Thursday, May 10, 2012 23 Cheapest Homes (on the Market) on the West Sideby Ben Chimes on Thu, May, 10, 2012 09:37 PM The Vancouver Sun posted a piece today of the 23 Cheapest Houses currently on the Market in Vancouver West. There isn't too much information, but feel free to cross reference the listings with LiveKitsilano.com or Realtor.ca.
There quite a variety in location around Vancouver West, but quality of listings isn't great (granted these are the "cheapest" listings). Turn on your imagination and think about what it could be!
http://www.vancouversun.com/Vancouver+real+estate+cheapest+homes+market+West+Side/6599393/story.html
Thursday, March 1, 2012 No Frills Now Open on 4th Ave!by Ben Chimes on Thu, Mar, 1, 2012 04:23 PM
No Frills, a discount grocer owned by Loblaws, has just opened a store in Kitsilano - Alfie's No Frills! With the very basic in store design and amenities (i.e. no bakery, no butcher, no free bags, simple shelving, etc.) this store is able to keep prices lower than most other chains.
It is located at 1680 West 4th Ave, in between Pine and Fir street (near the Granville Street Bridge).
Drop by soon as they are currently running a “Won’t Be Beat” low price campaign. If you find a lower price anywhere in the city, they guarantee to match or beat the price on any item.
Visit their website: Alfie's No Frills
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 New Development coming to 4th and Macdonald: KitsWestby Ben Chimes on Tue, Feb, 21, 2012 12:55 PM If you're looking to live in Kitsilano, here is another new development located at a prime location: 4th and Macdonald, only a few blocks to Kits Beach, and shopping on both 4th Ave and Broadway. This new condominium development by Redekop Kroeker Development will have 50 units in 4 stories. Offering Bachelors to two-bedroom and den homes, each suite will incorporate modern living, with generous patios, enclosed balconies and both a parking space and storage locker.
The condo is in the early stages of development, so no floor plans have been released, however, you can visit the website to Register, KitsWest.com.
Monday, February 13, 2012 New Condo Developments in Kitsilano!by Ben Chimes on Mon, Feb, 13, 2012 06:30 PM There are a few Condo Developments nearing completion in Kits, so we thought we would feature them here! As always, if any of these piqued your interest or if you have any questions, please ask!
Pinnacle Living on Broadway
Located at 2080 West Broadway (at Maple St), this 7 level mid rise should be completed by Summer/Fall of 2012! The concrete construction building has 134 one or two bedroom homes. In suite laundry, air conditioning, gourmet kitchens and upscale bathrooms in each apartment, with further ammenities depending on the suite. All residents may enjoy the fitness centre, recreation room, green spaces/rooftop deck, garden plots and daycare with children's play areas.
There is also 20,000 sq ft of retail space available in the building.
Pick your favourite floor plan here http://www.broadwayliving.ca/pdf/floorplans.pdf or view Developers website http://www.broadwayliving.ca/ for more information.
Kits360
Located at 1777 West 7th Ave (at Burrard St), this new Condo Development is steps from shopping and restaurants on 4th Avenue or West Broadway, a quick ride downtown over the Burrard Street Bridge, and minutes from Granville Island and the seawall. The interiors of each suite come in either Graphite, Zebra or Red colour palettes, featuring green design elements in the modern kitchens and bathrooms, in suite washer/dryers and open layouts. This building has some of the best East to West views in Kitsilano. Further amenities include 2 fully equipped fitness centres, rooftop terrace with garden, lounge and kitchen areas, 24 hour concierge and secure underground parking and bike storage.
6th and Fir
A new development by Magnum Projects at 1569 West 6th Ave (at Fir St). It is a 15 level glass and concrete building, with 46 units, to be finished in 2013. The suites feature open concept living with gourmet kitchen, modern bathroom and in suite washer/dryer, designed with LEED measures. A Y Yoga with Sauna Room is on site and is available to use with an annual membership. The building also features an exercise centre, secured storage, garden, and playground. This building was developed by Westbank, which also developed Living Shangri-La, the Fairmont Pacific Rim and the redevelopment of Woodward's.
Visit http://6andfir.com/ for more information and floorplans.
Thursday, June 9, 2011 Kitsilano loft renovation - Part IIby Ben Chimes on Thu, Jun, 9, 2011 07:37 PM Ok, it is time to unveil part II of our Kitsilano loft renovation project. If you missed part I, check out the link here: http://livekitsilano.com/blog.html/kitsilano-loft-renovation---part-i-1258636
After a few minor delays on things most people, aside from myself, would even notice, the loft renovation is close enough to done that I'm willing to invite people over again. Which means it is time for photos. First off is the finished breakfast bar. The pot lighting really lights up the space and makes the breakfast bar the highlight of the kitchen. This was, of course, the goal for a guy who loves to entertain but rarely cooks. The last minute addition of the wall mounted wine rack added a nice touch. There was also some debate as to whether 3 or 4 stool were appropriate. We ended up going with three to keep the space less cluttered and give me more to work at an area that often doubles as my home office. (as you can see here).
One of the very last decisions made on this reno was what to do with the backsplash. After exploring a variety of dramatic and adventurous options, such as painted glass, stainless steel and vinyl prints, we ended up going with something under-stated and simple. It is a textured 12" X 24" with a series of grey variations. The benefit of it is that it pulls the silver out of the counter tops, the 'steel' out of the appliances, the dark grey from the base cabinets and even draws in some tones from the natural stone fireplace. Wasn't at all what we initially envisioned, but fairly happy with it at the end of the day.
In this photo, you will also notice some of the appliance selections... A slide- in range keeps the the minimalist look, while the counter depth flat-front Fisher-Paykel is a fantastic option for condos when you don't want to fridge to dominate the kitchen.
And lastly, a look outwards toward the living... the whole reason behind this reno. With vast more light coming through and a much more social floorplan, removing that wall was the best decision would could have made. The dual drawer Fisher-Paykel dishwasher is a crowd-pleaser for guests and is immensely quiet... so much so that you don't even notice it is on while carrying on a conversation in the kitchen. And a little wall mounted quote from one of my favourites, Frank Sinatra, puts the finishing touch on the space ;-)
If you have any questions or comments about the reno, I would love to hear from you. And up next? I'm thinking a floating glass railing would look awfully good with this kitchen!
Thursday, June 2, 2011 Kitsilano loft renovation - Part Iby Ben Chimes on Thu, Jun, 2, 2011 06:22 PM One of us here at LiveKitsilano (we won't mention who) is in the process of renovating the kitchen of their Kitsilano loft. We decided to share some photos and stories of the process. For a little background, this was purchased at the end of last year and the owner moved in Mid-January. The original plan was to do some minor updates throughout the suite, including some cosmetic updates and new appliances in the kitchen. After a rather large and entertaining housewarming party, the owner decided that the original galley style kitchen would simple not suit his love of entertaining and a wall need to come down. What started as a cosmetic update turned into an entire overhaul...
Let's start with the before pictures. As you can see, the original was dated, boring and entirely not fun...
 
And this is the wall that is about to get hacked apart...
Being that the motivation was to make the kitchen better for entertaining, the first thing that needed to happen was to open the kitchen up to the living area. This was the fun part. Nothing relieves stress quite like taking a sledge hammer to drywall.
Once the wall was opened up to confirm it was not load bearing, it was time for the real demolition...
  
So much more spacious! And now time to start putting it back together... The design style is aimed at modernizing the condo, without completely sacrificing the retro elements of the home, which are the vaulted cedar ceilings and stone fireplace. To keep costs down, IKEA cabinets were selected... at a cost of $3100, it is a no-brainer compared to quotes of $11,000 - 14,000 for custom cabinetry... and combined with high-end appliances and quality counter-tops, they still look great.
 
 
As part of the renovation involved removing the wall that the television was mounted on, we also needed to find a new placement for it. Originally we discussed pulling down the stone fireplace and doing something more modern... but ultimately decided to see if we could find a work around that would keep the stone in tact and ensure that any cables were invisible. Here is what we came up with:
The finishing drywall is getting completed this week and countertops are being installed this Friday. The pot lights are going in over the weekend and the shelving beside the fireplace will be re-built. Stay tuned for part II of the reno... the finished product... with luck it should be early next week!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011 Top 25 Grants and Rebates for Property Buyers and Ownersby Ben Chimes on Wed, Mar, 23, 2011 06:39 PM Interesting article from the Vancouver Sun
1 HOME BUYERS' PLAN
Qualifying home buyers can withdraw up to $25,000 (couples can withdraw up to $50,000) from their RRSPs for a down payment. Home buyers who have repaid their RRSP may be eligible to use the program a second time. For more information: www.cra.gc.ca. Enter 'Home Buyers' Plan' in the search box.
2 GST REBATE ON NEW HOMES
New home buyers can apply for a rebate of the federal portion of the HST (the 5% GST) if the purchase price is less than $350,000. The rebate is up to 36% of the GST to a maximum rebate of $6,300. There is a proportional GST rebate for new homes costing between $350,000 and $450,000. For more information: Canada Revenue Agency www.cra-arc. gc.ca. Enter 'RC4028' in the search box.
3 BC NEW HOUSING REBATE (HST)
Buyers of new or substantially renovated homes priced up to $525,000 are eligible for a rebate of 71.43% of the provincial portion (7%) of the 12% HST paid to a maximum rebate of $26,250. Homes priced at $525,000+ are eligible for a flat rebate of $26,250. For more information: www.hstinbc.ca/making_your_choice/ faqs/new_housing_rebate/
4 BC NEW RENTAL HOUSING REBATE (HST)
Landlords buying new or substantially renovated homes are eligible for a rebate of 71.43% of the provincial portion of the HST, up to $26,250 per unit. www.hstinbc.ca/making_your_choice/ faqs/new_housing_rebate/
5 BC PROPERTY TRANSFER TAX (PTT) FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS' PROGRAM
Qualifying first-time buyers may be exempt from paying the PTT of 1% on the first $200,000 and 2% on the remainder of the purchase price of a home priced up to $425,000. There is a proportional exemption for homes priced up to $450,000. For more information: www.rev.gov. bc.ca/rpt
FIRST-TIME HOME BUYERS' TAX CREDIT (HBTC)
This federal non-refundable income tax credit is for qualifying buyers of detached, attached, apartment condominiums, mobile homes or shares in a cooperative housing corporation. The calculation: multiply the lowest personal income tax rate for the year (15% in 2010) x $5,000. For the 2010 tax year, the maximum credit is $750. For more information: www.cra.gc.ca/hbtc
7 BC HOME OWNER GRANT
Reduces school property taxes by up to $570 on properties with an assessed value up to $1,150,000. For 2011, the basic grant is reduced by $5 for each $1,000 of value over $1,150,000, and eliminated on homes assessed at $1,264,000. An additional grant reduces property tax by a further $275 for a total of $845 for seniors, veterans and the disabled. This is reduced by $5 for each $1,000 of assessed value over $1,150,000 and eliminated on homes assessed at $1,319,000+. For more information: www.rev.gov.bc.ca
8 BC PROPERTY TAX DEFERMENT PROGRAMS
Property Tax Deferment Program for Seniors. Qualifying home owners aged 55+ may be eligible to defer property taxes. Financial Hardship Property Tax Deferment Program. Qualifying low-income home owners may be eligible to defer property taxes. Property Tax Deferment Program for Families with Children. Qualifying low income home owners who financially support children under age 18 may be eligible to defer property taxes. For more information: www.sbr.gov.bc.ca and enter 'Property tax deferment' in the search box or contact your municipal tax office.
9 CANADA MORTGAGE AND HOUSING (CMHC) RESIDENTIAL REHABILITATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (RRAP) GRANTS.
This federal program provides financial aid to qualifying low-income home owners to repair substandard housing. Eligible repairs include heating, structural, electrical, plumbing and fire safety. Grants are available for seniors, persons with disabilities, owners of rental properties and owners creating secondary and garden suites. For more information: www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/prfinas/ prfinas_001.cfm
10 CMHC MORTGAGE LOAN INSURANCE PREMIUM REFUND
Provides home buyers with CMHC mortgage insurance, a 10% premium refund and possible extended amortization without surcharge when buyers purchase an energy efficient mortgage or make energy saving renovations. For more information: www.cmhc.ca/en/co/ moloin/moloin_008.cfm#reno
11 ENERGY SAVING MORTGAGES
Financial institutions offer a range of mortgages to home buyers and owners who make their homes more energy efficient. For example, home owners who have a home energy audit within 90 days of receiving an RBC Energy SaverT Mortgage, may qualify for a rebate of $300 to their RBC account. For more information: www.rbcroyalbank.com/products/mortgages/energy-saver-mortgage.html
12 LOW INTEREST RENOVATION LOANS
Financial institutions offer 'green' loans for home owners making energy efficient upgrades. Vancity's Bright Ideas personal loan offers home owners up to $20,000 at prime + 1% for up to 10 years for 'green' renovations. RBC's Energy Saver loan offers 1% off the interest rate for a fixed rate installment loan over $5,000 or a $100 renovation on a home energy audit on a fixed rate installment loan over $5,000. For information visit your financial institution or go to : www.vancity.com/Loans/BrightIdeas/ or www.rbcroyalbank.com/ and in the search box enter 'energy saver loan'.
13 LIVESMART BC: EFFICIENCY INCENTIVE PROGRAM
Home owners improving the energy efficiency of their homes may qualify for cash incentives through this provincial program provided in partnership with Terasen Gas, BC Hydro, and FortisBC. Rebates are for energy efficient products which replace gas and oil furnaces, pumps, water heaters, wood stoves, insulation, windows, doors, skylights and more. The LiveSmart BC program also covers $150 of the cost of a home energy assessment, directly to the service provider. For more information: www. livesmartbc.ca/rebates
14 BC RESIDENTIAL ENERGY CREDIT
Home owners and residential landlords buying heating fuel receive a BC government point-of-sale rebate on utility bills equal to the provincial component of the HST. For more information: www.sbr.gov. bc.ca/documents_library/notices/HST_ Notice_010.pdf
15 BC HYDRO APPLIANCE REBATES
Mail-in rebates of $25 - $50 for purchasers of ENERGY STAR clothes washers, refrigerators, dishwashers, or freezers until March 31, 2011, or when funding for the program is exhausted. For more information: www.bchydro.com/rebates_savings/appliance_rebates.html
16 BC HYDRO FRIDGE BUY-BACK PROGRAM
This ongoing program rebates BC Hydro customers $30 to turn in spare fridges in working condition. For more information: www.bchydro.com/rebates_savings/ fridge_buy_back.html
17 BC HYDRO WINDOWS REBATE PROGRAM
Pay no HST when you buy ENERGY STAR high-performance windows and doors. This offer is available until March 31, 2011. For more information: www.bchydro. com/rebates_savings/windows_offers/ current_offers.html
18 BC HYDRO MAIL-IN REBATES/ SAVINGS COUPONS
To save energy, BC Hydro offers rebates including 10% off an ENERGY STAR cordless phone. Check for new offers and for deadlines. For more information: www. bchydro.com/rebates_savings/coupons. html
19 TERASEN GAS REBATE PROGRAM
A range of rebates for home owners include a $50 rebate for upgrading a water heater, $150 rebate on an Ener-Choice fireplace (both good to March 31, 2011) and a $1,000 rebate for switching to natural gas (from oil or propane) and installing an ENERGY STAR heating system (good to Feb. 29, 2012). For more information: www.terasengas.com and in the search box enter 'rebates'.
20 TERASEN GAS EFFICIENT BOILER PROGRAM
For commercial buildings, provides a cash rebate of up to 75% of the purchase price of an energy efficient boiler, for new construction or retrofits. For more information: www.terasengas.com and in the search box enter 'gas efficient boiler program'.
21 CITY OF VANCOUVER SOLAR HOMES PILOT
This rebate of $3,000 (about 50% of the cost) is for a Vancouver home owner upgrading to a solar hot water system from a gas system. Offered by the City of Vancouver, SolarBC, Terasen Gas and Offsetters on a first come, first served basis to March 2011 until the City reaches its target of 30 solar homes. For more information: www.vancouver.ca/sustainability/SolarHomes.htm
22 CITY OF VANCOUVER RAIN BARREL SUBSIDY PROGRAM
The City of Vancouver provides a subsidy of 50% of the cost of a rain barrel for Vancouver residents. With the subsidy, the rain barrel costs $75. Buy your rain barrel at the Transfer Station at 377 W. North Kent Ave., Vancouver, BC. Limit of two per resident. Bring proof of residency. For more information: www.vancouver. ca and in the search box enter 'rain barrel program.' Other municipalities have similar offers.
23 VANCITY GREEN BUILDING GRANT
In partnership with the Real Estate Foundation of BC, Vancity provides grants up to $50,000 each to qualifying charities, not-for-profit organizations and co-operatives for projects which focus on building renovations/retrofits, regulatory changes that advance green building development, and education to increase the use of practical green building strategies. For more information: www.vancity. com
24 LOCAL GOVERNMENT WATER CONSERVATION INCENTIVES
Your municipality may provide grants and incentives to residents to help save water. For example, the City of Coquitlam offers residents a $100 rebate and the City of North Vancouver, District of North Vancouver, and District of West Vancouver offer a $50 rebate when residents install a low-flush toilet. Visit your municipality's website and enter 'toilet rebate' to see if there is a program.
25 LOCAL GOVERNMENT WATER METER PROGRAMS
Your municipality may provide a program for voluntary water metering, so that you pay only for the amount of water that you use. Delta, Richmond and Surrey have programs and other municipalities may soon follow. Visit your municipality's website and enter 'water meter' to find out if there is a program.
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
Monday, February 21, 2011 Pet Friendly Condo Buildings in Kitsilanoby Ben Chimes on Mon, Feb, 21, 2011 12:58 PM Want a quick and easy way to search for a pet friendly building in Kitsilano? Look no further... We have compiled a direct link to current active listings in Kitsilano that have no pet restrictions. Take a look here : Pet Friendly Buildings
We do really on the information given to us by other Realtors to compile this list, so if you would like any further clarification or additional details on the building, please just give us a call.
Monday, February 21, 2011 Vancouver is the most liveable city... again!by Ben Chimes on Mon, Feb, 21, 2011 12:49 PM For the fifth consecutive year, Vancouver has been named the most liveable city in the world. And, I have to say, we agree! We consistently feel lucky to be able to live and work in such a stunning place, and this weekend, with fresh powder on the mountain and beautiful sunshine in the city, was the perfect example.
Read the full article here: http://www.canada.com/sports/Vancouver+remains+world+most+livable+city/4320531/story.html
Thursday, February 17, 2011 Olympic Village Updateby Ben Chimes on Thu, Feb, 17, 2011 01:59 PM Ok, I know it is not in Kitsilano, but we are getting a TON of questions about the new pricing being launched at the Olympic Village (now just 'The Village') condos today. WIth price drops ranging from as little as 5% on some of the smaller, less expensive units, to reductions pushing 50% on some of the higher end units, Bob Rennie is doing his best to create a buzz around a product that has gone stagnant and lost much of the consumer interest. All in all, the average price reduction is rumoured to be about 30%. The big questions that remains is... "Are the price reductions enough?"
My initial thoughts are, quite simply, no. I still believe that the condos at 'The Village' represent a poor value in today's market. Most of the available units are still being sold at $700/square foot and higher, and a great majority of the units being sold are interior units with no views of any kind. Comparable units the neighbouring Wall Centre at False Creek and the Exchange are being sold for as much as $150-$200/square foot less. As an investor, there is no way the rental income here makes up for the premium you have to pay to buy in. There are SOOOOO many better options available. And for those who are looking for a new home for themselves, you would have to REALLY love the area, as I suspect it will be at least 3-4 years before you will see any appreciation on property values here. With the premium already being charged (yes, even with the discounts) and the pending release of still more condos in The Village once this batch of 230 units is sold, I really struggle to come up with any justification as to why now would be a good time to buy here.
If you have any thoughts or questions, please feel free to fire away...
Ben Chimes
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