Archive for the ‘Holiday’ Category

Hypey Valentines Day!

Thursday, February 14th, 2013

A few random tidbits today:

First off we’re right up around 15,000 listings for sale and we’re not even half way through the month. According to numbers from inventory we’re at 15,007 but Paulb’s numbers show 14,993.

So today will either be a record breaking sales day or we’ll get nudged over the 15k mark no matter how you count it.

If you’re the sort that just can’t wait, VHB is hosting a 15k party over at the Vancouver Peak now.

In other news earlier this week the question was “hey, isn’t that supposed foreign buyer on the evening news a local condo marketing employee?”

Turns out the answer is yes, according to Village Whisperer.

Over on the MAC Marketing Facebook page a CBC reporter is asking for clarification on this issue.

Matthew Black I was the CBC reporter on this story and feel some clarification is in order:

*Can you confirm that Amanda is the employee you refer to in the post above?
*Is Chris Lee (from the TV pieces) actually Amanda Lee’s sister?
*Is Chris Lee a genuine prospective buyer from China, or, is she also a MAC employee?

I trust you still have my contact information…

Posted in data, Holiday, hype, supply | 148 Comments »

Buy a house, get residency

Monday, January 21st, 2013

Spain is the latest real estate bubble country to consider giving extra residency privileges to foreigners who buy property.

If they go ahead with this plan they would join Portugal, Hungary and Ireland.

Greece is also considering a similar measure.

The Spanish proposal is the cheapest so far, requiring only a $200k real estate purchase:

The Spanish government is considering offering residency to foreigners who buy property worth about $200,000 or more. With discounts as deep as 50% along the Mediterranean, a 1,100-square-foot three-bedroom beachfront apartment in Alicante goes for $130,000. Or how about a 1,200-square-foot four-bedroom with a view of Barcelona’s skyline for $175,000? A few miles inland, a two-bedroom house goes for $90,000.

The idea is to attract buyers for an estimated 700,000 empty homes scattered across Spain’s landscape, the remnants of the nation’s dramatic housing boom-and-bust. The offer is aimed at Chinese, Russians and Americans, who are usually limited to a three-month tourist visa in most parts of Europe.

Full article in the LA Times.

Posted in debt, economy, Europe, Holiday, prices | 80 Comments »

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