I just sold this Townhouse at 20 11391 7TH AVENUE, Steveston Village, Richmond, BC Steveston Village.

View this recently sold Townhouse or see all my home sales

I just sold this House at 9651 Thomas Place, "Ashley Meadows" in the Lackner neighbourhood, Richmond, BC "Ashley Meadows" in the Lackner neighbourhood.

View this recently sold House or see all my home sales

Budget 2017—BCREA News Release

Vancouver, BC – February 22, 2017. On the heels of multiple government announcements in 2016 and early 2017, the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) welcomes the latest: an increase in the Property Transfer Tax exemption threshold for first-time buyers, announced in Budget 2017. The increase, to $500,000 from $475,000, takes effect today.

BCREA appreciates this government’s attention to the needs of first-time homebuyers. To keep pace with the dynamic real estate market and ensure that homebuyers aren’t left behind, the Association strongly believes that this threshold—and all others related to the Property Transfer Tax—should be indexed, with adjustments made annually.

During Minister de Jong’s budget consultation in January, BCREA recommended that the first-time buyer exemption be increased to $750,000. That number would align with the exemption for newly-built homes and with the BC HOME Partnership program. This measure would have expanded consumer choices, because the First Time Home Buyers’ Program exemption applies to all homes, rather than only newly-built homes, which are often out of reach of first-time buyers.

BCREA also looks forward to learning more about the provincial government’s plans to partner with local governments to increase housing supply. Specifically, the Association supports incentives that result in faster housing and development approval processes, as well as increased density of family-oriented homes along transit corridors.

For more information on BCREA’s recommendations on market housing affordability, visit www.bcrea.bc.ca/government-relations/affordability.

This Saturday and Sunday,  Feb 25th & 26th, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM we will be hosting an Open House at 11491 PLOVER DRIVE in the Westwind neighborhood, Richmond. This is an opportunity to visit this excellent House for sale in beautiful Westwind.

Please come with any questions you may have. In the meantime you can take a virtual tour of this Westwind House for sale.

As always please do not hesitate to give me a call at 604.644.1044 if I can answer any questions before the open house, or if you would like to book a private showing.

Alisa Sakamoto
REALTOR® RE/MAX WESTCOAST

Making an Offer in a Competitive Market

Imagine finding a home you love, making an offer, and then finding out there are other competing offers on the table. Ouch. If you’re looking for a property in a competitive market, it is likely that there will be multiple offers. Even just one can create the risk that you’ll lose the home. So how do you make sure your offer is enticing enough to win over the seller? Here are some ideas: 

• Find their motivations. To seal the deal, you have to know the seller’s motivations. We’re all motivated by something, and seeing things from the seller’s point of view can help you write a killer offer. Usually it’s one of three things:

1. The bottom line (aka “money”)
2. A rush to move/don’t want to drag the selling process out (terms)
3. Emotional attachment

• Don’t make a low-ball offer. If you do, it might be dismissed and you probably won’t get another chance to bid — especially if the other competing offers are near the listing price. 

• Make sure your finances are in order. Have a pre-arranged mortgage and include that with your offer. This reassures the seller there won’t be any money issues. (Most lenders will provide you with a pre-arranged mortgage certificate for this purpose.) 

• Be prepared to move fast. When houses are selling fast, you've got to be faster than rival buyers. Do your research ahead of time to hone in on exactly what you're looking for. If you're financially ready to buy, waiting around won't do you much good. Not only do you risk prices going higher, but interest rates as well.

• Give it your best shot. Remember that sometimes you only get one chance. You need to go in with the highest price you are willing to pay and be happy whether you win or lose. This is tricky and requires a savvy knowledge of the current market, your REALTOR® can surely help you with that. 

In a competitive situation, working with a REALTOR® who is an expert on the local market — and a skilled negotiator — is crucial. Looking for a REALTOR® like that? Call today.

Medallion Club Award

Just received this in the mail - excited to have achieved the Medallion Club Award for the 3rd year in a row! This award recognizes the accomplishments of the profession's Top 10% of realtors in the Greater Vancouver area. I am SO thankful for all the incredible people in my life.. my clients, colleagues, family & friends for helping me get here and achieve my goals! 

I look forward to another year of doing what I love... assisting you to achieve your real estate goals, please don't hesitate to call me.

Thanks!



Alisa Sakamoto 
Personal Real Estate Corporation 

OPEN HOUSE: SAT/SUN FEB 11 & 12 FROM 2PM TO 4PM
11491 Plover Drive, Richmond (Westwind)

This Saturday and Sunday,  Feb 11th & 12th, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM we will be hosting an Open House at 11491 PLOVER DRIVE in the Westwind neighborhood, Richmond. This is an opportunity to visit this excellent House for sale in beautiful Westwind.

Please come with any questions you may have. In the meantime you can take a virtual tour of this Westwind House for sale.

As always please do not hesitate to give me a call at 604.644.1044 if I can answer any questions before the open house, or if you would like to book a private showing.

Alisa Sakamoto
REALTOR® RE/MAX WESTCOAST

The stats from the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver have been released for January.  Home sales and listings trends are below long-term averages in the Metro Vancouver housing market. This is due largely to reduced activity in the detached home market.

Please let me know if you have any questions, I look forward to helping you

    Metro Vancouver Housing Market Off to a Quieter Start than Last Year

VANCOUVER, BC – February 2, 2017 – Home sales and listings trends are below long-term averages in the Metro Vancouver* housing market. This is due largely to reduced activity in the detached home market.

Residential property sales in the region totalled 1,523 in January 2017, a 39.5 per cent decrease from the 2,519 sales recorded in January 2016 and an 11.1 per cent decrease compared to December 2016 when 1,714 homes sold.

Last month’s sales were 10.3 per cent below our 10-year January sales average.

“From a real estate perspective, it’s a lukewarm start to the year compared to 2016,” Dan Morrison, Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) president said. “While we saw near record-breaking sales at this time last year, home buyers and sellers are more reluctant to engage so far in 2017.”

New listings for detached, attached and apartment properties in Metro Vancouver totalled 4,140 in January 2017. This represents a 6.8 per cent decrease compared to the 4,442 homes listed in January 2016 and a 215.5 per cent increase compared to December 2016 when 1,312 properties were listed.

The total number of homes currently listed for sale on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in Metro Vancouver is 7,238, a 9.1 per cent increase compared to January 2016 (6,635) and a 14.1 per cent increase compared to December 2016 (6,345).

The sales-to-active listings ratio for January 2017 is 21 per cent. This is the lowest the ratio has been in the region since January 2015. Generally, analysts say that downward pressure on home prices occurs when the ratio dips below the 12 per cent mark for a sustained period, while home prices often experience upward pressure when it surpasses 20 per cent over several months.

“Conditions within the market vary depending on property type. The townhome and condominium markets are more active than the detached market at the moment,” Morrison said. “As a result, detached home prices declined about 7 per cent since peaking in July while townhome and condominium prices held steady over this period.”

The MLS® Home Price Index composite benchmark price for all residential properties in Metro Vancouver is currently $896,000. This represents a 3.7 per cent decline over the past six months and a 0.2 per cent decrease compared to December 2016. 

Sales of detached properties in January 2017 reached 444, a decrease of 57.6 per cent from the 1,047 detached sales recorded in January 2016. The benchmark price for detached properties is $1,474,800. This represents a 6.6 per cent decline over the last six months and a 0.6 per cent decrease compared to December 2016.

Sales of apartment properties reached 825 in January 2017, a decrease of 24.7 per cent compared to the 1,096 sales in January 2016.The benchmark price of an apartment property is $512,300. This represents a 0.3 per cent increase over the last six months and a 0.4 per cent increase compared to December 2016.

Attached property sales in January 2017 totalled 254, a decrease of 32.4 per cent compared to the 376 sales in January 2016. The benchmark price of an attached unit is $666,500. This represents a 0.4 per cent decline over the last six months and a 0.7 per cent increase compared to December 2016.

                                           Click here to download the complete stats package.