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Life in a leaky condo

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greenmesh.gif

You’ve seen them all over Vancouver, from green mesh covered buildings in fairview to plastic shrouded condo towers downtown.  But what’s it like to actually live in leaky condo thats being repaired?

A renter in Yaletown has started blogging about life in the green mesh: The Leaky Condo Chronicles is an interesting read about the inconvenience and frustration of living in an active repair zone:

Buzzing, vibrating, grinding noise jolted me awake at 8 AM. It’s really too bad that earplugs can’t block out the vibrations — they’re worse than the noise…

I think today is worse than ever before. They’re grinding down the concrete of the balcony right next door to us.

Mondays tend to be particularly bad anyway, probably because weekends are so nice and quiet, but I do think it’s true — it can’t get any worse than this — can it? Can it?

I need to run away.

You can find more misery at leakycondolife.blogspot.com

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DonkeyXote

DonkeyXote: Anonymous beat me to it. I fail to see how waking up earlier warrants more sympathy. Many people work out of their home as well, and construction can be very distracting. Is it only people that wake up at 6:00 am and go to work in a shop or office that deserve sympathy?

Obviously you guys didn't bother reading his blog.

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Deliverator

I rented a leaky condo for two years. I got the place for below market rent, with the understanding that the repairs would take only six-seven months. The first six months there were construction free, and great. The next year and a half… less so. Banging from 7-5 every day, six days a week. One time I was woken up with drywall dropping on my face from the hammering that was taking place on the wall directly outside. I woke up several times with a construction worker heaving out my bedroom window and stepping inside to work on the frame. (I was told they would have to get permission in advance to enter the place, but that didn't seem to apply if they were coming through the windows.) Why they had to remove and replace each window umpteen times, I'll… Read more »

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Drachen

Just Kidding

"I’ve posted this on Chipman’s blog and he has banned the comment, has anyone else been banned?"

Oh yeah, he really does not want to hear the other side of the story. He wasn't too bad when he could still pretend there wasn't going to be a serious crash, but now he's unbearable (Oh god I'm funny, aren't I funny?).

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Good Poiint Arit

Arit:

shhh, don't put ideas in peoples heads:

"The easiest “vengeance” is typical: Whenever visiting the library, friends or office depot, log into the website and post venom. This causes many sites to close posting from anons, and then they lose popularity. It is a lose-lose situation for the blog owner."

Of course if you have a wireless laptop you can log on from all over the neighbourhood or if you live in a high rise you can log on under so many names, as well.

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crabman

I know a guy who bought an investment property in that building in 2005. He was renting it out as an executive apartment (high priced, furnished, short-term rental). I can't imagine he can still charge high prices with all the construction going on there. So 3 years in, he is looking at equity disappearing, a $118k assessment and no rental income? Ouch!

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Just Kidding

Thanks annon, the pimps and pumpers need to be challenged, they have profited from the mess they have created, and they would love to go on unchallenged.

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pricedoutfornow

I, for one, can't believe the mentality has changed so drastically. Met with three different clients today who all had the same opinion- "prices are going down, it all got out of hand, too many speculators." A few years ago it would have been "Real estate never goes down! Prices are going to the moon!"

Oh how times have changed.

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Anonymous

Sun, May 4, 08 at 12:01 AM

I've written several comments about the journlistic integrity of this article and none of them have been posted, yet some moron calling himself Krissh (comment 7) said incomes have tripled in ten years and you'll publish that? [Moderator's note: The rules of this forum are simple – don't curse, don't be racist, don't be sexist, and don't say anything about anyone that could be considered libelous – including employees of the newspaper. By all means, disagree with what's in the piece, but as is said over the comment posting box above… 'keep it clean.']

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Just Kidding

could somebody please post the above message on the spinmasters blog?

Thanks

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Just Kidding

Hi Blueskies,

I drove by the Rupert property listed by, retarded Aaron, of Chipman fame, and I noticed the” gorgeous Italian” house had a “new price”, sticker.

I ‘m banned from the Chipman blog, so could you ask him if the price change is for a price increase or decrease?

I would imagine that with the Olympic fever heading for a crescendo, and the fact this is the best place on earth, and we are running out of land, the price of that fine piece of architecture must have gone up.

What a stylish beauty !!!

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Mold City

Six months in a leaky condo When I bought a presale, I wanted to be wealthy That's the life for me, living by the sea Spirit of investor, condos are worth their weight in gold The lust of a speculator, will acknowledge no fear I remember you by, thunderclap in the sky Lightning flash, tempers flare, join the strata if you dare I just spent six months in a leaky condo All my equity is gone oh Vancouverite, rugged individual ignore the fundamentals, its the best place in the world The shouting of the bloggers, didn't stop the bubble here So why should it stop me, I'll go bankrupt but stay free Ah c'mon all you lads, lets forget and forgive I'd like to stay dry, but this building leaks like a sieve I just spent six months in a… Read more »

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blueskies

I have a feeling the market is going to take off like crazy.

just lie down until the feeling goes away…..

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Just Kidding

I have a feeling the market is going to take off like crazy.

Prices will increase single digit this year, and next, and as we get closer to the olympics, there will be a spurt of bidding wars.

Just kidding

I've posted this on Chipman's blog and he has banned the comment, has anyone else been banned?

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RJB

John,

I live in the West End and it really sucks. None of the old buildings are leaking so I never get to hear grinding and banging. It's so quiet and peaceful, I think I am really missing out on the fun.

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YLTNBoomerang

Oh the leaky fun! When I sold my first place in 2002 (I thought the market couldn't go up any more) I moved into my buddies wife's place that they couldn't sell after getting married (couldn't sell because it was under a tarp). The place was a 1 bdr, no den, about 900 sqft on 14th and Oak. they charged me $400/month as nobody would rent it in the semi-construction state. I stayed there a year until a pre-purchase townhouse I had completed then moved out (would have sold the townhouse but things kept going up???). Living in that place for $400/month was fine; paying market rent would not have been acceptable. The funniest thing about living there was the random construction workers I would wake up to looking in my window. I'm not very shy so I'd wave to… Read more »

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john

Living in a leaky condo is a dream lifestyle. This is especially true in Yaletown where all the rich asians live. The best part is being right where the action is. The sounds of nail guns and grinding are exactly what I like to live with.

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romeojordan

Mr.Market,

I know a similar realtor He/SHE medallion club….can't sell the spec property…000's of mtg payments per month but no income….

Sad state of affairs.

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VH

This is my first time – so if I've screwed up the link, sorry, but see rental rules below. This is from the BC Tenant Resource and Advocacy Centre. You may want to get in touch with them to clarify a specific situation but this is what it says: Breaking a lease If you need to break a lease, be aware that you may have to pay rent until your landlord rents the place out to someone else or until the term of your lease is over. This is what a lease means whether it is stated explicitly in the agreement or not. http://www.tenants.bc.ca/factsheets/TSG-web.htm#b… My experience with breaking a lease is that I had a fee (about $200 – 6 years ago) deducted from my damage deposit and the balance returned. I contacted the Tenants Resource Centre and they told… Read more »

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Mr. Market

The wave of foreclosure will begin this winter when people like my friends start loosing income and savings begin to dwindle.

This will be th winter of RE discontent.

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Mr. Market

The Vancouver real estate market is toast. I have realtor friends who's income's have dropped drastically because they are not selling anything. They also own a bunch of cashflow negative investment units that they cannot unload and that are now threatening to suck their savings as their current income is in free fall. They are worried about bankruptcy.

One guy has looks like he's lost 20 lbs over the summer due to worry.

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Bubble Lad

I think someone needs to look into the rental rules. I was of the understanding that all rental properties in Vancouver where on a month by month basis. I don't think you are actually under any legal obligation to honour anything else. It looks like more of a "gentleman's agreement" (pardon the gender bias).

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Lager not Logger

VHB, I suspect they would come after you for the lease – it would be a hassle, but they have the extra bills to worry about and a place that would be difficult to find tenants for. In remediation they'd probably get half the remaining lease back, but who knows?

I agree though, at least they don't owe an extra $100k!

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patriotz

Some people need a serious education on what can happen if we don’t handle this problem early.

"Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other."

Ben Franklin

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Bubble Lad

I would never buy a condo at ANY price in Vancouver. What a nightmare. You'd have to have rocks in your head!

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ted

Warren are you complaining about someone complaining?

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