Doris Gee

One of the highlights of summer for us is outdoor dining. With a large patio and a barbeque always ready to, it’s easy to enjoy the great outdoors in the comfort of our own backyard. Sometimes, however, we like a change of scenery. That’s when we venture out and enjoy one of the many spectacular restaurant patios in the Lower Mainland. One of our favourite places is Bridges in Granville Island. If you haven’t been to Bridges in a while (or have never tried it at all), now is the perfect time since the restaurant has recently been renovated. If you’re looking for casual dining, check out the downstairs portion of the restaurant, where you can

This summer is flying by! We’re almost into August and the weather is just beginning to cooperate. As hot as it’s been (our house has been like a sauna), I’m not complaining because I know it doesn’t last long. Our two assistants plan to take advantage of the nice weather this weekend. They’re both heading to the Okanagan, though not together. We were invited to join my sister, who is also one of my assistants, to the Okanagan, but unfortunately we can’t make it. Someone’s got to hold up the fort. But we don’t mind. A lot of people will be heading out of town for the weekend so staying around town is like a vacation in itself. It will be so quiet! I’m

With the sun out in full force, the phones are a little quieter than ususal. We took this opportunity to spend some fun in the sun with the kids. The question was, what should we do? We could walk the sea wall, but since the kids are not big on walking, it would be a really short walk. We thought about going to the beach, but nobody was really into swimming or lazing around the beach today. We finally decided on Playland. Actually, it was a good choice for the kids. They went on a few rides, spent time outside, and had a good time overall. Just a couple hours at Playland was enough to satisfy the kids’ appetite for fun and give us a little break as well.

While buying a home (especially your first) should be an exciting and happy time (as I wrote yesterday), the road to home ownership is not always a smooth one. Like planning a big wedding, there are always challenges and disagreements along the way. My sister Marilyn has already experienced both the ups and downs of becoming a new home owner. And she hasn’t even moved in yet! She (like all new home owners) loves the idea of making her home truly hers. She has grand ideas of extensive renovations and fantastic visions of the many barbeques and dinner parties she plans to throw when the home is eventually ready. But then there’s the task of doing

As I mentioned in a previous entry, my sister Marilyn just purchased a home. Now it’s crunch time. With just over a month until move-in day, she’s got a lot to do. Last weekend, she started packing items that she doesn’t expect to use over the next month. I suggested she try to organize and pack her things now because it’s easier to pack bit by bit instead of doing it the day the movers arrive. Believe me, I’ve seen that happen and let me tell you, that’s never a fun way to move.

We viewed the home again yesterday so that Marilyn could figure out what kind of renovations she would like to do. Fortunately, the house is in excellent condition.

Wow, last weekend’s weather was certainly long overdue! We celebrated our first full weekend of sun by having a family beach barbeque at Spanish Banks. My sister Jenn planned the barbeque and it was a hit. Imagine a hot, sunny afternoon at the beach with four dogs, three kids, a whole slew of adults and a cooler full of goodies. We had a feast. Jenn made tadoori chicken (which turned out fantastic on the barbeque), her famous potato salad, and a summer succotash salad. She topped off the meal with her home-made carrot. She’s a regular Martha Stewart (except for the prison part!).

It was so nice to take advantage of the weather. And judging

It’s always exciting when a family member purchases a new home. It’s even more exciting when the house is in a good neighbourhood, close to family and in the right price range. Well, that’s the good fortune that befell my sister Marilyn. I have been discussing the benefits of home ownership with her for quite some time now - not just because we’re in the business, but because I really care about her. And now that she and her husband are expecting, she has all the more reason to find a house. I know she could manage with a little one in her one bedroom and den apartment, but for how long?

So the search began. She just didn’t know it yet.

If you thought that home buyers had packed up for the summer and taken a break from the real estate market last month, think again. June was yet another stellar month for real estate market in Greater Vancouver. In fact, overall sales figures for the month were the fourth highest in the Real Estate Board’s history! That’s incredible.

What’s fuelling this boom? Strong demand, of course. But there are a number of elements that have lined up to make real estate investing particularly attractive. First, interest rates are still very low, making the argument of owning versus renting almost a no-brainer. Then there’s strong consumer confidence