Part of this influx is a result of investors seeing the opportunity for the area to boom, creating a very high demand for properties in the area, resulting in these significant increases in price. Real estate agents are even recommending to their clients to wait to list their home until Facebook goes public, as this is predicted to largely increase home values in the area. And, really, who wouldn’t when the medium price for a single family home in the area is estimated at nearly $2 Million.

One impending factor is that Palo Alto’s inventory is reported to have declined by 57%, a very scary number, resulting in predictions that should the IPO not go as well as planned, the Palo Alto market may in fact crash, which is the last thing anybody wants out of this. Did anybody else think that Facebook would ever have a legitimate impact on the real estate world? Join the conversation with us on Twitter.

photo courtesy of birgerking

First up to bat are the changes that the CREA have recently approved, 23 in total, the largest of which being technologically related. These main changes are the exploration of 3rd party operation of Realtor.ca, as well as taking the 80+ data feeds involved in the MLS system, and to make one national data feed. The cause for these technological changes is the CREA’s feel that consumers are becoming more and more educated, meaning that they should be provided with nothing short of the most accurate information.

Secondly, there is speculation from an Arizona-based accountant by the name of Ben Jones. Now, most of us haven’t heard of this man, however this does not mean we should disregard his opinion, as others have done in the past. He in fact predicted the US housing market crash before it happened, and nobody listened. A recent Globe and Mail article interviewing Mr. Jones has now made it clear (from his standpoint) that Canada’s “booming” housing market is in fact in troubled waters, and should not be underestimated. One of the main reasons he believes the market will fail is related to the banks withholding many unlisted properties and foreclosures to inflate the market so the properties currently listed can receive higher sale prices. His speculations are most certainly worth a read.

What do you think is to become of Canada’s housing market? Will it flop as Ben Jones predicts? Will the unification of the MLS data-feed be detrimental or productive for realtors and supporting businesses? Join the conversation with us on Twitter.

photo courtesy of http://freeaussiestock.com/free/Queensland/slides/currumbin%20beach_goldcoast.htm

1. PDF don’t print

Scan documents into PDF. Sometimes the beginning of a paper reduction process does not necessarily mean you will stop tossing out paper. In fact, it will probably be a time of heavy shredding and recycling when you kickstart the process. One of the first ways is scanning your documents to be saved as files on your computer. We guarantee there’s a lot more room in your hard drive than your filing cabinet, and it’s easy to share and duplicate, but word of warning, back up everything!

2. Opt out of Mailing Lists

There are services out there that will help you remove your name from the lists of those pesky senders of junk mail and catalogues. We would tell you to stop having all your bills sent by mail as well, but you are already doing all of that online aren’t you? (and if not, you should!)

3. Get an Electronic Signature

One of the difficulties of going paperless is that a lot of documents require a signature. But if you’re playing a game of fax tag to sign a dotted line from a remote location, you’re printing more copies of the document than you need. Creating an electronic signature will eliminate the need to print any copies and send the signed document back faster than it would have taken the old fashioned way. Here’s a link to get you started.

4. Get in the habit of taking full advantage of your devices

Despite the smartphones, tablets, netbooks and lightweight laptops, many still carry around that college-ruled notebook and ballpoint for taking notes. It’s a small suggestion, but many still insist on using paper. Starting to electronically organize and file notes under categories might show the benefit of taking digital notes, and there are so many apps and programs for this very task. Not to mention, the introduction of cloud services allow us to access these notes from any device.

Once offices start to use document management services, this process will be painless and efficient. But on an individual basis, it is important to consider slowly phasing paper out of our lives for good.

Via Enviromint

Photo Courtesy of IsaacMao

However, this ‘real estate’ trend is nothing new, in fact it has existed for decades. And the method is getting more refined, with multi-story structures being built to resemble typical homes, shipping containers are more than just a novelty. In addition,many business owners, government agencies, and the military are using these shipping container structures for their practical purposes as well (shelters, student housing, coffee shops etc.), proving that they are beyond just trendy homes. But domestic use is proving to be significant for companies in the business of transforming shipping containers; with a patio, tiled roof, and windows, these homes can blend perfectly well with the rest of the neighborhood.

Via Inman News
Photo courtesy of Glamour Schatz

There is no doubt that these numbers are showing a struggling lower-middle class housing situation in Vancouver. So what’s the answer? While new developments are being investigated by the cit of Vancouver, there is in fact one more development to this story that could lead to an effective re-calibration of Vancouver’s housing market.

There is now a $10,000 tax credit being offered to new home owners. Now, the argument to this credit not being effective for enticing buyers, is actually quite feeble. When you look at this credit objectively, new home buyers can borrow up to $10,000 from a possible relative, or on a line of credit, to make the down payment on their house, and at the end of the year upon receiving a cheque for this tax credit, this initial loan can be paid off, thus solving the issue of up-front down-payments for new home buyers. Will this combination of efforts lead to a more successful solution for low-medium income homes? Join the conversation on Twitter.

photo courtesy of http://ko.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-3913401662

The new Timeline features two options for graphics: a small, square icon sized area for a photo, possibly a brokerage logo or your own logo, and then the mother-load: a massive banner-styled area for graphic placement. Now, why has this got a big part to play with real estate? Think long and hard, and you might get it…

Just kidding, we’ll just tell you. Advertising space! The large banner graphic area is a perfect opportunity to advertise your featured listing, or possibly even two or three  different homes. The benefit of this, is that no page viewer will miss it, as this will be a banner going straight across the top of your Facebook’s home page. Every time somebody views your page, ta-dah: your listing is front and center! There is not really any better page lay-out that you could’ve asked for, so get out there and do it!

photo courtesy of http://lifeoneverything.blogspot.com/2011/08/keep-calm-and-carry-on.html

This project also offers an added benefit of ‘restoring the heritage value of the buildings” which are a century old. Vancouver’s mayor is in full support of these renovations as they will better the living conditions of the city’s “Most marginalized and vulnerable citizens.” This project will be made possible by the P3 Canada Fund and carried out through private companies which will be requested to submit proposals to design, finance, build, and maintain the projects.

Via MetroNews

Photo Courtesy of DoNotLick

Contractors and new home buyers just received a very early Christmas present. Due to the changes in the provincial taxation system, the government has taken preventative measure to ensure a responsible and fair transition. In doing this, the government is offering an HST rebate of up to $42,500 on newly built homes, up to $850,000 in price. This price range encompasses 90% of new houses on the market, and overall, this new change is bringing delight into the eyes of new home buyers.

“These measures ensure that there is fairness and equity throughout the transition period, and provide a roadmap for the housing industry to make the transition back to PST as smooth as possible,” said Finance Minister Kevin Falcon, “The relief measures announced today are a boost to home buyers purchasing either a new primary residence or a secondary home. At the same time, they help an important job-creator in all parts of the province.”

To learn more, view the following article from the Vancouver Sun:

http://www.vancouversun.com/business/real-estate/Kevin+Falcon+announces+transition+rules+homes/6171092/story.html

photo courtesy of http://mbowler.featuredblog.com/?m=200902