Village Incentives
Untimely mentioned at a time of increased global uncertainty, the Great Sweatered One Bob Rennie has unleashed a new salvo in his Millennium Water Village at False Creek marketing campaign:
We’re kicking off a brand new promotion tomorrow—an amazing move-in package of essentials for every buyer—it’s everything you’ll need for life at The Village!* The package includes:
- A hybrid bicycle – for your 5KM ride along the seawall to Stanley Park
- A portable BBQ – for Saturday’s BBQ with the in-law’s, on your balcony or at Hinge Park
- A one-year Aquabus ferry pass – for a last minute trip to Granville Island or Yaletown
- A single person kayak – get to know the neighbourhood sea life
- A year’s worth of one-zone Translink FareCards – the skytrain is only 5 minutes away
- A coffee per day for a year at Terra Breads Café – just downstairs
- A pair of running shoes – run the seawall in style
- A year’s worth of groceries from Urban Fare – an elevator ride away
- A year’s membership to Modo Car Co-op – for your day trip to Seattle
- A set of All-Clad cookware – for your Miele kitchen
Village at False Creek Incentives Picture August 2011
Come and visit us at the sales centre for your pricing, floorplans, and full details on our new promotion! We’re open daily 12-5PM, closed Fridays or by appointment at 1693 Manitoba Street at 1st Avenue.*Homeowner may choose this package OR cash value of $5,000. Photos are representational only, actual prizes may not be exactly as shown. Ernst & Young Inc. reserves the right to end this promotionat any time without notice. For more details please speak with a sales representative from The Village on False Creek.
Untimely, too, since more uncertainty surrounding the removal of the maligned HST won’t help matters on higher-priced properties. This blogger is also a taxpayer and wishes Mr. Rennie all the best in recouping my money, but man we ain’t making it easy for the poor fellow, are we!
$5,000 sounds nice but seeing all the great stuff $5,000 buys, it kind of puts spending $750,000 $745,000 into perspective. As a bit of inspiration when you’re feeling down, I offer Mr. Rennie a quote from a Realtor operating in Southern California: “It’s nothing a lower price can’t fix.”
A City Obsessed – “I can’t remember the last time I went out with friends and real estate didn’t come up. Don’t we have anything else to talk about?” | Vancouver Real Estate Anecdote Archive Says:
September 4th, 2011 at 7:41 am
[...] “I was at the grocery store and ran into someone I hadn’t seen in several years. We caught up for about 90 seconds about work and kids and what neighbourhood she was living in and then (totally unsolicited) the person started going into defense mode why she was renting. I told her that I was also renting and that I thought it was going to be the correct solution in the medium term. What struck me was how quickly the emotions as well as the topic of home ownership came up in the conversation. Real estate is top of mind for everyone in this town ALL the time, whether you’re a bull or a bear.” – buffates at vancouvercondo.info 1 Sept 2011 6:46am [...]
“Several bears I know that were sitting on the sidelines have finally thrown in the towel and bought in the past couple of months.” | Vancouver Real Estate Anecdote Archive Says:
September 1st, 2011 at 5:20 pm
[...] “Several bears I know that were sitting on the sidelines have finally thrown in the towel and bought in the past couple of months. Perhaps a contrarian indicator that a top is near?” – Troll at vancouvercondo.info, 31 Aug 2011 11:25am [...]
September 1st, 2011 at 4:07 am
@Anonymouse Says:
"Probably the same as it did last year?"
Well yeah sure, but you have to take into account rising food and gas costs, continuing negative savings rate, and of course higher housing costs
All with stagnant wages.
There is a point when somethings gotta give.
September 1st, 2011 at 1:46 am
New thread. I'll copy a link to that Globe and Mail piece. And what a piece it is!
September 1st, 2011 at 1:01 am
@pricedoutfornow:
I digress, before you all jump on me on the rent vs buy argument. ;p I should say, nobody can afford to buy a house in these cities, which of course, is a completely different matter altogether than just "living".
September 1st, 2011 at 12:58 am
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/opin…
Silly surveys. "Livable" apparently means "unaffordable". It's strangely ironic that no average person can afford to live in these "livable" cities.
August 31st, 2011 at 11:23 pm
"We are obsessed, as a city. "
I agree, especially when I remember my previous life, in European cities: the topic was never ever mentioned, or just a brief sentence like: "I just bought a HOME."
August 31st, 2011 at 11:15 pm
@buffates:
"Real estate is top of mind for everyone in this town ALL the time, whether you’re a bull or a bear"
We are obsessed, as a city. I can't remember the last time I went out with friends and real estate didn't come up in some way, in the conversation. Odd, isn't it? Don't we have anything else to talk about?
August 31st, 2011 at 10:46 pm
Little anecdote for everyone from yesterday…I was at the grocery store and ran into someone I hadn't seen in several years. We caught up for about 90 seconds about work and kids and what neighbourhood she was living in and then (totally unsolicited) the person started going into defense mode why she was renting. I told her that I was also renting and that I thought it was going to be the correct solution in the medium term. What struck me was how quickly the emotions as well as the topic of home ownership came up in the conversation. Real estate is top of mind for everyone in this town ALL the time, whether you're a bull or a bear.
August 31st, 2011 at 8:08 pm
54 "court-ordered sales" and 27 "foreclosure" in MLS listings sounds like a significant number for lower mainland?
Some examples
V889006 – $969,900 @ Hampton Place (UBC)
F1119982 – $2.75M mansion in Langley
F2913662 – $9.9M 165 acre "future development site" in Abbotsford
http://www.ecorealtyinc.ca/search?q=court+ordered…
August 31st, 2011 at 4:41 pm
@paradox: Because the 5 year bond is now at 1.6%. I guess that's the "risk premium". Of course, Vancouver properties have consistently returned 10-20%, even in crappy years. It puts Bernie Madoff to shame.
August 31st, 2011 at 1:00 pm
@paradox: Because it always goes up.
August 31st, 2011 at 12:40 pm
How crazy can it get?
Apartment building in Vancouver with 2.2% cap rate…
http://goodmanreport.com/Admin/Getfile.asp?ID=757
Why on earth would someone invest at 2.2% on an apartment building with overly optimistic assumptions (a more conservative approach to vacancy and expenses would give a cap rate below 2%) instead of just buying a 5 year government bond?
August 31st, 2011 at 12:30 pm
@Best place on meth: "Sell/list was 51% this August and 59% last August"
Listings were strong, up about 26% YOY. Maybe it has something to do with the crazy-a$$ prices. Just a hunch.
August 31st, 2011 at 12:10 pm
Fun fact of the day:
The provincial govt "collected $4.4 million from B.C.'s 60 school districts, to compensate for (carbon) emissions that mostly come from school buildings."
No mention of how many bureaucrats were required to shuffle taxpayers' money from one branch of govt to another.