by TARANEH in FOOD & DRINK on February 25, 2013 for InsideVancouver

Vancouverites are always looking for cheap eats – an inexpensive bite with flavour to match the value. But that’s not quite enough. We want to eat this bounty in a hospitable atmosphere. So where do we go for quality cheap food?

It can’t be that hard to pin down. According to The New York Times, “The number of truly outstanding restaurants in Vancouver is astonishing, and the prices are ridiculously low when compared to other food capitals.”

Whether you’re looking for a filling breakfast, an affordable beer snack, rib-sticking dinner or something to satisfy your sweet tooth, here are some of your best bets...

Are you ready for the new 236 area code coming to British Columbia in June 2013?

List of current area codes in BC:

250 - most of British Columbia including Vancouver Island

604 - covers the City of Vancouver, the Lower Mainland, Sunshine Coast, Howe Sound and lower Fraser Valley.

778 - cell phones overlays with 604 and 250

The new 236 area code will be introduced in BC starting on June 1, 2013 and will overlay with 604, 250 and 778

TARA PERKINS - REAL ESTATE REPORTER

The Globe and Mail

By Diane Strandberg - The Tri-City News
Published: January 29, 2013 1:00 PM 
Updated: January 29, 2013 1:24 PM

Fixer-upper (noun). A home you purchase at a reasonable price, but one that requires an unreasonable amount of money in repairs and renovations.

OK, so I made up that definition, and it's not always true. Buying fixer-uppers can get you more house than you would normally be able to afford at a reasonable price. They can be pleasantly inexpensive. But they can also be money pits, masquerading behind a façade of charming woodwork and arched doorways.

As tempting as the purchase price can be for houses that need a little TLC, you must assess...

On February 18, 2013, in Home Trends, Remodeling Adviser, by Melissa Tracey

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR(R) Magazine

Home owners are investing in their homes once again, according to recent industry surveys that point to a strong rebound taking hold in home remodeling. Home owners also may be seeing higher gains from some of these remodeling projects at resale, according to the most recent Cost vs. Value Report, which reviews the top remodeling projects that offer the highest returns at resale. The Cost vs. Value Report is conducted each year by Remodeling Magazine, in conjunction with REALTOR(R) Magazine.

So, which remodeling projects offer the potential for some of the biggest pay-backs at resale? The following mid-range...

Five years ago, plans were first announced for an Arthur Erickson-designed Ritz-Carlton Hotel tower at a site across the street from the Shangri-La Hotel. The project, also known as 1133 West Georgia, was temporarily put on hold when the 2008 recession hit. It was revived one year ago when markets showed signs of improvement, but without the Ritz-Carlton’s brand nor involvement. According to a CBC report, the project’s developers are now working with Donald Trump to give the tower more marketable potential. The skyscraper will be the second in Canada to be given the Trump brand – the Trump Tower Vancouver.

1133 West Georgia has been known to developer...

by Erica Alini on Tuesday, February 12, 2013 7:00am

http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/02/12/tighter-mortgage-rules-might-be-insufficient-to-curb-household-debt/

Targeted rules are often a better way to deal with a buildup of risk in the economy than monetary policy, BoC Deputy Governor Timothy Lane said in his prepared remarks for a speech he gave today at Harvard University. So, for example, if households have gone on a borrowing binge and house prices are inflated, you’d be better off tightening mortgage regulations than raising interest rates. Tougher mortgage rules target the housing market specifically; an interest rate hike would also hit exporters by causing your home currency to appreciate—unless other countries...

By Tracy Sherlock, Vancouver Sun February 12, 2013

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/Developers+bullish+Metro+condo+market/7955341/story.html#ixzz2L8IR9Jt2

 

Station Square is a five-tower development near Metrotown in Burnaby slated to have units ready for occupancy by 2015.

Photograph by: Colin Goldie Productions

Don Cayo: The case for strata ownership of secondary suites Move would increase the supply of affordable homes, advocates say