WHERE TO STAY IN ST. LUCIA – NORTH VS SOUTH

People usually ask what the best area to stay in Saint Lucia is – North or South. Most of the St Lucia Villa Hotels and Resorts are located in the north of the island. Here you can discover the utmost diversity of accommodation as well as tourist facilities.

# Gros Islet / Rodney Bay

Rodney Bay is the main tourist center offering white sand beaches, restaurants, shops, and nightlife. Although very pleasant and vibrant in its own way, the north of the island is fairly touristy, more crowded, more costly to live in, as well as less local and authentic.

# Marigot Bay

South of Castries is Marigot Bay, which has also a variety of popular St Lucia Villas and very pretty views. On the other hand, this area is mainly a marina, there is not too much to do in and around Marigot, with the exclusion of diving, kayaking, sailing, as well as visiting the rum distillery.

# West Coast and East Coast

Between Soufriere and Marigot Bay, there are some places to stay, in addition to the same can be said for the East Coast, the area between Vieux Fort and Castries. These parts of the island are quite picturesque and local, as well as mainly untouched by tourism, although they do offer some interesting attractions and lovely views. Check here!

# Vieux Fort

Near Vieux Fort and just north of Vieux Fort, there are some lovely guest houses as well as inns worth visiting. In addition, there is a wonderful white sand beach popular with kite surfers and certainly the international airport, restaurants, and shops.

# Soufriere

Soufriere is generally a tourist resort, but the setting is more intimate as well as natural than the north. The town is a bit run down and it can feel quite busy as well as touristy sometimes. Expect to be accosted by vendors or beggars and individuals offering different services. It’s better to stay outside of Soufriere, but most St Lucia Villa Hotels and Resorts further out tend to be costly.

# Laborie

Laborie is one of the best areas to stay in Saint Lucia. The charming and authentic fishing village of Laborie proposes some small guesthouses and affordable vacation rentals. You don’t essentially need a car in Laborie.

The beach, restaurants, and small shops are within walking distance, as well as it’s easy to catch a bus to the bigger town of Vieux Fort. It is very near to the Balenbouche Estate which provides the best of both – seclusion and nature, along with access to nearby sites, communities, and attractions.

# Choiseul

Choiseul provides fewer accommodation choices than Laborie, but there are a few Airbnb and private villas, as well as a small boutique resort. Many of these St Lucia Villa Rentals present stunning views of the ocean and the Pitons.

Last Words

In our view, the best area to stay in Saint Lucia is in the south and southwest of the island, between Soufriere and Vieux Fort. This is where most of the islands’ spots and attractions are located, in addition to where you can experience more of the local culture and history. Click here for more information: https://www.prudentialgrandvalley.com/4-reasons-saint-lucia-is-every-vacationers-dream-getaway/

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Is It A Bad Time To Invest In Vancouver Real Estate?

In spite of having around a fifth of Canada’s population, how did British Columbia avoid a massive COVID-19 outbreak as well as a province-wide lockdown? The province has relaxed the coronavirus pandemic rules now. However, British Columbia had fewer to begin with than many other provinces, preserving a lower hospitalization rate than Ontario, Alberta, and Quebec. Generally, the West Coast has maintained a fixed stream of great news during this public health disaster.

Given that the COVID-19 was largely contained in British Columbia, does this mean that Downtown Vancouver Condos Market was also unaffected? It’s been an uneven ride, but it looks like the worst could be finished.

Vancouver Real Estate Market

The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation are forecasting a major drop in the nation’s largest housing markets. It projects that Vancouver will face the largest drop of all, with prices falling 12.00% by 2022 from the 2019 average. Not everybody is convinced of a national slowdown with sales activity increasing over the past month. Local experts say that it’s challenging to monitor the information to identify developing trends.

Vancouver Realtors continue to improve new digital tools as well as practices to help their buyers meet their housing needs in a safe and responsible manner. House buyers and sellers have felt more comfortable operating in physical distancing and many other safety protocols in place over the past three months.

Greater Vancouver reports an increase in re-listing activity. There were 5,787 new listings in June, representing an increase of 57% compared to the same period last year. These dramatic trends have astonished analysts in view of that the spike occurred so shortly after the coronavirus outbreak. The number of active listings reached 11,424 and 15% more than in June 2019. Suffice it to say that if you’ve been waiting to dive into the Downtown Vancouver Condos, now might be the best time. Know more here!

Home Affordability to Attract More Clients?

One of Canada’s largest banks published its real estate affordability data for January 1st to March 31st of 2020. The Royal Bank of Canada indicated that that Canadian affordability is still deteriorating, but Vancouver has appeared the biggest improvement in affordability in the Great White North.

According to the Royal Bank of Canada, the median Vancouver household currently needs almost 80% and 4% percent less than last year. This is the sudden drop in British Columbia. Even though prices are still 31% greater than the long-term average, affordability is increasing. This is a welcome improvement for not only homebuyers but also real estate investors, especially millennials. This demographic has driven novel trends in the Downtown Vancouver Condos Market in recent years.

Vancouver Adapting to Coronavirus

Industry insiders say an important trend in Vancouver Housing has been the adaptation of buyers and sellers to this new coronavirus society. If it’s practicing social distancing or adopting stricter hygiene routines, everybody is doing their part as well as this is helping the housing market. Realtors have installed physical distancing mechanisms to comply with government health and safety commendations like other key markets. And more and more individuals are becoming more comfortable with this novel normal for housing transactions.

As well as wearing masks, gloves, and limiting contact, real estate agents take advantage of digital tools, from business papers to virtual tours. This makes buying and selling Downtown Vancouver Condos still feasible, even though the public health crisis still affects Canada. You can know more at: https://www.prudentialgrandvalley.com/important-tip-when-buying-a-vancouver-condo/

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Important Tip When Buying a Vancouver Condo

It’s your third weekend to head out and view 5 new Vancouver MLS Listings that just hit the market on Thursday. One posting in the 5 looks fantastic in the photographs, yet it’s your first time going to this specific building. Your real estate agent has disclosed to you the building looks great, and he has not heard anything terrible about its development and/or condition. Once inside the condo, you are amped up for the view and the design. After seeing the conveniences, typical regions, underground stopping, extra closet and bike room, you realize that this could be your next home.

This Downtown Vancouver Condos scratches off all the cases, and you advise your agent you might want to make an offer.

Read the Strata Documents before You Offer

Before a pen is put to paper (fingertips to a console), a decent purchaser’s agent will request a duplicate of the relative multitude of strata records from the posting agent. Numerous buyer’ agents today rush to compose an offer subject to the purchaser endorsing the strata reports. I generally read the whole strata report bundle before plugging down with my customer to write a proposal on a Downtown Vancouver Condos available to be purchased.

Note any data that may influence the worth of the posting or be an undesirable expense in the close or far off future. Strata records to zero in on are the accompanying.

Structure B and financials

  • Minutes of the meeting including all AGM’s and Special AGM’s
  • Devaluation report and any Engineers Reports
  • Strata plan
  • By-Laws and Rules

Seven-day subject period

When every one of the records has been perused and a current market assessment is done, my customer and I will have a reasonable comprehension of how to continue recorded as a hard copy of an offer. Even though we have perused the reports, incorporate the standard seven workday subject provision for supporting all archives:

Provision: “SUBJECT to the Buyer, before 7 workdays from the date of acknowledgment getting and endorsing the accompanying strata reports… ”

We can demand additional data about the building during this seven-day subject period, knowing there are no curve balls or things that will influence the worth or utilization of the Downtown Vancouver Condos. Check here!

When a listing agent has a copy of the strata document?

Should the posting agent have a duplicate of the strata report before the principal day of appearances?

Indeed, undoubtedly. A posting agent ought to have every one of the strata archives prepared and accessible when the posting hits the market. If the posting agent doesn’t have the records, they cannot manage their work appropriately or expertly.

  • A few realities of why strata reports are significant before making an offer?
  • Legal strata plan may show a more modest area than the promoted area.
  • Depreciation Report shows spaces of concern and expected uncommon appraisals.
  • Form B may state forthcoming changes to the By-Laws.
  • Minutes of gatherings frequently tell a story of how the local area works inside the building.

In summary, knowing however much as could be expected about the building and the strata before you compose an offer is significant.

See the best of the Downtown Vancouver Condos Real Estate Agent and click here for more information: https://www.prudentialgrandvalley.com/is-vancouvers-real-estate-market-really-in-free-fall/

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Is Vancouver’s Real Estate Market Really In Free Fall?

Who wouldn’t want to invest in Vancouver? It’s beautiful and there are many beautiful homes to snap up; however, there has been a lot of talk about falling house prices. That’s always a concern when you own property, especially if it’s a rental or investment property. Even when it’s your family home, you can owe more than you originally bought it for. It’s a nightmare and something which many Vancouver homeowners are concerned about. So, is the real estate market in free fall?

Understanding the Average House Prices

A lot of newspapers have been talking about how the bottom is falling out of the Vancouver real estate market and if you look at the figures it does seem that way. However, while there has been a slight drop in the average house price, it isn’t as shocking as you might think. Yes, there has been a downturn in the market of late but if you actually look at the homes behind the headlines, it’s the ones worth millions of dollars. Estimations for standard family homes are pretty steady at the moment so it’s not time to panic, as yet anyway.

Traditional three or four-family homes worth a few hundred thousand dollars aren’t suddenly losing their value. Of course, if your home was worth $5 million then you have some cause for alarm. Generally, you can invest in Vancouver real estate and make a tidy profit – if you buy wisely.

Changing of the Vancouver Real Estate Market

There’s no denying that real estate can fluctuate as much as any stock or investment piece. It’s a gamble to buy a home, even when the market is pretty steady. You never know when the economy is going to nose-dive and leave you with a home that’s worth half of what you paid for it. It’s a major risk of life and one that’s often unexpected. Fortunately, if you do your homework before you buy, you can invest in Vancouver and see a nice return. Of course, nothing is guaranteed but it does help to know the market. Sometimes, buying in an up-and-coming area helps, especially if you’re buying a family or forever home. More details!

Taking the Gamble Is More about the Property You Buy

Investing in property can be a smart idea but you do have to be extremely careful. You need to understand the current state of the market and whether the home you buy is worth what you pay. For instance, a $1 million mansion in an upscale part of Vancouver might seem nice but will you be able to see a profit the way the market stands? Or, would you be more likely to see a safe return on a smaller family home in another nice area of Vancouver? The Vancouver real estate market is buoyant, somewhat, but prices on the higher-value properties are decreasing.

Watch the Markets Closely

Unless you own a $5 million home, it’s unlikely the slight decrease in house prices will affect you. Of course, that doesn’t mean a dip in the market won’t impact you at some stage. As said, the real estate market can change in an instance and you need to stay alert to that possibility. The market isn’t in free fall yet but anything can change. If you want to invest in Vancouver real estate you have to approach any property with caution. To find out more, check out https://www.prudentialgrandvalley.com/who-is-buying-vancouver-real-estate/

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Who is buying Vancouver Real estate?

When looking at the current Vancouver real estate, you may be left with the question with who these days have the money to buy housing in the city. In this article we will cover just who is able to purchase real estate in Vancouver.

Foreign home owners

In recent reports conducted in the Vancouver area it has been discovered that the majority of home-owners in Vancouver are not actually residents there. The type of property often owned by non-residents tends to be condos, with the percentage of condos owned by non-residents being 30.4% higher than that of residents. However, the condos owned by non-residents often come at a higher price, 25.6% to be exact. There has also been a rise in Hong Kong buyers due to uncertain political stability in their country. More details!

New ways to buy

Due to high property prices in the Vancouver area people have been adapting and figuring out new ways to get onto the real estate property ladder. One of the ways that they have done this is by co-ownership of the property. This is when two or more people pool together their resources and purchase the property together. This can become difficult later on when they are trying to figure out who is entitled to what depending on how much each has paid, but in the meantime it get them onto the property ladder. This is normally done by either: each person gets a private suite or each one gets a bedroom and the common areas such as the kitchen, bathroom and living room are shared between all of them. This situation can get even more complicated if there are renovations needed to the property which could lead to conflict as to how to split the renovation costs. It is for this reason that it is advised that in this situation that both parties have a lawyer to help them through this process to avoid any unresolveable problems in the future.

Big earners

A study was concluded to determine just how much a person would need to make in order to be able to afford a house in different neighborhoods, and the results were shocking. In at least five of the neighborhoods in Vancouver the amount needed to purchase a property was over 100,000 USD more than the average household was making. This leaves a big gap for high earners to come in and purchase all of the property that the average household cannot afford. This leads to big earners owning more than the average family, such as a West end condo or a downtown one.

In conclusion, the majority of property in Vancouver is being purchased by either big earners or by non-residents buyers. However, this is down to the fact that Vancouver real estate is a very attractive investment for all. For more details, visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver

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How to Find the Perfect Venue for a Corporate Event in Vancouver

How to Find the Perfect Venue for a Corporate Event in Vancouver

Invest in Vancouver. Have you thought about what you do when you want to book a venue for a corporate event? To be honest, a lot of people leave things to the last minute and it’s going to result in them losing out. You can’t really afford to leave things until the last minute when it comes to your event. However, how can you find the perfect venue for your upcoming event? Read on to find a few simple tips that might prove useful to you today.

How Big A Space Do You Need?

First and foremost, you have to think about how many people are going to attend the corporate event. Will there be fewer than ten people or greater than 50? These things matter, especially when it comes to getting a suitable venue. It’s all too easy to book a venue for a corporate event that’s far too small for the occasion. That’s really not what you want as it will cause a lot of trouble for you. You absolutely have to think about how big a venue you’ll need so that the appropriate venue can be found. Vancouver real estate varies considerably so you want the right type of property for the day.

How to Find the Perfect Venue for a Corporate Event in Vancouver

Think About the Views

Have you thought about where the event will take place? Why not look into venues close to Coal Harbour and other waterside areas? The views will impress and really it’s not all about business so you want to ensure people like what they see, especially if you’re trying to sell the city too! People love to take their minds off the stresses of corporate worries and having great scenery to offer it’ll be welcomed! Invest in Vancouver; this is what you’re technically doing so you want to ensure the right property is chosen.

Book Ahead and Ensure Your Venue Works For Your Budget Too

You also have to ensure you plan ahead and book at least two months in advance when it comes to corporate events. Venues can book up quickly so you really need to ensure you choose somewhere that’s convenient and easy to get too. What’s more, you have to ensure the budget is going to work around the venue you choose. It’s important the budget is good and suitable for your needs so that you don’t spend too much on Vancouver real estate for the afternoon. If you don’t book ahead you might lose out.

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Find the Right Venue

Despite what you might think, it has become a lot easier to find the perfect venue if you know what to look for. It’s really quite important to find the right venue as it can set the tone to the entire corporate event. You can really enjoy the day and it’ll be far more cost-effective too. Take the time to find the right venue and you’ll find the day to go a lot smoother. It’s time to get the best for your corporate event. Invest in Vancouver and hire the right venue today.

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