We are so honoured to be ranked #2 & #10 in our office for 2018. Kara and I have been a team for almost 9 years now. We’ve been through a lot and the team has grown, we look forward to helping Susanne and Rachael reach the top 10 with us. We are so thankful to all of our clients, friends and family. We wouldn't be here without you. 

We look forward to what 2019 has to bring us....so far we are off to a pretty amazing start! 

A very big Thank you to all of our clients. We couldn’t have done this without you. And a very big thank you to our spouses and families who support us while get to go to work each day doing a job we love! A hashtag I find myself using all the time is #lovewhatyoudo because we truly do love what we do. For the 4th year in a row we’ve achieved not only in the top 10% of real estate teams but the top 1%. We are so honoured to be among the top 1% once again. Tonight we we get to celebrate this amazing achievement at our Fraser Valley Real Estate Medallion Awards Gala. 

I am not usually one to toot my own horn...and debated on whether to post or not....but I was too excited not to share. 

I am ranked #2 in my office for the 1st time ever, but I wouldn't be there without an amazing team behind me. Without amazing clients, without their trust in me and the team, I would never rank at all. I wouldn't be here without my wonderful husband who has been my biggest cheerleader for the last 10 years and supported me through the ups and downs of many markets over the years. Without my daughters understanding when I was so busy I barely had time to spend with them this last year. 

I shared our accomplishment in an earlier blog about ranking top 1% out of all Fraser Valley Realtors, but ranking #2 in our office was never expected. I have consistently been in the top 5 for a good number of years and knew I would remain in the Top 5, but was so excited when I found out where I ranked in my office out of 40 realtors. 

Happy to be a part of such an amazing office that was ranked #1 in our category overall for 2016! A year of many great accomplishments and a great way to start 2017 off, looking forward to all that this year has to offer. 

We couldn't have done it without the support from all of our amazing clients, friends and family! THANK YOU for helping us to make 2016 our best year yet! Top 1% of Fraser Valley Realtors. 5th year in a row qualifying but moving from Top 10% to Top 1% for the 1st time is quite the accomplishment.

I would also like to THANK my amazing team, without all of their hard work this past year we couldn't have done it! Kara and Erinn and their families for supporting them through a pretty crazy year. But we cannot forget our very hard working administrative assistant - Lisa, she kept us organized and worked tirelessly for the 3 of us and ALL of our clients. I personally do not know what we would do without her! 

Looking forward to what 2017 has to offer us! Bring it on!

BRG Thank you for 2016 from Bettina Reid on Vimeo.

SURREY, BC – More than 30,000 working poor and homeless people throughout the Lower Mainland received blankets and warm clothing this winter thanks to donations collected during the 22nd annual REALTORS Care® Blanket Drive.

Between November 14 and 21, over 100 real estate offices served as drop-off points for donations. Realtor volunteers collected, sorted and delivered the donations to local charities.

“Unfortunately, there will always be a need for support for those who are less fortunate and struggle during these cold seasons,” Charles Wiebe, Fraser Valley Real Estate Board president said. “I’m proud that, once more, the incredible generosity of our volunteers and those who donated has helped ease some of that struggle.”

A hallmark of the Blanket Drive is that all donations remain in the community in which they were collected. Many charities rely on donations from the program each year to help them through the winter.

Angie Paulson, Clothing Coordinator, NightShift Street Ministries in Surrey, says, “The support of the REALTORS Care® Blanket Drive is critical to our clothing program and helps us meet the needs of our clothing program for many months after the Drive. It’s pretty amazing how much it helps!”

The REALTORS Care® Blanket Drive is the largest and longest running blanket drive in British Columbia. Since the Blanket Drive began in 1994, the program helped more than 305,000 people in our communities keep warm and dry during the winter months.

For more information, go to www.blanketdrive.ca. For a selection of photos from the Blanket Drive, visit www.facebook.com/BlanketDrive.

The REALTORS Care® Blanket Drive is a partnership between the Realtors of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver, the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board and the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board and their communities.

CONGRATULATIONS to both of our 2016 Halloween colouring Contest winners. Sorry for the delay in posting, one of our winners was away on holidays. Above we have Lilah our under 6 year old winner. Below we have Brooke our 6-12 year old winner. 

Be sure to watch for our 2017 Easter Colouring Contest which will be sent out in the mail next March 2017.

Thanks again to everyone that entered our Contest!

This gorgeous Fall Day was too nice to waste inside, so we made it out today to talk to people in the Cloverdale community about the Realtor Cares Blanket Drive which starts next Monday November 14th and runs until the 21st. 

If you have any blankets or clothing to donate to the Realtor Cares Blanket Drive visit the following link for drop off locations or give us a call and we will be happy to arrange to have your items picked up!

Realtor Cares Blanket Drive

Well the report below definitely confirms what we have been seeing here in the market. Still encouraging for Sellers as prices are still quite high and positive for Buyers as discussed below as inventory increases giving Buyers a few more options without as much stress as earlier in the year.

SURREY, BC – September housing sales in the Fraser Valley continued to slow throughout September, dropping below the ten-year sales average for the month for the first time this year.

The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board processed 1,305 sales of all property types on its Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in September, a decrease of 24.4 per cent compared to the 1,727 sales in September of last year, and a 23 per cent decrease compared to the 1,694 sales in August 2016.

“What we’re experiencing is an environment where the summer sizzle has ceased, and demand is producing numbers in-line with what we’ve seen historically. It seems dramatic, as would anything else that wasn’t the incredible, continuous uptick we’ve seen for the last eighteen months,” said Charles Wiebe, Board President.

Despite receiving the lowest amount of new listings for the region in seven months, the total active inventory for the Fraser Valley was 6,422 listings in September, the highest level since October 2015’s 6,535 active listings. Active inventory increased by 5.2 per cent month-over-month, but still decreased 9.8 per cent when compared to September 2015.

The Board received 2,709 new listings in September, a 4.6 per cent decrease from August 2016, and a 9.2 per cent increase compared to September 2015’s 2,481 new listings.

“The level of available inventory is rising as we had hoped, and homes are taking a bit longer to sell than they have throughout the year. It’s encouraging, and gives buyers a bit more room to navigate the market more comfortably,” explained Wiebe. “At 20 per cent, our sales to active listings ratio has moved towards a more normalized state.”

For the Fraser Valley region, the average number of days to sell a single family detached home in September 2016 was 27 days, compared to 17 days in June 2016.

“When comparing with August, benchmark prices in September have remained flat, signalling a shift in market dynamics towards a balanced market. However, when stacked against last year at this time, prices are up significantly.”

The MLS® HPI benchmark price of a Fraser Valley single family detached home in September was $879,200, an increase of 37.5 per cent compared to September 2015 when it was $639,500.

The benchmark price of Fraser Valley townhomes in September was set at $419,500, an increase of 35.8 per cent compared to September 2015’s benchmark price of $308,900. Similarly, the benchmark price for an apartment in the Fraser Valley increased 26.5 per cent year-over-year, from $226,133 in September 2015 to $249,800 in September of this year.

Full package:
http://www.fvreb.bc.ca/statistics/Package201609.pdf

Earlier this week I was out for my morning run and came across this crazy scene outside the Yorkson Creek Sales Centre at the corner of 208th Street and 82nd avenue in Langley. I couldn't believe how crazy it was to see people having slept overnight in front of the Yorkson Creek sales centre, that I had to snap a few pictures. The morning sun was shining bright but the temperature outside was only 6 degrees. All I could think was these people are nuts! I had heard the Final release of condos was going to be in May...but nobody knew exactly when as far as I knew....which meant these people were lining up in anticipation of the news that the condos would be released soon. 

Some people had just lounger style chairs sleeping upright, others meant business and brought their tent. Some people had cot style beds and there were even some sleeping on cushions on the pavement...all to get a chance at one of these units first. Now most would think this is because of how crazy our market is right now....I do think after seeing more people adding to the line in the next few photos, that yes the lack of inventory and losing out in multiple offers likely does have some influence on the sheer numbers of people that seem to be lining up. By Wednesday the Yorkson Creek Sales Team had sent out news that they have chosen a date and they would be going on sale at 7am on May 7th....(which was still a week and a half away) So it was no surprise to see the number of people lining up starting to grow in numbers. Now there are 3 tents pitched outside and the second white gazebo style tent now has people sleeping under it for shelter. Hopefully for these peoples sake the rain holds off for the next week. 

But I don't think it is just the market we are in now, because last fall I came across the same thing for their last release. I don't believe there were as many people lined up, certianly not this far in advance. The numbers did grow the closer they got to the release but the weather in the fall wasn't quite as cold at night yet. The market for conods was also not moving like it is now....So I wonder what is it that has created this frenzy when it comes to Yorkson Creek homes? We do have a couple clients in the newer units with the Solarium, that do love them...We have waited outside on the morning of to get our clients a good spot, but I am not so sure I could wait in line for a couple of weeks....

If I have peaked your interest and you would like more information on the Yorkson Creek development click on the following link after Saturday April 30th and they will have more updated info or stop by the Sales Centre to see the display units they are open on the weekends from 12-5pm and during the week from 2-7pm:

Yorkson Creek

News Release: September 2, 2015

STRONG SALES ACTIVITY CONTINUES THROUGH AUGUST

SURREY, BC – In August, home sales in the Fraser Valley moderated in comparison to July’s record-setting pace, however, they remained elevated compared to historical norms for the month.

There was a total of 1,734 property sales processed in August, an increase of 33 per cent compared to 1,302 sales during August of last year and a decrease of 21 per cent compared to July’s 2,184 sales.

Jorda Maisey is the Board’s President. “High consumer confidence and low mortgage rates continue to drive the activity we’ve seen in our market this summer.

“Even with the holiday season, sales last month remained 25 per cent higher than the Board’s 10-year average for August. This year marks one of the busiest summer markets we’ve ever had in the Fraser Valley, second only to 2005.”

In August, the total number of active listings in the Fraser Valley decreased 4 per cent compared to July, dropping to 7,407 listings. This represents a 21 per cent decrease from last year’s 9,403 active listings. The MLS® received 2,457 new listings in August, an increase of 3 per cent compared to August of last year.

Maisey adds, “In our market, price is key. Demand remains strongest for single family detached homes and townhomes that are priced correctly. Sellers who hope to take advantage of the current market will find that neither buyers nor their lenders are prepared to over pay.

“We anticipate more inventory will be coming on stream come fall, and we advise our buyers who can wait, to wait.”

The MLS® Home Price Index benchmark price of a detached home in August was $629,400, an increase of 10.5 per cent compared to August of last year when it was $569,800. The MLS® HPI benchmark price of Fraser Valley townhouses increased 2.7 per cent going from $298,500 in August of last year to $306,700 last month. The benchmark price of apartments decreased year-over-year by 2.4 per cent, going from $196,700 in August of last year to $191,900 last month.

Maisey adds, “First time buyers and investors are noticing that of the three main property types, the best selection in the Fraser Valley is in the condo market. In August, we saw apartment sales pick up specifically in White Rock, Langley and North Surrey.”

Full package:
http://www.fvreb.bc.ca/statistics/Package%20201508.pdf

For close to a year now we have been listening to very good friends of ours tell us about their son and his wife opening up a physiotherapy clinic in the Olympic Village area of Vancouver.  Focus Physio + Wellness

We've been excited to hear about their progress and they have been excited, as only proud parents can be to tell us how it was going. They finally opened up this Spring and it occurred to me that my husband should actually go to them instead of our local one. Not because she isn't good, because here in Cloverdale Physio station is the place to go. In fact our daughter has been seeing one of the owners for years, even before they opened up their own clinic in 2014. But since his only option is to book in advance to get an appointment here in Cloverdale in the evening after work, it just makes perfect sense for him to seek out Aaron and Catherine's services at Focus Physio + Wellness. In fact I have been telling him for a couple years now that he should find a local Vancouver physiotherapist and the only reason he went to Physio Station is because of our daughter. Easier to go to a place you know and trust or in this case were inadvertently referred to. :)

So finally today he had some time between his appointments and thought to go check them out, sure enough they managed to squeeze him in for a consultation and he's already booked another appointment. 

If you are looking for a Physio and Wellness centre that you can visit on your break or lunchtime and you are in the Olympic village area, or anytime for that matter if you live in Vancouver...visit their website in the following link for more details on who they are and what services they provide. Knowing the family well I am sure you will be well taken care of!

Focus Physio + Wellness

I have just been awarded the Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES®) designation by the Seniors Real Estate Specialist Council of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (NAR). Kara will be taking the course within the next year as well in order to gain the designation to better serve our older clients. 

I am joining more than 16,000 real estate professionals in North America who have earned the SRES® designation.  We were required to successfully complete a comprehensive course in understanding the needs, considerations, and goals of real estate buyers and sellers aged 55 and older.

SRES Council, founded in 2007, is the world's largest association of real estate professionals focusing specifically on representing senior clients in real estate transactions. There are more than 16,000 active members of the organization world-wide.  The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is North America’s largest trade association, representing more than 1.3 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

It was because of my grandparents that I decided to take the Seniors Real Estate Specialist course. I recently became the power of attorney for my grandparents and even though they are renting, I figured the course would help me better understand their needs. Seniors are too easily taken advantage of and I want Seniors and their families to know that they can trust me to protect their interests when looking to buy or sell a home in Cloverdale, Surrey, White Rock, and Langley.

If you would like a home evaluation or looking to downsize, please feel free to give us a call and we would be happy to help you with your next move.

It was because of my grandparents that I decided to take the Seniors Real Estate Specialist course. I recently became the power of attorney for my grandparents and even though they are renting, I figured the course would help me better understand their needs. Seniors are too easily taken advantage of and I want Seniors and their families to know that they can trust me to protect their interests when looking to buy or sell a home in Cloverdale, Surrey, White Rock, and Langley.

If you would like a home evaluation or looking to downsize, please feel free to give us a call and we would be happy to help you with your next move.It was because of my grandparents that I decided to take the Seniors Real Estate Specialist course. I recently became the power of attorney for my grandparents and even though they are renting, I figured the course would help me better understand their needs. Seniors are too easily taken advantage of and I want Seniors and their families to know that they can trust me to protect their interests when looking to buy or sell a home in Cloverdale, Surrey, White Rock, and Langley.If you would like a home evaluation or looking to downsize, please feel free to give us a call and we would be happy to help you with your next move.