Brendan Connolly

Vancouver Real Estate: Westside, Eastside & Downtown

Residential Real Estate Consultant
RE/MAX Select Properties  604-833-8793

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Talk Vancouver: Your direct connection to City Hall

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I recently discovered Talk Vancouver, where the City of Vancouver invites residents to participate in online studies and discussions to hear your ideas. Current studies include: Empty Homes Tax - Emerging Approach 800 Robson (Viva Robson) People, Dogs, and Parks Strategy Vancouver's Zero Waste Strategy It's easy to sign up and participate. Just go to www.talkvancouver.com, register and answer a few questions about your interests and connections to the city. Following that, … [Read more...] about Talk Vancouver: Your direct connection to City Hall

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Breathe! And get a home inspection

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One would think that the pace of the home inspection industry runs in parallel with real estate sales. Inspectors should be as busy as real estate agents, right? Surprisingly, no. The quest for securing a home in Vancouver has been so competitive lately that all common sense has flown out the window and many transactions take place without an inspection. While it’s understandable given the frantic pace of the market, making such a large investment without a professional home inspection is risky … [Read more...] about Breathe! And get a home inspection

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Metro Vancouver home sales return to typical August levels

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VANCOUVER, BC – September 2, 2016 – For the second straight month, home buyer demand in Metro Vancouver* moved off of the record-breaking pace seen earlier this year and returned to more typical levels. The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential property sales in Metro Vancouver totalled 2,489 in August 2016, a decline of 26 per cent compared to the 3,362 sales in August 2015; 10.2 per cent less than the 2,771 sales in August 2014; and one per cent less than … [Read more...] about Metro Vancouver home sales return to typical August levels

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Additional 15% Property Transfer Tax for foreign entities

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Recent legislation providing for an additional Property Transfer Tax of 15% on residential property transfers to foreign entities in the Greater Vancouver Regional District has caught the real estate industry off guard. The retroactive tax which will be applied to contracts completing from 2 August 2016, has inadvertently affected skilled workers and those who are in the process of immigrating to Canada. Calls to exempt accepted agreements have been ignored by the government. Dan Morrison, … [Read more...] about Additional 15% Property Transfer Tax for foreign entities

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Metro Vancouver homes sales resembled more typical levels in July

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The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential property sales in the region totalled 3,226 in July 2016, a decrease of 18.9 per cent from the 3,978 sales recorded in July 2015 and a decrease of 26.7 per cent compared to June 2016 when 4,400 homes sold. This is the first time since January that home sales in the region have registered below 4,000 in a month. “After several months of record-breaking sales activity, home buyer demand returned to more historically … [Read more...] about Metro Vancouver homes sales resembled more typical levels in July

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Recycling electronics, batteries, plastic bags, foam packaging and more

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We are all more conscious of the environment these days. Who doesn't have at least four separate bins in their home? Some of my neighbours have admitted to storing organic waste in their freezer! That being said, here is a list of facilities and events to help you recycle the more unusual household items. I'm always on the lookout for service providers that I can refer to my clients with confidence. Do you have any other recycling / junk removal services that you recommend? Electronic … [Read more...] about Recycling electronics, batteries, plastic bags, foam packaging and more

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End of self-regulation in the real estate industry

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The real estate industry has certainly been in the spotlight lately. The much awaited Final Report of the Independent Advisory Group was published last week. The next day the BC Government announced their intention to end self-regulation in the real estate industry and to establish a dedicated Superintendent of Real Estate. Statements by REBGV, RECBC, and BCREA fully support this change in order to restore public confidence in the industry. There is also an initiative taking place to … [Read more...] about End of self-regulation in the real estate industry

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Home buyers remain active across Metro Vancouver

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Home buyers continue to compete for homes listed for sale across the Metro Vancouver housing market. Residential property sales in the region totalled 4,400 in June 2016, an increase of 0.6 per cent from the 4,375 sales recorded in June 2015 and a decrease of 7.7 per cent compared to May 2016 when 4,769 homes sold. Last month’s sales were 28.1 per cent above the 10-year sales average for the month and rank as the highest selling June on record. "While we're starting to see more … [Read more...] about Home buyers remain active across Metro Vancouver