every one want to over come on each other only together we can make a difference.

    Stat from statscan is to show how average people are earning their living if you convert this 42k into 150k still 4.5 million people are not going to buy $38 million worth of pent house on 34th floor.

    lots of cheap or expensive things are available on earth but not all people are in need of them nor we have the ability to make 4.5 million houses in bc.

    btw people with low income also own their own house or appartments lots of owners are paid off, what you looking in specific is a sq.ft. otherwise story is different compare to income ratio. people are buying homes -thats why market is going up ,if you based your fact on statscan report market should be dead after 1982,this is may 2008.

  61. 61
    krrish2 Says:
    ok, ok, I admit I’m an idiot
  62. 62
    Re-diculous Says:
    Although I’m loath to do so - I must give credit when its due:
    1. Vancouver Sun for reposting the comments that totally trash their garbage of last week;
    2. Vancouver Sun for publishing an article entitled “Greater Vancouve Real Estate sales slip, listings jump” (intead of spinning some bs positive title - even though the statistics within the article are spun to make you dizzy); and
    3. Krrish2 for admitting to being an idiot
  63. 63
    krrish2 Says:
    “3. Krrish2 for admitting to being an idiot”
    It’s not me i think some one looking for more rant i will put mise in his/ her pant!!
  64. 64
    Anonymous Says:
    krrish2 admits to being an IDIOT?

    Why isn’t THIS in the Vancouver Sun?
    This is HUGE!!!!!

  65. 65
    scullboy Says:
    Weird….. that last one wasn’t me.

    But thanks krrish for all your entertaining posts. I’m quite looking forward to whatever drivel you choose to post in the coming crash…

  66. 66
    krrish2 Says:
    Hey Sonika,
    how you doing what a entery with bang!!!!! bombarding with pimps and child abuse even after long absence the sense is not in control,where have you been?
    I was looking at chilko but found out you are out from there to some new building.
  67. 67
    Re-diculous Says:
    Good Cut and paste from Greater fool blog note the similarity between these 2 statements and the dates they were made:

    David Lereah - NAR Chief Economist - MAY 2006
    “Coming off a prolonged period of record sales, housing is taking something of a breather this year. Even so, interest rates remain historically low, we’ve added about 2 million jobs over the last 12 months and the economy continues to grow – that will sustain healthy levels of home sales in 2006, but they’ll stay below the peaks experienced during the last two years.”

    Gregory Klump - CREA Chief Economist - JANUARY 2008
    “The Canadian housing market in 2008 will pull back from the breakneck pace set in 2007, but this is still forecast to be the second-busiest year on record in almost all provinces, with residential unit sales reaching an estimated 512,705 units. Average prices for MLS® home sales are expected to keep setting records in
    2008, although prices will increase more slowly as the market becomes more balanced. In most provinces, the market will nevertheless remain historically tight; with the tightest markets being in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Nationwide, the average residential price is forecast to increase 5.5 per cent to about $322,700.”

  68. 68
    Re-diculous Says:
    Sun: Real Estate listings up 53%

    http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/stor … c2&k=66458

    Obligitory Spin: “It took an average of six fewer days to sell a home than it did in the previous year,” Watt said. “That is probably as telling as anything.”

  69. 69
    patriotz Says:
    “The rise in listings “is consistent with people believing they’re at the [market] peak and are rushing to sell before market conditions change,” Tsur Somerville, director of the centre for urban economics and real estate at the Sauder School of Business at the University of B.C., said in an interview.

    Somerville added that the normal model of an economic cycle heading into a downturn sees sales drop while new-listing activity plateaus.”

    Executive summary: the bubble has burst.

    Just can’t come out and say it, can you Tsur?

  70. 70
    krrish2 Says:
    Bdk,

    Canadian Giants going to develop a huge net to trap walmart because walmart have difficult location in the menu that would be hard for cunsumers to reach there and Canadian Giants will take advantage of that they are going to do the following.
    1.Each Giant will establish 20 small store at the size of an extra food store or market place in downtown or west side or like the one you can see on your way to whistler.
    2.All employees at CG will get 10% permanent discount to shop in their stores.
    3.Because of these new net D.C. jobs are their to stay plus the rates of pay will increase more every 500 hours by $1.10- for all those extra stores Gaints will creat more jobs for all new store good for the public and big competition for Giants.

  71. 71
    -A- Says:
    .
    .
    .

    Wow, just wanted to say you are doing a fine job at “the
    other” site, keep it going buddy, this time looks like you got “sly” and are using the FOX program and the dogs can’t censure you.

  72. 72
    -A- Says:
    Hi Krrish I must tell you I am somewhat disappointed in you.

    You dropped the price! on the Rupert joint, what kind of a sales professionals are you guys?

    Did you point out to the potential buyers:

    We are running out of land,and of course BC’s economy is the world’s economic engine. with explosive income and population growth.

    East Vancouver is the preferred destination of the world’s jet set crowd because it has Trout Lake, Commercial Drive, and oh yeah, a short drive, from the Rupert place, is Victoria and Hastings, where you can get a hooker and a bag of weed, for under $100 CDN of course.

    Maybe you guys aren’t the professinal you claim to be. You are just “order takers” at the first sign of a sales challenge you drop the price.

  73. 73
    scullboy Says:
    Krrish,

    Let me get this straight: you went to my old building and checked up on me? Jesus Christ you are one creepy little gimp.

  74. 74
    Anonymous Says:
    Had dinner with some friends in the R/E market. they claim that the condo market in vancouver has dropped 5% in past couple of months. This is pretty reliable source. It’s going downhill from here.
  75. 75
    misanthropic curmudgeon Says:
    you are one creepy little gimp.

    so are you two de-coupling?

  76. 76
    Patiently Waiting Says:
    http://www.bclocalnews.com/tri_city_map … 68369.html

    Riverbend developer sells off apartments guaranteed for a loan, so seniors may lose homes.

    “Craig Lochhead, a director of Riverbend’s developer, CB Development, said the Maillardville apartment units were used as guarantees for a loan from CareVest and, now, company assets are being liquidated to satisfy its debt.

    “As we were trying to save Riverbend, basically, we continued to pledge assets that we owned,” Lochhead said Wednesday. “We’re very sad that not only are those people being displaced from their homes but that we’re losing another million dollars worth of real estate that we owned as a result of Riverbend.””

  77. 77
    scoop Says:
    “The panel was unanimous: There is no bubble” and other goodies from the 2008 Vancouver Real Estate Forum here.
  78. 78
    -A- Says:
    Panel:
    Neil Chrystal, President & CEO, Polygon Homes Ltd. (Moderator)
    Eric Carlson, President & CEO, Anthem Properties Ltd.
    Jon deC Evans, President & CEO, Trilogy Properties Corporation
    Steve Laver, President, Playground Limited Partnership
    Ward McAllister, President & CEO, Ledingham McAllister Properties Ltd.

    The only unbiased commentator missing was Bill Good.

  79. 79
    patriotz Says:
    Riverbend developer sells off apartments guaranteed for a loan, so seniors may lose homes.

    Change of ownership does not impair tenancy rights. The renters can only be required to leave for a new owner-occupier and there are required procedures to be followed.

    The article doesn’t say, but I would think the provision of rental housing was required by the city as a condition of granting the development permit. No developer would provide rental units otherwise - the yield is too low. If so, it’s likely that the new owner would be bound by this too.

    I get the distinct impression that the new owner is trying to scare the seniors into buying because they don’t want to, or may not be able to, list the properties on the open market.

  80. 80
    Patiently Waiting Says:
    Patriotz,

    Good point, the journalist could have done a better job research the tenants rights etc. I found it curious that rights weren’t mentioned in the article. I think CB Development still owns the units so it must be them (and their realtors) who are engaging in the scare tactics.

    These seniors need an advocate who knows the law.

  81. 81
    anonymous Says:
    .
    .
    “Just can’t come out and say it, can you Tsur?”

    Actually, he is saying it in “professor speak”, but with all those credentials, should’nt he have been able to warn us a couple of years ago?

    BTW, you guys seen that shitbox Chipman is trying to unload for three quarters of a mil in east Van? In east Van for cryin out loud!

  82. 82
    Anonymous Says:
    Our Day of Reckoning is coming, fellow Bears! Soon we’ll be watching all these overpriced condo owners thrown out onto the streets, while banks teeter on the edge of collapse. Woohoo!!!! Then us Bears can come in and scoop up a foreclosed condo for 60% OFF! Can’t wait until that day comes!
  83. 83
    bdk Says:
    Scullboy if the troll was stalking you. What was he planning to do if he found you? Ask you out on date?

    Does anyone here know where Krissh works or lives?

  84. 84
    hombre Says:
    .
    .
    .
    About that Chipman listig:

    Three quarters of a mil for a teardown on a busy street for cryin out loud!

  85. 85
    Bizznitch Says:
    Krissh can be found flipping burgers at one of the McDs in Vancouver. He’s just a keyboard warrior.
  86. 86
    Tony Danza Says:
    The end must be nigh, I can actually understand Krissh’s posts.

    In 2005, there were 601,510 full-time workers raking in $100K-plus salaries — a 26 per cent jump over 2000.

    Most of these are supported by RE bubble prices and construction, so enjoy it while it lasts, you’ve probably got another six months (if you’re in RE services) and maybe a year or two if you’re in construction (small developers probably have six months before they start going BK).

  87. 87
    Tony Danza Says:
    Krissh is in the denial stage of bubble psychology.
  88. 88
    hughz Says:
    “Actually, he is saying it in “professor speak”, but with all those credentials, should’nt he have been able to warn us a couple of years ago?”

    I am pretty ambivalent about Somerville - I think he is probably smarter than I give him credit for and probably (hopefully) recognized the unsustainable conditions of the past few years as such.

    At the same time, he is certainly hemmed in by the fact that he works at Sauder’s Centre for Urban Economics and Real Estate…which is underwritten by the Real Estate Foundation of BC. Likewise for his professorship …underwritten by the same people. One shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds them.

  89. 89
    beatstreet Says:
    The latest numbers seem to confirm that things are about to head south; however, unsustainable trends can continue on longer than expected especially when fuelled by massive private debt (40 year mortgage anyone?). This was a thought raised Marc Faber in his last newsletter where he referenced Steve Keen’s Aussie blog debtwatch. http://www.debtdeflation.com/blogs/

    Towards the middle of the latest entry you will see a measure of Aussie house prices that pulled back in 2004 then actually rose just as the USA hit its peak. Now, according to some of the local bloggers I read at the globalhousepricecrash forum, it seems things in Oz may be leveling out again according to first quarter sales figures.

  90. 90
    /dev/null Says:
    Are they processing listings today? I received an automated email from a realtor’s VOW search just now. Those only seem to go out on days when listings are being added…
  91. 91
    Anonymous Says:
    Just came back from a couple of open house. It is dead out there. No offers. No viewers. This is getting boring.

    Best advice to provide your client is to price their property sharply. Aways be ahead of the curve. In a falling market, you need to price below market.

  92. 92
    Tony Danza Says:
    I am pretty ambivalent about Somerville - I think he is probably smarter than I give him credit for and probably (hopefully) recognized the unsustainable conditions of the past few years as such.

    There were quite a few academic economists that identified the RE bubble early on in the US, you can find out who they were on the HBB. Somerville is a shill for the REIC and couldn’t tell a fundamentally broken RE market from his a$$hole. Of course once things go to hell he’ll indentify the bubble and prognosticate to the upside.

    Disclaimer: I have worked with Somerville in an academic capacity and found him to be as intellectually sharp as a rubber mallet.

  93. 93
    hughz Says:
    “Disclaimer: I have worked with Somerville in an academic capacity and found him to be as intellectually sharp as a rubber mallet.”

    Interesting. I was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. I will admit to Google Scholar-ing him…his publication and citation record is a pretty underwhelming.

  94. 94
    scullboy Says:
    BDK:

    I actually think I saw him leave my old building. If he’s the guy I think, he’s sort of a chubby, doughy Indian / Asian guy in his 20s with sorta longish greasy disheveled hair and a truly retarded expression.

    Seriously.
    And the weird thing was I kind of thought it might be him at the time,

    Hey ‘tard if that really was you, tell your mom I said hi.

    Oh and nice jiggly man - boobs.

  95. 95
    bdk Says:
    What was he doing in your building?

    My source tells me he lives with his Mum and walks around Marinaside telling people he’s a DJ.

  96. 96
    Raincouver Says:
    .
    Hey ‘tard if that really was you, tell your mom I said hi.

    Oh and nice jiggly man - boobs.

    Excellent commentary about RE. Totally pertinent.

  97. 97
    bdk Says:
    As if the troll has ever said anything relevant. He just admitted to stalking a fellow blogger on this site, most likely to ask him out on a date.

    BTW
    The Vancouver Sun says:
    “Your chances of having your comments posted are much better if you use proper grammar, spelling and punctuation. ” So they’ll post fictitious and incoherent chubby retarded trolls comments but won’t post mine?

  98. 98
    rentah Says:
    Higher end Westside inventory, as per MLS:

    Point Grey, 3rd May, last three years:
    2006 - 21
    2007 - 31
    2008 - (drumroll) 65

    Small sample, but I’d say this was VERY significant.
    Also note lots of SFHs being built in this area, in groups of two or three at times. So, even more inventory is coming. Not to mention those homeowners who are now going to try and realize those paper ‘gains’ before retirement.
    So much for the high-end being more resilient.

  99. 99
    freako Says:
    “Geesh, my comment was based on the days the RE board uploads stats not the 24/7 hours of RE agents.”

    “My wife is a realtor … since when do they care about “business days”. They do more business on weekends than during the week.’

    1. The RE board work week, ought not matter. They simply process more the days after long weekend. It does matter when the month closes on weekend or long weekend.

    2. Don’t forget that offers and acceptance are made before completion (which is when the sale is booked). I can’t see a shortened month affecting completions. It would simply be moved back or forward a few days.

    3. What I can see happening is that offer and acceptance becomes delayed. Realtors may be willing to work Easter and what have you, but I don’t think house hunters do.

  100. 100
    patriotz Says:
    The anti-Tsur is Chris Thornberg in California. While at the UCLA business school’s Anderson Forecast he called a spade a spade right back in 2005:

    http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/thornberg.html

    Interestingly Thornberg left the business school in 2006 to pursue, cough, “other opportunities”.

    Of course people like Shiller and Krugman were also calling the bubble at the same time, but they were tenured ivory tower academics in economics departments (as opposed to business schools), so the bulls could just write them off as out of touch.

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