Now that the kids are out of school, and the sun is out, maybe it's time to make a few changes around the house! Here's some ideas on what you can do over the summer (maybe even with the help of your kids) to spruce up the home a little!

Gardening and Landscaping

Let's start off with someting easy. The best way to spice up your house is to plant some new flowers, or trim that old tree in your back yard! Maybe you can eventually turn your back yard into a beautiful garden when you become an expert! 

Backyard Renovations

Now that the sun's out, you're going to be spending a lot more time outside, so it's a good idea to transform that backyard into a place that you want to be! Maybe add that fire pit, or install that swimming pool that you've always wanted! Now is the time to do so! 

Pressure Wash

This is probably one of the easiest things you can do to freshen up the look of your home! You can also do this easily without the help of a professional. Just take a day to do so, and I guarantee you that your home will look as good as new!

Paint the Exterior

Applying a fresh coat of paint to the exterior may not seem like much, but you will be surprised at how much it can do for the appearance of your home!

Let us know which one of these ideas you did, and how it went! We would love to see the before and after pictures! 

If you're somewhat familiar with real estate, then you must have heard of the term "assignments". But, do you know what that term means in the real estate world (No, they're not what your teacher assigns you in school). 

Assignment Definition

An assignment is a transaction between the assignor (the original buyer of the property) and the assignee (the new buyer of the property). The assignor and assignee enter a contract in which the assignee will take over the rights & obligations of the contract of purchase and sale. All this happens before the completion date of the intial sale. 

This is a legal, and legitimate practice in real estate. 

Despite this being a legal practice, the RECBC has developed requirements that must be followed to avoid abuse of assignment contracts. These requirements include: 

• The contract must not be assigned without the written consent of the original seller 
• The seller is entitled to any profit resulting from an assignment of the contract by the buyer or any subsequent assignee

Important Assignment Terms To Know

Lift: The lift is the balance of the assignment amount (Typically a positive number because property values appreciate over time). Essentially, it's what the assignor is getting paid by selling this assignment to the assignee. 

Assignment Fee: The developer commonly charges an assignment fee. This can be found in your original contract. You should also be aware that you may need developer approval before being able to assign your property. 

In conclusion, selling an assignment can be confusing, and is quite different from selling a regular property. This is why it's important to do your research before! 

As always, feel free to contact us if you're interested in buying/selling an assignment! We are here to help make your real estate journey as smooth as possible! 

Resources:

https://www.recbc.ca/licensee/contract-assignment-faq-2.html

The weather is looking sunny for the next coming weeks, which means PATIO SEASON is BACK!!

Here's some of our favourite Yaletown patios: 

The Parlour

Address: 1011 Hamilton St, Vancouver

Website: https://theparlourrestaurants.com/

Enjoy their handcrafted pizzas and have a nice cocktail on their chill patio.

Image Source: The Parlour Restaurants

Banter Room

Address: 1039 Mainland St, Vancouver

Website: https://www.banterroom.com/

Banter Room offers one of the most lively patios in Yaletown, with their extensive Happy Hour menu from 2-5PM everyday!

Image Source: Banter Room

Yaletown Brewing Co.

Address: 1111 Mainland St, Vancouver

Website: http://www.mjg.ca/yaletown/

If you're a beer lover, then you must know about Yaletown Brewing Co. Enjoy different beers, ales, IPAs... with their rotating taps. They're also open until late everyday!

Image Source: Yaletown Brewing Co.

Brix & Mortar

Address: 1138 Homer St & 1137 Hamilton St (Second entrance)

Website: https://www.brixandmortar.ca/

Feeling classy? Then don't miss out on this unique patio experience at Brix & Mortar, along with their wide variety of wines to choose from.They also have 30% off bottles of wine on Monday (<$100)!

Image Source: Brix & Mortar

Ancora

Address: 1600 Howe St, Vancouver

Website: https://www.ancoradining.com/

Enjoy fresh seafood made with a Japanese-Peruvian twist, and amazing cocktails on their waterfront patio overlooking Granville Island.

Image Source: Ancora

In the recent years, there has been a lot of talk about how Surrey is growing rapidly, and will soon have a larger population than the City of Vancouver!

According to recent statistics, the largest city in British Columbia is still Vancouver with approximately 672,963 followed by Surrey with 569,065 who is just ahead of Burnaby at 248,476. Surrey is also projected to introduce over 185,000 new jobs, and 400,00 new residents, along with their neighbour, Langley. 

Here's some reasons why Surrey is going to surpass Vancouver as the largest city in BC, and why you should (maybe) move there:

Skytrain Extension

Translink's new Surrey-Langley Skytrain Project (An extension of the Expo Line) stretches a total of 16km. The line is set to extend from Surrey's King George Station along the Fraser Highway and ending on 203 Street in Langley. 

With the new skytrain extension, it'll significantly reduce commute times for residents of Surrey & Langley, making those cities much more desirable places to live! 

Image Source: Translink

Major Residential Development

Surrey is undergoing major development in terms of residential buildings. From townhomes to sky-high condos, there's tons of new homes being built. Some current pre-sales include: Centra, The Holland, One Central, Townsend, and more! 

Image Source: VancouverPresales.com

Family Friendly

The Surrey School District has the largest student enrolment in BC, and is continuing to grow. It currently has 101 elementary schools, 20 secondary schools, 4 learning centres, and 3 adult education centres. Simon Fraser University (SFU) also has a Surrey campus, located right near Surrey Central Skytrain station.

Image Source: Surrey Schools

What do you think about Surrey? Would you make the move there? Let us know!

Resources:

https://surreylangleyskytrain.ca/

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/georgetown-surrey-bc-largest-city

https://vancouverpresales.com/property-location/surrey/

https://www.surreyschools.ca/K-12Schools/AlphabeticalSchoolList/Pages/default.aspx

There has been talk of a new ski resort project planned just North of Squamish on Brohm Ridge. Currently, the project is named Garibaldi at Squamish (GAS), but is yet to be renamed. 

"One Main Village is proposed, with hotels, restaurants and commercial spaces that will serve visitors and residents alike. Our priority is to ensure the needs of local families and businesses are considered during the design process"

- Rod MacLeod, Vice President Planning (GAS)

This $3.5 billion project recently released their master plan, which includes details regarding many environmental and economic issues that citizens may have. This project is set to promote long-term economic growth in Squamish, by creating 4029 new jobs for local citizens in the area. With this project in place, it'll accumulate tax revenues, and year-round tourism that further contribute to Squamish's economy. GAS will also be the only ski resort in British Columbia that attains an Enviromental Assessment Certificate to be one of the most environmentally-friendly resort. 

As of right now, the project still requires consultation from the District of Squamish on extending their jurisdictional boundaries, and also the provincial government's Mountain Resorts Branch to approve the use of public land for this project. This agreement stage is expected to last until 2020, which is then followed by preliminary planning/designs until 2022, and finally complete by 2025. 

A Resort Like Whistler?

The resort size is expected to be somewhere in the middle of North Shore ski hills, and Whistler Blackcomb, but at a much more affordable price than Whistler. They wish to achieve 1635 acres of skiable terrain, 131 trails, 21 lifts, 17,538 visitor capacity, and around 22,000 beds for accomodation by the year 2040. They wish to keep 80% of the land dedicated to green-space, leaving them undisturbed, or transformed into natural trails. 

As stated, they are currently still in the negotiation/discussion stage, where they really need the voices of BC residents heard. You can voice your opinion on this new project on their website by filling out their survey. 

Resources:

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/garibaldi-at-squamish-ski-resort-february-2019-project-update

https://www.garibaldiatsquamish.ca/

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/2019/02/12/ski-resort-garibaldi-squamish-five-years/