DATE

Steve Saretsky -

Where’s the best brunch in Vancouver? Vancouver is more than a beautiful and long-established city. It’s also trendy. It has to be! Brunch is available at numerous locations, including Twisted Fork Bistro and Café Medina.  The best brunch in Vancouver is the truly decadent meal and often qualifies as one of pure indulgence, with no pesky stigma. All of the great qualities that are so loved about brunch fit right in with this cosmopolitan city. Five reasons brunch is a delightful meal There are many reasons to go searching for the best brunch in Vancouver, and the following are just a few: If you’re eating brunch, it’s likely the weekend. Monday through Friday is for those other meals. When you’re eating brunch in Vancouver, it means that the clock is not in charge. You’ve slept in. You’ve recharged, or maybe you caught up on lost pillow time. Every adult needs a brunch day every now and again. When you sit down for a full meal that lands squarely between breakfast time and lunchtime, it’s simply expected that you will eat more than the usual. It’s two meals in one, after all. It’s perfectly acceptable to pile your plate with an

Steve Saretsky -

Navio at the Creek Prices Released to Public Navio at the Creek by Concert, is a new pre sale condo development in the False Creek area. I wrote a whole piece about the development here. Anyways, I previewed the sales centre at the Realtor only event yesterday and so the purpose of this post is to discuss the prices and the sales process. Navio at the Creek Prices:  South tower One bedroom units: One bedroom Plan A1- square feet 562 from $609,900-$709,900 One bedroom Plan A2- square feet 584 from $579,900-$689,900 One bedroom Plan A3- square feet 590 from $619,900-$719,900 One bedroom Plan A4- square feet 674 from $721,900-$757,900 One bedroom & den Plan B2- square feet 798 from $859,900-$944,900 South tower Two bedroom units: Two bedroom Plan C- square feet 849 from $779,900 Two bedroom Plan C1- square feet 875 from $991,900-$1,079,900 Two bedroom Plan C2- square feet 940 from $1,081,900-$1,305,900 Two bedroom Plan C4- square feet 1,197 from $1,459,900-$1,681,900 Two bedroom Plan C5- square feet 1,358 from $1,929,900-$2,247,900 Two bedroom Sub Penthouse- square feet 1,078 from $1,489,900 Two bedroom & den penthouse- square feet 1,670 from $3,309,900 Townhouse units: Two bedroom townhouse Plan TH2- square feet 1,235 from

Steve Saretsky -

Evidence of Vancouver Real Estate Speculation Piling up There are always two sides to every story. Such a statement has never been more true when determining the causes of Vancouver’s surging home prices. Is it supply and demand? Or is it speculation? I have my theories, but theories are, well, theories. I believe Vancouver real estate prices are heavily encouraged by massive amounts of speculation. People, not just investors are trading Vancouver real estate like it’s a cheap penny stock. Buying and flipping properties within a short period of time, sometimes as short as a month or two, cashing in on massive profits. But I know talk is cheap and numbers matter, I needed evidence to prove Vancouver real estate speculation. I went onto my Realtor’s MLS system to see what I could dig up. What I found even surprised me. I searched all the sold houses for Vancouver West detached homes for the month of May 2016. Here’s what I found: Houses sold in May for Vancouver West: 179 Houses sold in May that were also sold within the last year: 28 Percentage of homes flipped for a profit: 15.6% Average profit made per house flipped: $1,140,957.83 Here’s a

Steve Saretsky -

Looking for Summer Date Ideas in Vancouver? Vancouver offers a wealth of unique summer date ideas and venues, but a measure of wealth isn’t necessarily required to enjoy them. Whatever amount you’re prepared to spend, if you’re looking for a place to bring a date in this vibrant city, you are fortunate indeed. There are many terrific ideas for a summer date in Vancouver. Stanley Park For a potentially cheap date that is rich in enjoyment, you could go for a summer date at Stanley Park, Vancouver’s “crown jewel.” Whereas the famed seawall is typically well-populated, Stanley Park offers quiet forest trails and tranquil but breathtaking views. Pose for a couple selfies next to English Bay and enjoy the waterfront breeze. Take a leisurely climb to Prospect Point, where the views are even more impressive and you can enjoy burgers, ice cream, fish and chips, coffee, and/or beer. There you will also be able to watch boats in the inlet from a comfortable deck. On Tuesday nights in summer, enjoy an outdoor movie. The Evo Summer Cinema Series at Stanley Park in Vancouver is as excellent an idea as any for a date in summer. Bard on the Beach Shakespeare

Steve Saretsky -

Looking for Awesome Rooftop Patios in Vancouver? Rooftop patios in Vancouver are an excellent way to enjoy the stark beauty of the city. There are, understandably, many great rooftop gardens and restaurant patios that you can choose to visit throughout the downtown area. The following are among the best rooftop patios to be enjoyed under Vancouver skies. Roofgarten –    Here for this summer only! (2016) Anyone seeking a memorable rooftop patio venue in Vancouver that has a unique atmosphere should check out Roofgarten, located at Smithe and Granville. Affordable, delectable, shareable plates are available for Sunday brunch and dinner every day except Mondays and Tuesdays. An acclaimed chef runs the kitchen. This adults-only rooftop patio experience is ideal for both a casual dinner after work and a painstakingly curated dining experience. Upper Deck – At the heart of Davie Village and touted as one of the best Vancouver rooftop patio restaurants is Upper Deck. It is actually a roofless patio on a structure below the rooftop, and customers enjoy the satisfying fare in the open air atmosphere. Brunch is available on the weekends. The menu also includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and numerous varieties of local craft beer. Try any

Steve Saretsky -

Are you looking for the best hangover brunches in Vancouver? We’ve got two of them for you. But first, it helps to know a few foods and beverages that are best to cure a hangover. Despite the hype, going for a “hair of the dog that bit you” is the last thing you want to do. Your cure will not be found it adding more alcohol to your system. Instead, the best hangover brunches are those that supply your body with cravings that offset the effects your Vancouver night of celebration is having on you, such as perhaps a pounding headache. Great Hangover Foods The following are some dishes that can be enjoyed at either of the best hangover brunches in Vancouver that are shown below: Add banana to your meal because expert nutritionists say replacing the lost potassium associated with drinking can reduce your hangover symptoms by as much as half. Alcohol’s leftover toxins that are prompting you to seek out Vancouver’s best hangover brunches can be broken down by the amino acid cysteine. Two eggs can give you an entire day’s allowance of cysteine and help pull you out of your hangover haze. Chicken, turkey, beef, and soy

Steve Saretsky -

8x On The Park Prices Revealed 8X On The Park prices were revealed at their public preview on Saturday May 14. The lineup at their sales centre at 1149 Hamilton street was incredible. People waited about 45 minutes in the hot sun just to get the opportunity to cram inside and walk through some of their preview units. I was able to finally push through and get inside. It was shoulder to shoulder, but totally worth the wait. I attempted to film part of the latest Saretsky Show but the marketing team with Rennie & Associates had a strict no camera policy.. I found that quite funny considering everyone inside the presentation centre was on snapchat recording videos. But I digress, here are the prices for 8x On The Park:   Pied-a-terre – 466 square feet starting price of $509,000 1 bedroom and flex- 584 square feet starting price of $634,900 1 bedroom and flex- 616 square feet starting price of $654,900 2 bedroom- 969 square feet starting price of $1,139,900 2 bedroom and den- 1041 square feet starting price of $1,669,900 3 bedroom- 1185 square feet starting price of $1,899,900 3 bedroom and flex- 1200 square feet starting price of

Steve Saretsky -

Vancouver laneway apartments are set to be the first of it’s kind. Vancouver could be setting a new trend. They recently announced 4 new laneway apartment buildings in the West End. Consisting of 47 units in total. They are the very first of it’s kind and developers are hoping to see this as the next big trend. The goal is to eventually produce 1000 new homes in the Downtown Vancouver area, specifically the West End. Laneway housing has always been popular for families on a budget and they hope these projects will do the same. The city is requiring half of them to be either 2 or 3 bedrooms that are accessible on the ground floor. The project aims to be an alternative for families who want to stay in the city but are looking for a cheaper alternative. My only concern is that everyone already has a negative reputation on alleys. So when your target audience is families it makes me wonder just how safe they’re going to feel walking down an alley at night to get to their front door. Or what about all the crime that potentially happens right outside your front door while you’re sleeping. The

Steve Saretsky -

On Tuesday I attended the annual city planning event at the Museum of Vancouver. It featured prominent speakers such as Frances Bula (urban affairs journalist), Jennifer Marshall (Architect and urban designer), Noha Sedky (urban planner) and the legendary Bob Rennie. There were a few things I wanted to recap on the two hour presentation. Firstly, the thing that struck me the most was all 4 speakers echoed the same message regarding foreign investment. It has very little impact on Vancouver real estate prices. They felt it has influenced prices for only the high end luxury market and little to no affect on the average condo market. Bob Rennie and the gang went on to say that prices are coming from limited supply and demand and low interest rates. I couldn’t help but think, really, no affect on the average condo market in Downtown Vancouver? Prices went up by 18% in one year. I’ll agree limited supply and demand and low interest rates certainly play a huge roll but to downplay foreign investment. They continually referenced that only 2% of Vancouver condos were purchased by foreigners. If you believe that stat I think you’re completely oblivious. As i’ve said before it’s

Steve Saretsky -

I’ve written recently about how the current economic situation in China could encourage investors to get their money out of China and into safer places, such as Vancouver real estate. This could spur real estate prices to rise even further. However, multiple news channels are now reporting that the Chinese government is putting heavy restrictions on citizens, not allowing them to spend money outside of China. As China Law Blog article reported here, they are seeing new cases they have never seen before where Chinese citizens are having a very difficult time getting their money out of China. Chinese citizens are supposed to be allowed to spend up to $50,000 a year outside of China. Recent restrictions are making that impossible for many citizens. Anyone hoping to exchange the Yuan for US dollars are finding it nearly impossible. The government is looking for any possible excuse to refuse exchanges all in an attempt to protect the further devaluation of the Yuan. This means any Chinese citizen hoping to get $50,000 out of the country in an attempt to purchase real estate elsewhere (generally a very simple process which requires answering a standard baseline of questions) is having a difficult time moving

Steve Saretsky -

Foreign Investment Not The Problem- National Post Foreign Investment in Vancouver is not an issue. That was the summary from an article in the National Post. So I’m sitting here at Blenz Coffee on Abbott and Keefer researching for my next blog post I came across this article written by the National Post  titled “Don’t blame Chinese Billionaires for Soaring Vancouver Housing Prices.” While I totally will agree with the title of the headline that they are not the ones to point the finger at, they are however having a major impact on the housing prices. As I’ve mentioned before it’s the governments lack of restrictions and careless actions to not even track foreign buyers that are to blame for out of control home prices. However, the article written by Andrew Cowne of the National Post explains that foreigners are having little impact on housing prices and instead the problem is high demand and lack of supply. Well how did we get a “high demand and lack of supply”?  A rush of foreigners taking advantage of a favourable exchange rate, prices start to go up, more canadians start to panic thinking they better get in on the housing market before

Steve Saretsky -

UBC Economist Proposes 1.5% Property Surcharge It’s no secret there’s some serious outrage amongst Vancouverites over foreign investment and people leaving properties vacant. Thus reducing the overall supply and creating even more demand. I have personally been very open about the pressing issues regarding the vast amount of foreign money entering Vancouver. The lack of restrictions and tax loopholes are making life easy on foreign investors. The recent tax proposal of a 1.5% surcharge to all Vancouver homeowners is exactly what we need. The recent proposal by Thomas Davidoff a UBC economist who aided Barrack Obama on housing policies proposed a 1.5% tax surcharge to every homeowner in BC. However, anyone who pays income tax would be able to deduct the surcharge upon filing their taxes. Anyone who is renting out a property and submits their rental income would also be able to submit it for a property surcharge write-off. This means the only people who would be required to pay the 1.5% surcharge are the foreigners who work overseas and leave properties vacant or who don’t pay taxes here, or any investor who leaves a property vacant would also be subject to the property surcharge. This proposal satisfies Christy

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Steve Saretsky -

Where’s the best brunch in Vancouver? Vancouver is more than a beautiful and long-established city. It’s also trendy. It has to be! Brunch is available at numerous locations, including Twisted Fork Bistro and Café Medina.  The best brunch in Vancouver is the truly decadent meal and often qualifies as one...

Steve Saretsky -

Navio at the Creek Prices Released to Public Navio at the Creek by Concert, is a new pre sale condo development in the False Creek area. I wrote a whole piece about the development here. Anyways, I previewed the sales centre at the Realtor only event yesterday and so the...

Steve Saretsky -

Evidence of Vancouver Real Estate Speculation Piling up There are always two sides to every story. Such a statement has never been more true when determining the causes of Vancouver’s surging home prices. Is it supply and demand? Or is it speculation? I have my theories, but theories are, well,...

Steve Saretsky -

Looking for Summer Date Ideas in Vancouver? Vancouver offers a wealth of unique summer date ideas and venues, but a measure of wealth isn’t necessarily required to enjoy them. Whatever amount you’re prepared to spend, if you’re looking for a place to bring a date in this vibrant city, you...

Steve Saretsky -

Looking for Awesome Rooftop Patios in Vancouver? Rooftop patios in Vancouver are an excellent way to enjoy the stark beauty of the city. There are, understandably, many great rooftop gardens and restaurant patios that you can choose to visit throughout the downtown area. The following are among the best rooftop...

Steve Saretsky -

Are you looking for the best hangover brunches in Vancouver? We’ve got two of them for you. But first, it helps to know a few foods and beverages that are best to cure a hangover. Despite the hype, going for a “hair of the dog that bit you” is the...

Steve Saretsky -

8x On The Park Prices Revealed 8X On The Park prices were revealed at their public preview on Saturday May 14. The lineup at their sales centre at 1149 Hamilton street was incredible. People waited about 45 minutes in the hot sun just to get the opportunity to cram inside...

Steve Saretsky -

Vancouver laneway apartments are set to be the first of it’s kind. Vancouver could be setting a new trend. They recently announced 4 new laneway apartment buildings in the West End. Consisting of 47 units in total. They are the very first of it’s kind and developers are hoping to...

Steve Saretsky -

On Tuesday I attended the annual city planning event at the Museum of Vancouver. It featured prominent speakers such as Frances Bula (urban affairs journalist), Jennifer Marshall (Architect and urban designer), Noha Sedky (urban planner) and the legendary Bob Rennie. There were a few things I wanted to recap on...

Steve Saretsky -

I’ve written recently about how the current economic situation in China could encourage investors to get their money out of China and into safer places, such as Vancouver real estate. This could spur real estate prices to rise even further. However, multiple news channels are now reporting that the Chinese...

Steve Saretsky -

Foreign Investment Not The Problem- National Post Foreign Investment in Vancouver is not an issue. That was the summary from an article in the National Post. So I’m sitting here at Blenz Coffee on Abbott and Keefer researching for my next blog post I came across this article written by...

Steve Saretsky -

UBC Economist Proposes 1.5% Property Surcharge It’s no secret there’s some serious outrage amongst Vancouverites over foreign investment and people leaving properties vacant. Thus reducing the overall supply and creating even more demand. I have personally been very open about the pressing issues regarding the vast amount of foreign money...

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The Saretsky Report. December 2022