Comments on: Friday Free-for-all! http://vancouvercondo.info/2008/08/friday-free-for-all-34.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=friday-free-for-all-34 Bubble? What Bubble? Thu, 24 May 2012 09:33:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: condo abbotsford http://vancouvercondo.info/2008/08/friday-free-for-all-34.html#comment-25138 condo abbotsford Tue, 26 Aug 2008 10:16:47 +0000 http://vancouvercondo.info/2008/08/friday-free-for-all-34.html#comment-25138 Higher number of <a href="http://www.myabbotsford.com/" rel="nofollow">MLS listings</a> is having a negative impact on the prices, everywhere... <p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-25138">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> Higher number of MLS listings is having a negative impact on the prices, everywhere…

Current score: 0 (to vote for this comment, please visit the site)

]]> By: JB http://vancouvercondo.info/2008/08/friday-free-for-all-34.html#comment-25108 JB Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:35:18 +0000 http://vancouvercondo.info/2008/08/friday-free-for-all-34.html#comment-25108 Backlog of US homes for sale is worst on record <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/backlog-of-us-homes-for-sale-is-worst-on-record-908689.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/b...</a> <p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-25108">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> Backlog of US homes for sale is worst on record

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/b…

Current score: 0 (to vote for this comment, please visit the site)

]]> By: /dev/null http://vancouvercondo.info/2008/08/friday-free-for-all-34.html#comment-25097 /dev/null Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:24:36 +0000 http://vancouvercondo.info/2008/08/friday-free-for-all-34.html#comment-25097 Keep in mind that getting another degree isn't always the best thing you can do for your salary. I graduated recently and now I'm earning about half of what I was before. (Although my situation isn't entirely typical.) <p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-25097">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> Keep in mind that getting another degree isn't always the best thing you can do for your salary. I graduated recently and now I'm earning about half of what I was before. (Although my situation isn't entirely typical.)

Current score: 0 (to vote for this comment, please visit the site)

]]> By: patriotz http://vancouvercondo.info/2008/08/friday-free-for-all-34.html#comment-25091 patriotz Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:32:05 +0000 http://vancouvercondo.info/2008/08/friday-free-for-all-34.html#comment-25091 drachen, that quote was from sheepless. My point was the same as yours, that it is the median that matters. <p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-25091">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> drachen, that quote was from sheepless. My point was the same as yours, that it is the median that matters.

Current score: 0 (to vote for this comment, please visit the site)

]]> By: Anonymous http://vancouvercondo.info/2008/08/friday-free-for-all-34.html#comment-25090 Anonymous Mon, 25 Aug 2008 10:54:58 +0000 http://vancouvercondo.info/2008/08/friday-free-for-all-34.html#comment-25090 Aside: For anyone who might have been waiting for the next chapter in Chris Martenson's "Crash Course", it was published on the 23rd, here: <a href="http://www.chrismartenson.com/peak_oil" rel="nofollow">Chapter Seventeen: Peak Oil </a> For those who haven't seen it, you might really want to check out the previous chapters, especially the ones immediately preceding, on bubbles and "fuzzy numbers". Fascinating stuff, IMHO. <p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-25090">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> Aside:

For anyone who might have been waiting for the next chapter in Chris Martenson's "Crash Course", it was published on the 23rd, here:

Chapter Seventeen: Peak Oil

For those who haven't seen it, you might really want to check out the previous chapters, especially the ones immediately preceding, on bubbles and "fuzzy numbers". Fascinating stuff, IMHO.

Current score: 0 (to vote for this comment, please visit the site)

]]> By: Drachen http://vancouvercondo.info/2008/08/friday-free-for-all-34.html#comment-25089 Drachen Mon, 25 Aug 2008 09:38:38 +0000 http://vancouvercondo.info/2008/08/friday-free-for-all-34.html#comment-25089 <b>Patriotz</b> "Actually, the average family income for Vancouver in 2000 was $70,000 ($75,000 for couples) <a href="http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/data/sep/rd/reconincl.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/data/sep/rd/reconinc...</a> Even if salary increases didn’t keep pace with inflation, the average now should be over $80,000 so the average family should be able to afford a $240,000 mortgage. Hope they have a big downpayment." Median is $62,000 give or take a few hundred at the last statscan measurement. Median is a far better measure of what regular people can afford because it's not skewed by a small group of super-wealthy people. And Vancouver median family income is increasing far more slowly than inflation, it has been for some time, we're now four or five from the bottom of the 20 biggest Canadian cities for median income. <p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-25089">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> Patriotz

"Actually, the average family income for Vancouver in 2000 was $70,000 ($75,000 for couples) http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/data/sep/rd/reconinc…

Even if salary increases didn’t keep pace with inflation, the average now should be over $80,000 so the average family should be able to afford a $240,000 mortgage. Hope they have a big downpayment."

Median is $62,000 give or take a few hundred at the last statscan measurement. Median is a far better measure of what regular people can afford because it's not skewed by a small group of super-wealthy people. And Vancouver median family income is increasing far more slowly than inflation, it has been for some time, we're now four or five from the bottom of the 20 biggest Canadian cities for median income.

Current score: 0 (to vote for this comment, please visit the site)

]]> By: James http://vancouvercondo.info/2008/08/friday-free-for-all-34.html#comment-25087 James Mon, 25 Aug 2008 08:42:04 +0000 http://vancouvercondo.info/2008/08/friday-free-for-all-34.html#comment-25087 Anecdotal report from the trenches. I was at a BBQ this weekend. 2 early 30s couples are in the process of selling both of their homes. They're the ones who got help from their parents to perform a flip and hopefully make enough for their own downpayment, you know instead of working for it and stuff like that. Anyway one got a fool right away to offer above asking but did not accept the offer. She thinks they'll be cleaner offers coming soon. The other one has yet to put the house on the market because they're just finishing up. Both have said they are planning on doing another flip! Everyone at the BBQ parroted the spin from what a month ago or whatever about the soft fluffy landing. This is actually a change from before with this group. A few months ago these people said that real estate would never ever slow down and prices could never fall. <p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-25087">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> Anecdotal report from the trenches. I was at a BBQ this weekend. 2 early 30s couples are in the process of selling both of their homes. They're the ones who got help from their parents to perform a flip and hopefully make enough for their own downpayment, you know instead of working for it and stuff like that. Anyway one got a fool right away to offer above asking but did not accept the offer. She thinks they'll be cleaner offers coming soon.

The other one has yet to put the house on the market because they're just finishing up. Both have said they are planning on doing another flip!

Everyone at the BBQ parroted the spin from what a month ago or whatever about the soft fluffy landing. This is actually a change from before with this group. A few months ago these people said that real estate would never ever slow down and prices could never fall.

Current score: 0 (to vote for this comment, please visit the site)

]]> By: umdesch4 http://vancouvercondo.info/2008/08/friday-free-for-all-34.html#comment-25086 umdesch4 Mon, 25 Aug 2008 08:01:48 +0000 http://vancouvercondo.info/2008/08/friday-free-for-all-34.html#comment-25086 Matt(112), are you sure tech workers are going for more degrees? My experience over the last few years is that my coworkers and I drop some saved up cash on certifications our employers won't cover, and BCIT-type courses we can take in the evenings, just to update and round out our skills. None of us have the time or money to invest in doing lap 2 on the university circuit...but maybe that's just my poor/lazy peer group. :P <p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-25086">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> Matt(112), are you sure tech workers are going for more degrees? My experience over the last few years is that my coworkers and I drop some saved up cash on certifications our employers won't cover, and BCIT-type courses we can take in the evenings, just to update and round out our skills. None of us have the time or money to invest in doing lap 2 on the university circuit…but maybe that's just my poor/lazy peer group. :P

Current score: 0 (to vote for this comment, please visit the site)

]]> By: umdesch4 http://vancouvercondo.info/2008/08/friday-free-for-all-34.html#comment-25085 umdesch4 Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:47:29 +0000 http://vancouvercondo.info/2008/08/friday-free-for-all-34.html#comment-25085 About IT in Vancouver (and SAP BOBJ) My experience with contracting is that yes, you will probably end up with a 6 month contract, but if you're good, and using a rare skillset, you end up geting your contract renewed a few times until you've been there for years...longer than most of the full-timers. It's rather funny actually, but stressful every 6 month while you're waiting to see if you'll get signed up for the next stint or not. I happen to know someone who works in IT at BOBJ. ;) So far SAP is saying there's no plan to shut down the Vancouver operation, and they're turning the whole BI PG into what they call a 'lab'. I expect there will be more info coming around Q1 next year. <p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-25085">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> About IT in Vancouver (and SAP BOBJ)

My experience with contracting is that yes, you will probably end up with a 6 month contract, but if you're good, and using a rare skillset, you end up geting your contract renewed a few times until you've been there for years…longer than most of the full-timers. It's rather funny actually, but stressful every 6 month while you're waiting to see if you'll get signed up for the next stint or not.

I happen to know someone who works in IT at BOBJ. ;)

So far SAP is saying there's no plan to shut down the Vancouver operation, and they're turning the whole BI PG into what they call a 'lab'. I expect there will be more info coming around Q1 next year.

Current score: 0 (to vote for this comment, please visit the site)

]]> By: patriotz http://vancouvercondo.info/2008/08/friday-free-for-all-34.html#comment-25083 patriotz Mon, 25 Aug 2008 05:22:38 +0000 http://vancouvercondo.info/2008/08/friday-free-for-all-34.html#comment-25083 <i>Actually, the average family income for Vancouver in 2000 was $70,000 ($75,000 for couples) </i> It's the median income that is significant for housing affordability (with respect to the median residence), not the average. Having Jim Pattison or Bill Gates in your city does not help you buy a house. <p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-25083">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> Actually, the average family income for Vancouver in 2000 was $70,000 ($75,000 for couples)

It's the median income that is significant for housing affordability (with respect to the median residence), not the average. Having Jim Pattison or Bill Gates in your city does not help you buy a house.

Current score: 0 (to vote for this comment, please visit the site)

]]>