Kathleen Thomas Bay Realty

2307 141 Street

admin — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:34:56 +0000

Forest Edge Family Beauty! Spacious rooms & a wonderful living area across the back distinguish this home from the rest. Rich hardwood in the kitchen/nook/entry, updated colours & carpet & an amazing kitchen with newer granite, backsplash, commercial grade stove, & stainless appliances. Large family room opens off the kitchen & out to a private west facing yard. Master suite has roomy walk-in closet & 5 piece ensuite. Games room up is great for the kids or media equip. & bedroom/full bath on main provides versatility of use. Prime location near parks, schools, & rec. fields.

4-1711 140 Street

admin — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:23:28 +0000

Oceanwood Rancher Townhome in prime corner location! Lovely sunny south yard and long garage apron for guest parking. Current owner has updated the carpeting, window treatments, & appliances. There is hardwood in the foyer, kitchen, eat.area & fam. room. Elegant vaulted ceilings in the living/dining rooms are accented with a graceful fireplace. Large white kitchen has centre island. Master suite is over-sized with wonderful pampering ensuite & walk-in closet. This gated complex is near a convenience store, hardware, & bus routes. Unfinished basement is great for storage or? Pet allowed, rentals restricted.

Has the Spring Market Finally Sprung?

Kathleen — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:51:32 +0000

Spring is traditionally the busiest time of year for house sales. Once the sun comes out, the wind dies down, and temperatures increase, the buyers come out looking to buy a new home. However, spring, and the spring real estate market, has been late to arrive this year.

According to Scott Olson, the president of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB), “It was quieter than usual for March, but still steady with an increase in demand for more affordable properties, in particular detached homes for less than $500,000 and townhomes. Compared to last March, every community in Fraser Valley experienced a decrease in the sales of single family detached homes especially those priced at the higher-end. Last year, single family homes represented 63 per cent of our residential market. This March, it dropped to 56 per cent, so we’re seeing demand for more affordable options. This is in contrast to last year when we saw elevated sales of higher-end homes in areas such as North Delta, South Surrey and White Rock.”

Also noted in the FVREB News Release April 2102 was the fact that in the “Fraser Valley, the sale of detached homes with a value greater than half a million dollars decreased by 33 per cent compared to last year, explaining why average prices, which can be skewed by the dollar volume of high or low end sales, are showing decreases year-over-year, while benchmark prices – homes with typical characteristics for the neighbourhood – are showing increases compared to 2011.”

So what does this mean for homeowners for South Surrey/White Rock? Well statistics for the Fraser Valley cover the area that extends from North Delta to Abbotsford. Within this area are submarkets and as such, White Rock and South Surrey continues to do well. While we are not experiencing the activity we saw last spring, properties are selling. Buyers are looking, they are just taking their time deciding upon what they will buy. Detached houses are taking an average of 46 days to sell, townhouses 49, and apartments are typically selling within 58 days. It is more of a buyers’ market but what this means is that homeowners need to ensure that their property is competitively priced and shows well. Homeowners who ensure their property stands out from the rest will see their homes sell.

If you are thinking of selling your home, or know somebody who is, give me a call and I would be happy to do a market evaluation for you.

11797 S Cowley Drive

admin — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 23:31:36 +0000

Lovely family home with 4 bdrms and 2 baths. This home has been well taken care of over the years and it shows! You will be impressed with the gleaming hand-scraped hdwd floors, the updated kitchen, the new paint, and the beautifully renovated main bath. Enjoy the open plan living room/dining room kitchen and the 3 bdrms on the main floor, as well as the spacious family room down. The fourth bdrm downstairs is private and there is an additional flex room allowing for a home-based office or extra storage. With plenty of windows there is also a lot of natural light. This home is located in a family friendly neighbourhood, peaceful and quiet, yet convenient to amenities. You won’t be disappointed.

New Listing and Open House

Kathleen — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 19:39:51 +0000

Wonderful family home at 11797 Cowley Drive South in North Delta. This home has almost 1900 sq ft on a 6100 sqft + lot. There are 3 bedrooms up, a fourth bedroom down, 2 bathrooms, a living room and a rec room. Well taken care of and nicely renovated over the years with a 3 year old roof, hardwood flooring throughout, a new five piece main bath, and a nicely updated kitchen. Come and see for yourself at the open house Sunday, March 11 from 2:00 to 4:00.

750-1515 W2nd Avenue, Vancouver

admin — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:12:15 +0000

Fabulous freehold condo in concrete building in the heart of False Creek! …With panoramic views of False Creek, the North Shore mountains, and Downtown. Enjoy the view from all rooms or from the oversize deck that spans the width of the condo. This condo has been beautifully renovated with new flooring (slate and hardwood), a new kitchen from top to bottom including stainless steel appliances, granite counters, and new cabinets, new lighting, new bathrooms including a decadent walk-in shower in the ensuite, and a new washer/dryer. The built-in computer/desk work station is a perfect home office. Peaceful and quiet yet mere steps from Granville Island.

1106 161A Street, White Rock

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:13:54 +0000

Bright updated 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom rancher situated on a 8,131 square foot lot backing onto McNally Creek with total privacy in the backyard. Jennish Design with great room plan in the kithen/family & nook areas. All rooms including bedrooms a nice size that would be ideal for empty nesters or first time buyers. Interior completely painted in light neutral wall color to accentuate the dark laminate flooring throughout with the exception of the bathrooms. Both bathrooms just updated top to bottom with light decor for ease in decorating. Some extra updates include new light fixtures. light switches and plugs, tile backsplash in the kitchen, doors and trims painted, hardward updated, wood exterior siding that is in excellent condition. Extra large garage with lots of room on both sides of the garage for shelving and cabinets. Roof updated about 7 years ago. Excellent home in an excellent location. Wtihin walking distance to the beach, transit & schools. In South Meridian catchment and in move in condition!

411-15368 16A Street, White Rock

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:01:45 +0000

Ocean Bay Villas: Top Floor – Top of the Class! All the ingredients for perfect condo living are yours in this NE corner suite with 1 lge. balcony & 1 smaller off the kitchen. Nice & bright but cool in the summers. Spacious kitchen with gr anite counters & eating bar; 9′ ceilings, pantry, gas fireplace, hardwood & custom carpeting, double shower in ensuite off of roomy master. This well managed complex has a caretaker, large exercise room, guest suite, workshop, bike storage, & well equipped recreation room. Dog or cat allowed, no age or rental restr. Storage locker 411-2 and parking stall 142.

210-15368 16A Avenue, White Rock

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:00:10 +0000

Wonderfully unique condo in Ocean Bay Villas: Almost 1200 sq. ft. with 2 ensuited bedrooms plus a powder rm. Hardwood in the entry, kitchen, & eating area, windows on the South and West sides, glass block accents, & lovely outlook over the courtyard well set back from street. Spacious master has sitting area, double doors & opens to a 5 piece ensuite. Large 2nd bedroom with walk-in closet, balcony & ensuite makes this home perfect for those needing 2 masters. Sit-up bar area in kitchen & lots of counter space will appeal to the active cook. Elegant living room has gas F/P, glass block & ceiling accents. Shops are only a short distance away from this complex equipped with guest suite, gym, workshop. 1 dog or 2 cats, all ages.

Wow – my home has really gone up in value!

Kathleen — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:47:17 +0000

Ah yes, it is that time of year again when our tax assessments come out. Tax assessments for properties in the Lower Mainland have, for the most part, gone up – some by a significant amount. Why is this, homeowners wonder? Also, is this good news or bad?

What one has to realize is that tax assessments are based upon property values as recorded on July 1st of the previous year.The reasons that tax assessments have gone up this year is because of the busy spring market we had last year. Last spring we had a very active housing market that saw an increase in the selling price for houses, particularly in West Vancouver, Vancouver, Richmond, and South Surrey/White Rock. As a result, the property values went up on our assessments for this year.

So, is this good news or bad news? Well, it all depends upon your perspective. If you intend to remain in your home, a higher assessment means a higher property tax that you will have to pay to your local government. So many homeowners aren’t too thrilled to see their property value go up. However, if you are listing your house for sale, a higher tax assessment is often seen by homeowners as a means of determining its market value. Good news indeed!

Be careful though. Most buyers work with realtors. A realtor’s job is to show their buyers what the property’s market value is. The assessed value of the home is not typically the best indicator of a property’s value. While the land value of a particular property generally remains stable over time, a home is a depreciating asset unless it is regularly maintained and updated. In addition to the land value, to determine the value of a house one needs to consider its location, the style and size of the home, and any updates that have been made to it over the years. While the assessment authority has information regarding land, location, and size, they do not generally know how well maintained and updated a house is. If the house has been sold recently, they have useful information to use for its market value but otherwise, they have to go on generalized sales and market information.

The most useful information to determine the market value of your home is to look at what comparable homes in your neighbourhood have sold for recently – not a year, or six months, ago. This is the information that a buyer’s realtor will use to help him or her determine what to offer when buying a house.

So good news or bad news? You decide!