Happy 4th of July to all of our American friends and their families from all of us at the Bettina Reid Group! 

I am so excited Vancity is now providing cheque deposits using your mobile device. No more cheques sitting in your wallet for weeks or even months because you keep forgetting to go into a branch to make a deposit. (Of course, I mention this because I was one of those people.) There is very little reason for me to visit my community branch when my paycheque is paid directly into my account (like most people nowadays) and all my bills are paid online.

Vancity is certainly not the first banking institution to do this but it is good to see they are ahead of some of the major banking institutions. There are a number of credit unions across the province that provide mobile cheque deposits, Westminster Savings, Prospera and Envision Financial to name a few. In this age of technology it is surprising to see that there are more credit unions with this technology even though they have no where near as much money to spend as the big Banks do. I could be wrong but CIBC seems to be the only major Bank that I could find that offers this outside of the credit unions. 

If you are lucky to bank with a banking institution that offers photo depositing. All you need to do is login to your mobile app whether on IOS (iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch), or Android devices. Once you have logged in choose the deposit icon, snap a photo of both the front and back of your Canadian cheque and voila the funds will be deposited into your account. You may not have access right away, all depends on what kind of holds your banking institution has on your account. If you need the funds immediately you may still need to do it the old fashioned way and visit your local branch. 

They do ask for security reasons that you write on the back of the cheque before snapping a photo “For deposit only to [your account number and branch number].” Then of course ensure that you personally sign it.

After you have uploaded it, it is a good idea to keep the cheque on file for no more than 4 months writing “Deposited” across the front. Then after 4 months destroy the cheque. 

For a list of the credit unions that support mobile deposit visit the following link: 

Deposit Anywhere

In this day and age where time is money…now you not only save time. You save the gas money it takes to go to a branch and you can do it from the comfort of your home, car or wherever you get the cheque from on the spot. Even better you get to do it any time of day you want!

How to Be a Savvy Home Viewer

If you're planning on finding your next dream home, then you're probably going to view several homes on the market that meet your criteria.

You will want to make the right purchasing decision for you and your family. So, it's wise to be savvy when viewing properties for sale. Here are some ideas on how to do that.

Bring a notepad. Take notes, not only of the home's characteristics, but also of how you feel. For example, can you imagine yourself happily cooking up a storm in the kitchen? Do you see yourself entertaining family on the back deck? 

Bring a measuring tape. Will the furniture you plan to bring fit? Your dining room suite? Your home fitness equipment?

Ask about maintenance. Is the property in a good state of repair? Will anything need to be replaced soon, such as the windows?

Bring a camera. Take lots of pictures of the home's exterior features. Don't make the mistake of thinking you'll remember how everything looked.

Check out the area. Do other homeowners take good care of their properties? This shows pride of ownership. How is the noise level? Is

Make a list of compromises. For example, are there only two bathrooms instead of three and, if so, can you live with that?

Make a list of bonuses. What features does the home have that, are not a necessity, but would be nice to have? For example, an

Remember your budget. Is the price within your range? Can you afford to buy this home?

The savvier you are when viewing properties on the market, the more likely you will be to find your next dream home. 

Happy 147th birthday Canada...from all of us at The Bettina Reid Group.

If you are looking for something fun to do, one of the largest Canada Day celebrations across Canada happens right here in Cloverdale at the Bill Reid Millenium Amphitheatre (formerly known as the Cloverdale Millenium Amphitheatre) located between 64th and 60th avenue on 176th Street. This is expected to be the largest celebration for all of Western Canada.

The greatest part is that it is FREE for everyone with lots of fun for the whole family. From amusement rides, to live entertainment and local vendors. The Canada Day fun begins at 10am and ends with a magnificent fireworks display at 10:15pm. Even though there is a lot of parking available they highly recommend that you walk or at least carpool as there over 100,000 people expected to attend.

For more details on the day's entertainment line up visit the city of Surrey's website at the following link:

Canada Day 

Langley will also be holding another exciting although not as large celebration. Their events actually started this past weekend and run until tomorrow. But the official Canada Day celebrations start at 11am tomorrow and also end with fireworks at 10pm. The event is located at the Willoughby Community Park at 7888 200th St. Even though it is not as big as the Cloverdale celebrations, Langley's Canada Day event presented by Langley's International Festival still expects to see 10's of thousands of people.

Our family has been to both celebrations most years and now that our girls are older this will be the 1st year we will likely not attend with them working. But each year they always looked forward to the artists preformances on stage and the delicous food truck eats at both locations.

If you are venturing into Vancouver Canada place will also be hosting an event that starts at 10am. If you are at Canada Place around 11am 60 people from 36 countries will have the honour of becoming Canadian citizens. That would be a pretty neat site to see. Reminding us Canadians of how proud we should be to be CANADIANS!

Granville Island always throws a fun event too from 8am until midnight.

If you are in Vancouver for the end of the day Coal Harbour or West Vancouver are great spots to watch the fireworks displays.

Happy Canada to all, hope everyone gets to enjoy part or all of it with friends and family!

Surrey residents are about to share in Richmonds fun by hosting our very own Night Market. Starting next Saturday July 5th running until the end of August at the Cloverdale Exhibition Grounds. It will run both Friday and Saturday evening from 6-11pm. Parking is FREE and entrance is only $2 for adults children under 10 are FREE.

I am looking forward to checking out this multicultural event where there will be a variety of local foods, services and goods being sold. As well, as entertainment for the whole family. My family still hasn't made it to the Richmond Night Market, but we will be sure to check out this one. A variety of food vendors will be on site for you to sample delicious treats from around the world - as a self professed foodie, that's what I am looking forward to.

They are expecting over a 1000 people a night 

For more information on the Night Market whether you want to go with your friends and family or to participate as a vendor, visit their website in the following link:

Night Market
 

I am not a big fan of fast food...when I think of fast food I think of McDonalds, Wendy's, KFC and the like. But food carts aren't always the greasy fast food that never sits well in your stomach. Many can have gourmet food that you would find in a restaurant...which is why we will stop by the 3rd annual Food Cart Festival that starts this Sunday and runs every Sunday from 12pm-5pm until end of September.

The Food Cart Festival is located at 215 west 1st between Olympic Village and Cambie Bridge. The site is next to the Seawall and a short walk from Canada Line's Olympic Village Station, the Aquabus Spyglass Doc, and major bus routes along Cambie, Main and West 2nd Ave.

There's much more to the festival than just your choice of over 20 food carts. There is live music, local vendors and fun for the whole family! 

We visited the Food Cart Festival twice last year. We tried the best grilled cheese sandwiches, that were oozing with cheese. Looking forward to trying some more great food again this year!

Admission is $2, children under 13 are free. Family of 3 or more is $5

Vancity is a presenting sponsor for the event and because of this Vancity members get in for free. One of Vancity's core values is to support local businesses and that is why they have sponsored the Vancouver Food Cart Festival

For more information on the Vancouver Food Cart Festival visit the following link:

Vancouver Food Cart Festival