By Sue Ronson, Contributing Writer
There are big plans for the multitude of entrances and exits at the north end of the Iron Workers Memorial/Second Narrows Bridge. And let’s just say up front that it’s not going to be easy getting through all this construction, but in the end we think Lynn Valleyites will agree that it’s all been worth it.
This is a $150 million project. And it’s going to take five years. It’s also going to happen in stages:
January 2016 Sales Recap
The market in Lynn Valley started the year with another sizzling month for real estate sales. To give you a little perspective, here is a comparative summary of the Lynn Valley market between January 2015 and January 2016:
Single Family Homes
Apartments and Townhouses
Keep reading to find out more about the Lynn Valley market specifically for January 2016.
Single Family Homes:
Apartments and Townhouses:
*********************************
Valentine’s Day isn’t just red roses and romance – it’s a chance to celebrate wonderful relationships of all sorts, whether it’s with friends, neighbours, or even co-workers (you know, the ones who bring in pink Rice Krispie squares or Purdy’s for all on February 14… we love them!)
So in honour of St. Valentine’s Day on Sunday, February 14, we’re going to send a Daddy and Daughter, or a Mother and Son, to Browns Socialhouse for a sit-down dinner and some quality time together.
It’s no secret that social isolation is a huge problem in Metro Vancouver, especially since the Vancouver Foundation published its June 2012 “Connections and Engagement” report quantifying the extent of the issue. And although Vancouver has a reputation for being a place in which it can be difficult to make new friends, the problem isn’t just local. British coppers made headlines last year for having a cup of tea with a senior who had been driven by loneliness to make a call to the 999 emergency line.
A family business with a unique view of protecting families and their wealth.
After weeks of waiting and planning, a group of North Vancouver residents celebrated the arrival of their sponsored refugee family at Vancouver International Airport on Friday, January 15.
The Syrian family of five was met by representatives of their large sponsorship group. REST (the Regional Ecumenical Sponsorship Team) is composed of people from North Vancouver Anglican and Lutheran Churches (including St. Clement’s Anglican and Mt. Olivet Lutheran in Lynn Valley) and from the Sutherland Secondary School community.
As you can see from the faces in the photo, the first meeting was a joyous one despite the hardships the family has endured in recent months. “They are lovely people who are extremely grateful to be here,” said Shannon Muir, one of REST’s coordinators. “They even asked to talk to the media today so they could say how grateful they are to Canada.”
Arrangements have been made for the family to live in the Blueridge area, at a rent generously reduced by the homeowner. Under the terms of the blended sponsorship agreement, REST will pay the family’s living expenses for one year, with the federal government contributing six months’ of social assistance-level funding.
REST is also awaiting the arrival of a vision-impaired young adult from Somalia, who will live with one of the team members in the Grand Boulevard area, and a 20-year-old Iraqui man who will be rejoining his family here. Anyone wishing to donate to the REST refugee efforts is invited to make a donation to the refugee fund of any of the sponsoring churches: St. Clement’s, St. Agnes, St. Catherine’s, St. Martin’s, or St. John’s Anglican Churches, or Mt. Olivet and Gloria Dei Lutheran Churches.
Dominion Lending Primex Mortgage Broker in Lynn Valley
2015 Sales
December 2015 Sales Recap
The market in Lynn Valley ended the year with unprecedented highest average sales prices ever for detached homes sales in December. Keep reading to find out more.
Single Family Homes:
Apartments and Townhouses:
*********************************
November 2015 Sales Recap
The market in Lynn Valley remained strong with 13 sales in December. Keep reading to find out more.
Single Family Homes:
Apartments and Townhouses:
*********************************
October 2015 Sales Recap
Interested in what sold in Lynn Valley during the month of October? Keep reading to find out:
Single Family Homes:
Apartments and Townhouses:
*********************************
September 2015 Sales Recap
Curious what sold in Lynn Valley during the month of September? Keep reading …
Single Family Homes:
Apartments and Townhouses:
*********************************
August 2015 Sales Recap
Summer is coming to an end and homes are still being sold. To find out how many homes sold in August keep reading!
Single Family Homes:
Apartments and Townhouses:
*********************************
July 2015 Sales Recap
Hot, hot, hot and it’s not just the weather that’s simmering! Find out just how busy July was for Lynn Valley home sales below.
Single Family Homes:
Apartments and Townhouses:
*********************************
June 2015 Sales Recap
It’s been a hot summer so far! Find out just how busy June was for Lynn Valley home sales below.
Single Family Homes:
Apartments and Townhouses:
*********************************
May 2015 Sales Recap (details below)
Spring is in full swing, to find out just how busy May was for Lynn Valley home sales, keep reading!
Single Family Homes:
Apartments and Townhouses:
DETAILED ANALYSIS… May brought the fifth straight month of strong sales and price appreciation to our local real estate market in Lynn Valley. On average, houses continue to sell above asking, and are selling faster than they were a year ago. The strong seller’s market that we witnessed emerging in early 2015 has continued through the spring and is expected to persist this summer as new listings fail to satisfy the strong demand for housing.
To put the strength of the current housing market in perspective, Lynn Valley detached home owners whose houses were worth the average $958,800 in May 2014 have seen that value increase by an unprecedented 30% to $1,254,154 by May 2015. This equates to an increase in average sale price of $295,354 in only one calendar year, representing a return on invested capital that homeowners are unlikely to see matched with their other personal investments.
Not only were sale prices higher, but on average, detached homes in Lynn Valley sold for 2.9% above asking in May 2015, versus 0.83% below asking in May 2014. All signs point to historically strong housing demand and broad recognition of significant added value in our local real estate market.
On the attached homes side, they continue to experience strong price appreciation year over year, with the average sale price of $551,390 in May 2015, a solid 15.7% increase over May 2014’s average sale price of $476,650. Sales of attached homes in Lynn Valley sold for slightly more than asking by 0.6 % in May 2015.
*********************************
April 2015 Sales Recap
Spring has arrived, to find out just how busy April was for Lynn Valley home sales, keep reading!
Single Family Homes:
Apartments and Townhouses:
*********************************
March 2015 Sales Recap
It was a busy month for Lynn Valley home sales with 56 sales in March. Keep reading to find out more details.
Single Family Homes:
Apartments and Townhouses:
*********************************
February 2015 Sales Recap
There was a lot of action in Lynn Valley this month with 38 sales in February. Keep reading to find out more details.
Single Family Homes:
Apartments and Townhouses:
*********************************
January 2015 Sales Recap
The market in Lynn Valley is off to a strong start with 26 sales in January. Keep reading to find out more details.
Single Family Homes:
Apartments and Townhouses:
*********************************
If you’ve been around these parts for a while, you’ll know that we at LynnValleyLife love collecting stories of the good citizens in our midst, and drawing from amongst them to name the recipient of our annual Good Neighbour Award. (Have a look in the Notable Neighbours section of our Front Porch blog for past winners and nominees, and pop by our office for a look at the Good Neighbour award plaque!)
We’re delighted to announce that this year’s representative of all of Lynn Valley’s good neighbours is Cath Bates Dimmock of Hoskins Road. Cath was nominated by her daughter, Carly, for whom she is obviously a huge inspiration. Thanks, Cath, for all you do for the young ladies and lads in the Argyle gymnastics program, and thanks, Carly for letting us know about it! Your mom will receive her own Good Neighbour Award plaque and a $50 gift certificate, courtesy of the Black Bear Neighbourhood Pub!
Whatever “the Christmas spirit” is, it is decidedly not embodied by the horrible task of spending time and money searching out gifts you’re pretty sure the recipient doesn’t need and may not even want.
It’s a wonderful feeling to find something you know is just right for a friend or loved one. But when you’re stuck trying to find something for the “person who has everything,” why not consider gifting someone else in their name instead?
You’ve heard of buying goats, chickens, or school books for families in developing countries. But one close-to-home opportunity that warms the heart of giver and givee alike is offered by the seasonal Homeless Partners website.
The organization has collected stories and gift requests from residents of shelters in North Vancouver and other areas around metro Vancouver. Here’s a typical story, from Morris:
Morris is in his sixties. He was born in Courtenay, B.C., but has been in the Vancouver area since 1972 for work. Morris worked in sheet metal. His biggest challenge right now is maintaining personal security. It is his family that helps him feel most encouraged.
Morris’s request is for running shoes or jeans. A donor can pledge one or both of these gifts, and drop them off at the housing shelter with a card for Morris (drop-off instructions are provided). There are dozens of other stories on the site, with more added as the month progresses.
So, rather than struggling to find gifts for the “have it all” people in your lives, bring some peace and cheer to your shopping by pledging a gift that you know will be well-used, and much appreciated.
Here’s what one shelter resident said about the experience of receiving a gift through this initiative:
The most encouraging thing is knowing that people care. I find it really encouraging that total strangers could care so much about someone they don’t even know.
If that sounds like the kind of Christmas spirit you’d like to share, visit the Homeless Partners website soon!
