BC Home Sales Edge Lower in MayVancouver, BC – June 15, 2011.
The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) residential unit sales in the province edged down one per cent to 7,857 units in May compared to the same month last year.
The average MLS® residential price climbed 20 per cent to $596,872 last month compared to May 2010.“Tighter mortgage rules, tepid employment growth and advance buying during the first quarter kept BC home sales on a lower note in May,” said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist. “However, recent downward pressure on mortgage interest rates is expected to provide some incentive to consumers over the summer months.”
Year-to-date, BC residential sales dollar volume increased 15 per cent to $20.1 billion, compared to the same period last year. Residential unit sales edged back one per cent to 34,191 units, while the average MLS® residential price rose 16.5 per cent to$588,857 over the same period.
*Courtesy of BCREA
This spring it was my great pleasure to have participated on the planning committee of Art Attire 2011. The wearable art fashion show was a fundraiser for the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Providing local textiles and fabric artists the opportunity to showcase their amazing work at the gallery. The show was SPECTACULAR!
Now in its second year the event highlights the talents and creativity of local artists and designers.
Thank you to all the artists and volunteers who made this evening a great success and to Jen Steele Photography for taking amazing photos of the night!
There are a variety of rating systems available to eco-consious buyers, here is a quick list with definitions, and links:
1. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and was originally designed for commercial buildings, but is now used for residential energy rating as well. LEED Canada for Homes is the body “that promotes the design and construction of high-performance green homes”. Builders earn points that represent the style of construction used, and the ongoing use of the home after completion. Depending on the level of points earned a home is rated as LEED Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum (highest rating available). This rating can be both costly and time consuming to achieve, but is a great representation of a home’s actual impact on the environment.
2. EnerGuide Rating System is a ”standard measure of your home’s energy performance. It shows exactly how energy efficient your home is” (Natural Resource Canada). A home’s energy efficiency level is rated somewhere between 0-100, and the rating of 100 represents a fully airtight and well insulated home. This rating system measures how much power a home uses.
(Chart courtesy of Natural Resource Canada Website)
3. ENERGY STAR home has an EnerGuide rating of 80 or better and typically contains ENERGY STAR products throughout the home. ENERGY STAR for New Homes initiative promotes guidelines that builders can use to construct energy efficient new homes. ENERGY STAR for New Homes uses the same logo as the familiar labeling program for appliances and electronics and is a quick way to judge whether a home is energy efficient or not.
4. BuiltGreen™ is a third party certified home rating system and the EnerGuide Rating System is part of the certification process. This certification process is used in Alberta, BC and Ontario. Built Green Certification is less expensive and time consuming than LEED certification and this is a more common designation for homes in Victoria to have, but also promoting the use of resource-efficient, environmentally friendly, construction practices and products.
4. R2000 is a voluntary energy efficiency standard for new house. Is was developed by Natural Resources Canada in cooperation with Canadian home-building professionals and the housing industry and has existed since the early 1980s. This system not only considers the energy usage of the home, but the indoor air quality of the property.
5. Power Smart New Home is a BC Hydro program that “supports the nationally accepted EnerGuide rating systems by providing financial incentives and cooperative marketing to new residential home construction. A Power Smart home, will enjoy increased comfort and decreased operating costs for the lifetime of the home and will be a good selling feature in the future”. (BC Hydro Website)
For more information or details on how these ratings affect the market value of a home please contact us.
Home for the Honeymoon is an international wedding registry that allows couples to register for a down payment on a purchase towards a new home.
Home for the Honeymoon is launching a new blog that will not only feature professional and sound home purchasing advice from highly experienced Realtors, but also wedding musings and inspiration tips as well as real wedding documentation and discussion.
In honour of the blog launch, Home for the Honeymoon has set a goal to reach 1,000 “likes” on Facebook and we really need your help!
You and your honey could win a free cruise!
All you have to do is send Home for the Honeymoon a picture of you and your bride or groom with a short blurb on why the two of you deserve a free honeymoon, as well as “like” us on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/HomefortheHoneymoon) by July 1st!
Please send all entries via email to info@HomefortheHoneymoon.com.
Contest ends July 10th!
Home for the Honeymoon stipulates that 2 individuals will win the cruise – Port fees are not included. This contest is only valid in North America. Home for the Honeymoon reserves the right to use all contest entries on promotional media with contestant’s consent.
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