This weekend's open houses: 203 1530 Mariners Walk, Saturday October 2nd 2-4pm; 4-1 550 Beatty, Sunday October 3rd 2-4pm. The central locations are convenient for your needs and offer plenty of nearby attractions. Come view these great 1 bedrooms in person!

The good news from BCREA’s economic outlook is that the normalization of both short-term and long-term interest rates will be deferred. BC households with variable rate mortgages will therefore be facing lower payments than what was predicted at the beginning of the year. As well, new homebuyers or homeowners set to renew their mortgages will be offered a second chance at securing rates at levels last seen during the worst of the financial crisis. The BCREA forecast is for a continuatio ... Full Article...

The Autumn Shift Festival takes place tomorrow, September 25 on Main Street. Broadway to 12th Avenue will be car free to make room for a family event celebrating Autumn and a shift toward sustainability. From 12 noon to 6pm the Mt. Pleasant BIA hosts the event, which includes live music, comedy acts, and free cotton candy and popcorn! Sustainability and gardening booths showcase an interesting variety of ways to be green. www.kidsvancouver.com Also marking the change in seasons-- Vancouver Symp ... Full Article...

Open houses are being held this weekend for: 203 1530 Mariners Walk, Saturday September 25 2-4pm, and 4-1 550 Beatty, Sat & Sun September 25 & 26, 2-4pm both days. These two listings are both great 1 bedrooms in central, vibrant neighbourhoods. Very conveniently located, whether you prefer to be part of the action nearby or enjoy the comfort of a peaceful home. Come through and have a look!

A reminder for tomorrow-- Thursday, September 23: The Shooting Stars Foundation presents Gambado! An evening of fabulous fare, fun and frivolity at Granville Island. This 'feast for the senses' dinner and auction raises money to support Direct Service AIDS organizations locally. See www.shootingstarsfoundation.org for tickets and menu choices, as well as more information on the foundation.

On Thursday, September 23 the Shooting Stars Foundation presents Gambado! An evening of fabulous fare, fun and frivolity at Granville Island. This 'feast for the senses' dinner and auction raises money to support Direct Service AIDS organizations locally. See www.shootingstarsfoundation.org for tickets and menu choices, as well as more information on the foundation. From now until September 26, the 7th annual Vancouver ComedyFest is in full swing around town. Appearances by Charlie Murphy, Tom ... Full Article...

The anxiously awaited August numbers from the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) have finally been reported. The good news is that for the first month since March 2010, national resale housing activity improved, showing a seasonally adjusted 4.1 percent increase from the previous month. CREA’s Chief Economist, Gregory Klump, summarized it this way “The hangover from accelerated home purchases is likely to persist over the rest of the year. Although economic and job growth are ... Full Article...

The Yale is hosting the JSR End of Summer Jam at the Yale (Granville & Drake) Thursday September 16th. This is a community event to support local charities such as MPS, Living Through Loss Counselling, Starlight & West Coast Assistance Teams. Performances by the Jardines, Clive's Timing, Beverley Elliot and more along with food, prizes and a silent auction. Come out and have a great time for a great cause! A pay what you can event. Doors at 6:30pm. For more information contact yvonne@synergycol ... Full Article...

The sharp decline in housing resale activity since the beginning of the year has ignited fears that the Canadian market has started to crash. In large part, such concerns are based on the belief that the spectacular run-up in prices in the past several years reflected bubble-like conditions, which will inevitably end up in a gut-wrenching correction. While we agree that housing prices are currently historically elevated, we do not believe that any major slump will necessarily ensue. Housing aff ... Full Article...

A couple of highlights taking place this weekend are the Davie Day street festival and the Vancouver International Fringe Festival.   Davie Day 2010 is Saturday, September 11 along Davie where the street will be closed to traffic for the festivities. The day promises to be filled with fun, laughter and music. To see the day's programme visit: www.davieday.com From now until September 19, the Fringe Festival offers hundreds of performances, mostly located at Granville Island. This is the 26th ye ... Full Article...

All 3 featured properties have open houses this weekend, so you can come by and see them in person.  Between the character Crosstown loft, the peaceful False Creek condo, and the retirement gem, a variety of tastes and lifestyles are accommodated by these select listings.  #4-1 550 Beatty: Saturday September 11 & Sunday the 12th, 2pm-4pm both days. #905 1570 West 7th: Saturday September 11 & Sunday the 12th, now from 1pm-3pm both days. #203 1530 Mariners Walk: Sunday September 12 from 2pm to 4p ... Full Article...

When the time comes to make an offer on a property, every transaction is different. However, I can tell you whether it’s a hot market or a challenging one. There are some tips to keep in mind that will help your offer appeal to the seller. Your first step is advance preparation. Get your finances in order first. Make sure all your credit card and loan payments are up to date, and your credit rating is spotless. Then, get pre-approved for your mortgage loan, so you’ll know in advance ... Full Article...

It's the last long weekend of the summer, here are some local events to take in: The Vancouver Latin American Film Festival is happening now, with a variety of movies being shown around town. For listings and locations visit www.vlaff.org Another source of entertainment is the Enchanted Evening Concert Series taking place in the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Chinese Garden on Friday nights. Live concerts in this beautiful, peaceful setting are a lovely way to relax after the work week. www.vancouverchinesega ... Full Article...

It's called a buyers' market, and Vancouver Real Estate Board President Jake Moldowan says it's a healthy one when homes sell in less than two months. Vancouver real estate sales were down 36 per cent from August 2009, according to the latest monthly report for August from the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver. But prices have stayed strong: benchmark price for all Vancouver housing increased from $539,600 to $576,597. Canadian Real Estate Association figures show a 10-per-cent increase in ... Full Article...

The price for #4-1 550 Beatty has been reduced to $669,000! View the open house this Saturday, September 4 2pm-4pm. Open houses will also be held at 905 1570 West 7th this Sunday, September 5 2pm-4pm & 203 1530 Mariners Walk on Saturday the 4th and Sunday the 5th, from 2pm-4pm both days.