Went to play "go fish" this evening and to my surprise found the most surprising yet funky, tastefully infused delightful morsels of succulent seafood...amongst entrancing stylish beats..but beware, do not be fooled by the basic blue tables and cafeteria glasses combined with the initial feeling of Ivar's seafood house. The must have appetizer is the "go fish picnic" which is a combination of a seafood charcuterie with warm classic fry bread combined with a dill creme fraiche and hawaiian rock sea salt. Located on Broadway near Granville, replacing the infamous Bin 941, you must not miss out on this opportunity to have gourmet fish and chips whilst enjoying tantalizing music. Go Fish is a new-ish seafood restaurant replacing the long standing Bin 942 on West Broadway. They also have a location down on Fisherman's Wharf just west of Granville Island. Located at 1521 West Broadway, a great spot for lunch or dinner...check it out! Everything is fresh and tasty! Chef/Proprietor Gord Martin is the creator and founder of not only all the dishes but also the art! And to top it off he is super friendly and a great guy!

2ND ANNUAL PUMPKIN GIVEAWAY AT CENTURY 21 YALETOWN!!

It's that time of year again! Century 21' in Yaletown's 2nd annual pumpkin giveaway! Come down to our office this Saturday October 22, 2011 and pick out  YOUR pumpkin!   Our First annual PUMPKIN give away was a success, better than we hoped for...What a great feeling too!

It all started with an idea from our "Social Committee" that we should put some effort in a community Easter Seals event, hence the Pumpkin give away.  And of course a soft spot for some of us who were fortunate enough to go and have a tour of the camp located in Squamish and meet the kids...this camp for disabled children is so well organized and the kids look forward to it all year!  It was so amazing to see the joy in their faces!  

So needless to say, before you know it we had SIX boxes of pumpkins delivered to our office on a Sunday morning, the day of the event!  We started out by putting out balloons, signs, tables, cookies, coffee and hot chocolate.  All in all it was a GREAT time and we raised $1,102.00 Thank you to all the people who came by and took a Pumpkin and made a donation to the Easter Seals "Send a Kid to Camp". It means the world to us and of course, it's the kids that are the true winners!

Please join us again for this years event and help us make it even more successful than the last! Bring your family, friends, kids, dogs, everyone is welcome!  We will be there from 12-5 at our Yaletown location 421 Pacific St.  Help us send a kid to camp! 

Hope to see you there!

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR BALCONY:

Just because you don’t have a backyard, doesn’t mean that you can’t make the most of your outdoor living space. If you have a balcony, regardless of the size, you can turn it into a tranquil oasis where you will want to spend time. The first thing you need to do is evaluate the space you’re working with and decide what you will most likely do out there. If you think you’ll eat or need a place to write or do crafts, etc., then a small table and chairs would be ideal. On the other hand, if this is just a place you’d like to escape to relax or read a good book, a comfortable chair is probably the most important feature.

Furniture – If your balcony is like most, it’s probably not giving you a lot of square footage to work with. A bistro table will fit nicely or if you prefer a comfortable lounge chair, hanging hammock chair or something of this nature and then just add a side table to set your beverage on.

Lighting – Most balconies have an outlet outside where you can plug a nice decorative light in. However, if this isn’t an option, there are plenty of solar lights that will soak up the sun’s rays during the day and then provide you with some lighting at night. Some even have motion detectors so they aren’t glowing all night.

Rug – That hard concrete probably isn’t too inviting. Fortunately, there are a multitude of gorgeous outdoor rugs in every color, pattern and size for you to choose from.

Decor – Many people simply neglect to bring any kind of decor to their balcony for whatever reason. There are outdoor canvases that are treated to stand up against elements, garden statues and wind chimes that will work well in this space. A water feature is always an added bonus to provide a soothing atmosphere and some of these are solar powered as well. Additionally, a small biofuel fireplace is the perfect addition to any outdoor space. They are environmentally-friendly and will provide ambiance and warmth on those cooler evenings. The best thing about these is that they’re portable so you can take them inside when you go in for the evening.

Plants – No balcony is complete without plants or flowers. Corner plant stands gives you a place to really stack quite a few containers or you can hang them with hooks from the balcony above you. Most balconies have some type of railing so you can always make use of these and attach planters that are designed for this purpose. You can even grow your own vegetables if you want! Even a small balcony can become a place to escape! Bring personality to your outdoor space but be sure not to overdo it. Too many items could make it cluttered and then it won’t be nearly as relaxing.

Introducing Yaletown’s newest luxury residential tower, the Beasley will be ready for occupancy mid October.  Offering 211 condominum residences including an exclusive three homes per floor on the top four floors, the Beasley spans 33 stories.

The Beasley is a collection of Vancouver condos bordering on Yaletown and Robson Street.  This sustainable building was built as a tribute to Larry Beasley who was the Director of Planning at Vancouver’s City Hall. The single tower is located at 888 Homer and contains not only amazing homes but amenities that take Vancouver living to another level.  .

The developer behind the Beasley is Amacon, which in the past has brought to life many projects. Amacon’s portfolio of architecturally beautiful buildings is impressive!

And here’s a Yaletown first and the best part about the Beasley! If you have a dog, you and your pup will love the building as it has Vancouver’s first dog walk and wash area!  Part of the eighth floor garden terrace at the Beasley Condominiums in Yaletown will be a 60-foot dog run surrounded by park benches where home owners can hang out as their four footed companions romp and play together. You’ll find patios like this everywhere in New York and San Francisco.  This feature is indicative of downtown Vancouver’s success as being one of the top most livable cities in the world!

As for the rest of the amenities, the Beasley has a gym, a library, a meeting room and a party room.

Are you ready to start living YOUR Yaletown lifestyle?? Contact your Yaletown Lifestyle Realtor for more details!

CONDO ASSIGNMENTS FOR SALE

EXAMPLE
A Buyer just bought a new Condo. The Builder has given the Buyer the RIGHT TO ASSIGN the unit (sell the agreement) to another Buyer. This may happen for various reasons:

• Buyer must sell
• Buyer wishes to take out equity
• Property appreciated and Buyer wishes to re-invest appreciation 
• Market outlook looks bad

Many have taken advantage of the 'good times' and have been 'flipping condos' for investment purposes. Many clients have bought over and over only to be MORTGAGE FREE today.

It is an art to flip condos before they are built. This form of investment is not for the faint-of-heart. You need a knowledgeable real estate agent with financing capabilities to get into the game.

CONDO MARKET OUTLOOK - INDICATORS
Vancouver's Real Estate market appears to be able to hold and re-sell the units at least up to 2011.

• Vancouver's condo market is being fueled by wealthy young professionals
• They do not wish to travel hours to work
• They are usually single or maybe couples
• Many buyers are retired and love the downtown living
• Vancouver's downtown core is revitalizing and becoming more vibrant and fun
• Vancouver 's economy is stronger than ever and will continue to attract people wanting to live in  Vancouver

TIPS & TRICKS

• Not all Builders allow assignment sales. Find out if the builder allows for assignment sales before you purchase. Find out if they are giving a discount
• You may sell your unit at a higher price! Consult with a New Condo Specialist, like our team, for accurate pricing
• The Assignment Fee can be negotiated and passed to the Buyer! Work with A Tough Negotiator
• List your property with a Condo Assignment site, where your unit's visibility is GUARANTEED
• Buy Your units early to save on Assignment Fees and to Maximize Your Benefit

I received this information today from a friend/mortgage
specialist so I thought I would pass it on :)
 

I wanted to pass along this article that I read on
Canadian Mortgage Trends:
 
http://tinyurl.com/3keecd9

Given the recent events in the U.S it looks like the
stage has been set for low interest rates for a very
long time.  There is talk that the bank of Canada
may even cut the prime lending rate which is a
180 degree change in rate views.  "100% probability
of a rate cut by year-end."  With bond yields low and
talk of fixed rates coming down even more, now is
a great time to buy.  If you're working with clients that
need to be pre-approved, please let me know.
 
Regards,

Jessica Williams
Scotiabank Mortgage Specialist
T: 778-288-1511
F: 1-877-498-2728

Jessica.williams@scotiabank.com