News
RETAINING FAMILY ASSETS WHILE IMPROVING CASH FLOW
Monday, October 2, 2017
The Situation: The Orr family is a well-established real estate family with a wide range of holdings. The family generally prefers to hold properties rather than sell them, enjoying ongoing revenue streams. They held a tract of land along Kingsway in Metrotown that was underutilized. Older low-rise...
AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR VETERANS AND SENIOR CITIZENS
Monday, October 2, 2017
The situation: In North Vancouver, Anavets (Army, Navy, and Air Force Veterans in Canada) Senior Citizens’ Housing Society had three low-rise residential buildings on one large piece of land in the Lower Lonsdale area. These buildings were at the end of their economic life and were beginning to cost...
HELPING TO DEAL WITH A FALTERING MARKET
Monday, October 2, 2017
The situation: The Crean family had owned the property at Spruce and Broadway for a very long time. To increase the value of their holding, they started work to redevelop the site into a boutique residential building with commercial/ retail space on the ground floor. They went to work, demolishing t...
LOS ANGELES: IN AND OUT GUIDE TO SUNSET RESTAURANTS
Monday, October 2, 2017
Whether it’s the cuisine or the clientele, many famous LA restaurants have boasted a Sunset Boulevard address. The first was Café Trocadero, a French inspired “supper club” that was opened by Hollywood Reporter publisher Billy Wilkerson in 1934. Wilkerson was likely more motivated by the opportunity...
LOS ANGELES: ACCESS HOLLYWOOD BY SUNSET BOULEVARD
Monday, October 2, 2017
From the noir tones of Chinatown and LA Confidential to rom-com dreaminess in LA Story and LaLa Land, Hollywood has “played itself” for as long as there has been a film industry. After all, what other city shouts its name in bold white letters on the side of a mountain top? There are so many touris...
HOLLYWOOD: STROLL DOWN SUNSET STRIP
Monday, October 2, 2017
“There’s something happening here/what it is ain’t exactly clear…” In 1966, a young band called Buffalo Springfield released a song called “For What It’s Worth” that became a countercultural anthem. A young songwriter named Stephen Stills penned it after a rowdy incident where police officers were...
VANCOUVER: SELF-GUIDED WEST END WALKING TOURS
Sunday, October 1, 2017
Fall is here, but the weather shows no signs of cooling down. Take advantage of the sun while you can and explore your favourite neighbourhood, the West End. We put together two self-guided walking tours to help you discover historic buildings and hidden gems in the West End that you might not be aw...
AN OUTRIGHT SALE THAT DEALT WITH UNCERTAINTY HEAD ON
Sunday, October 1, 2017
The situation: The Cambie Corridor Plan was in the early stages of development at the City of Vancouver’s Planning Department. With the Canada Line as its catalyst, the plan included opportunities for Transit Oriented Development. But the density, height allowances and general architecture of that r...
COSTA MESA: EXPLORING THE CRAFT BEER SCENE
Sunday, October 1, 2017
These days, nothing says “street cred” quite like a community with a killer craft beer scene. Again, Orange County is way out front on this trend with no less than thirty craft breweries—give or take, it can be a brutally competitive business and tap houses open and close all the time. Within Costa...
COSTA MESA: A THRIVING RETAIL SCENE
Sunday, October 1, 2017
Shopaholics outside of Orange County might not be able to identify Costa Mesa (population: 112,000) on a map, but they will certainly know where South Coast Plaza is. Fifty years ago, the vision (or folly) was to take a flat no man’s land of dirt and grass close to where a new freeway (the I-405) wa...
ORANGE COUNTY: TUSTIN SCHOOL DISTRICT - QUALITY EDUCATION IN A PUBLIC SPACE
Friday, September 29, 2017
For house hunting young families, access to a highly- accredited and well-respected public schools system becomes a key criteria, especially as toddlers begin to reach school age In considering Tustin (population: 78,000), these parents have found an “A-Grade” school system that graduates 98 percent...
ORANGE COUNTY: A GUIDE TO THE BEST BEACHES
Friday, September 29, 2017
It’s safe to generalize that beach culture is California culture and vice-versa. From tremolo-laden guitar licks to noseriding on a ten-foot “log” (surf slang for longboarding) to cruising beach town main drags in a chopped low-rider hot rod, surfing infuses everyday life in Orange County especially...
IRVINE: DIAMOND JAMBOREE SHOPPING CENTRE
Friday, September 29, 2017
Once you find parking (maybe take a taxi, or Uber, to get there), you’ll find out why Diamond’s owners say “we bring the world to you.” With a population demographic high in Asian Americans, Irvine’s Diamond Shopping Center is regionally renowned for its diversity of restaurants, grocery stores, bou...
IRVINE: THE PERFECT COMBINATION
Friday, September 29, 2017
To properly live the California dream, you need the perfect combination of beaches, high paying jobs, somewhat affordable housing (this is California we’re talking about), and, if you’ve got kids, highly rated public schools. Irvine (population: 226,000) scores extremely highly on all counts. From i...
VANCOUVER: CAN'T GET ENOUGH
Thursday, September 28, 2017
Since the 2010 Winter Games, Vancouver, British Columbia (population 603,000/city; 2.46 million/metro) has seen a remarkable economic, cultural and lifestyle boom that has catapulted it into an elite field of cities that includes Melbourne, London, Berlin, and even Paris. From the ski resorts and...
RICHMOND: TRANSFORMING THE FUTURE
Thursday, September 28, 2017
First inhabited by the Coast Salish First Nations tribes who would seasonally camp on the shores of the Fraser River during fishing season, Richmond has become one of the most vibrant and ethnically diverse cities in Greater Vancouver. In-migration from Asian countries—Hong Kong and Mainland China,...
COQUITLAM: NEW CROSSROADS OF METRO VANCOUVER
Thursday, September 28, 2017
To quote a visionary transit engineer: “build a Skytrain, and they will come.” Vancourverites love their driverless, fully automated rapid transit system. In December, 2016, Translink opened the sleek, quiet Evergreen Line extension through the heart of Coquitlam, making the Tri-Cities (Coquitlam, P...
INSIDER REALTOR: SUSAN CARHOUN
Saturday, September 16, 2017
In this month’s Insider Realtor blog, we’re excited to introduce you to Susan Carhoun from RE/MAX Crest Realty Westside. 1. At what community did you sell your first Intracorp home? I sold my first Intracorp home at Belpark. It is truly an amazing development with such high quality finishes. Absolut...
COQUITLAM: THE STORY BEHIND #EXPLORECOQUITLAM
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
As one of Metro’s fastest growing municipalities, Coquitlam takes on many different meanings. To commuters, it’s part of the spiffy new Evergreen Skytrain line. To lovers of greenspace, it’s home to Mundy Park and Burke Mountain. But for curious tourists and visitors, Coquitlam can be a bit of a mys...
VANCOUVER: THE HEALTHY LIVING ALTERNATIVE - BONJOUR MARKETPLACE
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Bonjour Marketplace offers a healthy living alternative to Marpole residents. There’s been a produce stand or green grocer of some kind at 8496 Granville Street for at least the past two decades, according to Wie Lee, the former owner who currently manages Bonjour Marketplace as it makes the transit...
COQUITLAM: BEAT THE SUMMER HEAT
Friday, August 11, 2017
Try out these fun ways around town to cool down. 1. Outdoor pools What better way to enjoy a day off? Enjoy the slides and wave pool as many times as your heart desires. Marco Polo, anyone? Spani Outdoor Pool – 655 Hillcrest Street 2. Spray parks Coquitlam has seven spray parks, including a top spo...
VANCOUVER: ARBUTUS GREENWAY
Friday, July 28, 2017
Vancouver’s iconic Stanley Park Seawall is a huge draw for residents of the city’s West End and tourists staying in downtown hotels. However, it’s not the only place that you can hop on a bike or run with a baby stroller, safe in the knowledge that you won’t encounter potentially dangerous vehicle t...
COQUITLAM: I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM FOR ROCKY POINT ICE CREAM
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
It’s shortly after 10:00 am on a Friday morning, and already a dozen kids and their moms are lining up for ice cream at Rocky Point Ice Cream in Port Moody. Owner Yvette Cuthbert is behind the counter with nine of her employees, getting ready for what will surely be another 16 hour day. If it’s busy...
INSIDER REALTOR: SAM SUN
Tuesday, July 4, 2017
In this month’s Insider Realtor blog, we’re excited to introduce you to Sam Sun from Royal Pacific Realty Group. 1.At what community did you sell your first Intracorp home? Belpark. The project featured contemporary West Coast design with warm wood detailing. I was especially impressed by the kitche...
VANCOUVER: GROW URBAN LANDSCAPING AND DECOR
Monday, June 12, 2017
Located on Bute Street (where the rainbow crosswalks crisscross Davie Street at Jim Deva Plaza ), Grow Urban Landscaping and Décor is a brand new boutique garden centre and floral shop which, despite the slow start to spring on the West Coast, is finding its niche in the neighbourhood. Co-owner Trev...
INSIDER REALTOR: HENRY SHAO
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
In this month’s Insider Realtor blog, we’re excited to introduce you to Henry Shao from Royal Pacific Realty Corp. 1. At what community did you sell your first Intracorp home? Silver by Intracorp was the first Intracorp project home I sold since I became a realtor. 2. What do you like the most about...
HOMEOWNER CARE HOW-TO’S: CLOSING ON YOUR HOME
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
We understand that moving, whether it be to your first home or not, can be stressful. Here are some things to keep in mind so that your completion is as smooth and stress-free as possible. A Brief Vocabulary List: Orientation: Also known as the “Pre-Delivery Inspection” or “Walk-though”, the Orient...
VANCOUVER: EATERIES IN THE WEST END
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
The West End has some new-ish restaurants and cafes worth checking out. Ritual, Cacao 70 and Whistler’s well known Peaked Pies are new to the West End having been open for only a few months. Timber and Molli Cafe already have a couple years behind them (hence new-ish) but are both hidden gems...
COQUITLAM: EXPLORE MUNDY PARK
Monday, May 1, 2017
Rated by TripAdvisor as the #1 Thing to Do in Coquitlam, this beautiful park strikes the ideal balance between contemplative natural space and actively promoted recreation. Owls, butterflies, bats, and numerous native bird species flock to the many deciduous and coniferous trees throughout the park....
VANCOUVER: EVVIE & OLIVE FLORAL DESIGN IN MARPOLE
Thursday, April 27, 2017
There is, perhaps, no greater a symbol of how vibrant a neighbourhood is than the number, and quality, of its floral shops. Evelyn Chan, a former piano teacher, opened Evvie & Olive Floral Design in late 2015 to expand her creative talent for flower arranging. Located near the corner of Granvill...