Happy Mother's Day!

Have you figured out what to do for mothers day yet? Most Mom's I've talked to say the best present is spending time with their kids. Now that that part's solved what should you do together?

This Mother's Day article has a list of great ideas for what to do with your mom this Mother's Day in Victoria, whether she likes music, gardens or food, Victoria has a lot to offer. I'm pretty sure my plans are going to involve me baking a cake :)

I hope you and your family have a great one! Please feel free to comment if you have any great ideas you'd like to add.


 

Resource furniture is doing a modern take on the Murphy bed and more. With a simple to use design and multifunctional features they are giving people a way of making the most of their living space in a trendy way.

 

Which Card Should I Use?

It's that time again, business card ordering time. I decided to shake things up this time and use a new desgin, but I don't know which one to use. Which one do you like better, the left or the right?

All photo's are from the amazing Jesse Moore. 

Click here for the Latest from CMHC

Here's the latest on our BC market

Feb 11th is BC's first official Family Day!

There's always lots of activities to do around Victoria with your family, but there will be even more on the 11th.

Down at Ship Point, in the Inner Harbour, there will be a day long series of great local talent including Current Swell and Canada's Troopers. There's also face painting, a scavenger hunt and tours of the HMCS Saskatoon.

Check out the schedual and have a great time! Family Day

And remember, street parking will be free too!

How to Turn your Closet into an Office
 
 

This is a trend I'm starting to see more and more. Whether it's a young professional trying to make the best of their one bedroom apartment or an empty nester finding a different use for the second bedroom, it's interesting to see how people can change the use of their space. Check out this article that gives you step by step instructions on how to change a poorly used closet into a functional workspace.  Office Space

US Q4 Real GDP - January 30, 2013

The US economy unexpectedly contracted by 0.1 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2012 as growth was pulled down by the largest decline in defense spending in four decades. The US economy expanded 2.2 per cent for all of 2012.

While the modest decline in GDP is likely to spur use of the "R" word (recession) in the media, it is worth noting that today's release is the advanced estimate for real GDP and is subject to revisions which can be substantial. Moreover the contraction in output was almost entirely due to an unprecedented plunge in defense spending, which along with slower private inventory accumulation, pared 2.6 per cent from real GDP growth. In fact, the underlying details of the report were actually quite positive. Consumer spending accelerated on the largest personal income gains in four years while both business spending and residential construction investment grew at a double digit rate. These details, along with strong employment growth in recent months, suggests that US growth will pick-up in the first quarter of 2013.

“Copyright British Columbia Real Estate Association. Reprinted with permission.

 By Dave Lynn

BCREA ECONOMICS NOW

Consumer Price Index - January 25, 2013

Canadian consumer price inflation remained subdued in December with prices rising just 0.8 per cent, the same increase that was registered in November.  The Bank of Canada's core inflation index, which excludes the eight most volatile components of the CPI like energy and food, rose just 1.1 per cent year-over-year in December, a moderate deceleration from November.  Inflation in BC registered only 0.4 per cent year-over-year.

Core inflation continues to trend well below the Bank of Canada's two per cent target rate which suggests that the Canadian economy is still operating with a substantial amount of excess supply. Very low inflation no doubt contributed to the Bank's easing of its rate tightening bias earlier this week, pushing a potential increase in interest rates from 2013 into 2014.

Copyright British Columbia Real Estate Association. Reprinted with permission

 By Dave Lynn 

Bank of Canada Interest Rate Announcement - January 23, 2013

It may be a new year but it is the same story this morning from the Bank of Canada which once again held its target for the overnight rate at 1 per cent. The statement released in support of the interest rate decision noted that the global economic outlook is weaker than the Bank previously projected, though risk of a severe external shock to the economy has diminished. As a result, the slowdown in the Canadian economy in the second half of 2012 was more pronounced than the Bank had anticipated. The Bank has revised its estimate for economic growth in 2012 lower, to 1.9 per cent, and now forecasts 2 per cent growth in 2013 before an acceleration to 2.7 per cent in 2014. Importantly, the Bank has also shifted its expectation that the economy will reach full capacity out to the second half of 2014. On inflation, the Bank expects growth in consumer prices to run significantly below its 2 per cent target for much of 2013 before gradually rising to target in 2014.

Following two years of overly optimistic forecasts, the Bank has struck a slightly more dour tone in its outlook. The gloomier growth forecast and positive signs that households are reigning in household debt have prompted the Bank to revise its language on the gradual withdrawal of monetary stimulus.  In its concluding statement accompanying the rate decision, a key focus of monetary policy watchers over the past year,  the Bank continued to note that a withdrawal of stimulus would likely be required over time, but that the timing of any such withdrawal is less imminent than previously anticipated. This strongly suggests that interest rates will remain constant at 1 per cent for all of 2013.

 By Dave Lynn 

Today's my 5 year anniversary of being a Real Estate Agent!
I'm so lucky to have a job which allows me to meet and work with so many awesome people and help them with one of the biggest moments in their lives. I look forward to helping many more!

Wow! Congratulations everyone involved in this year's Royal LePage National Sales Conference. With everyones effort
and event a record $100,000 was raised for the shelter foundation. Way to go!

Read the REM Article 

Here's a new presentation we put together for my listing near Buchart Gardens in Garden Gate Estates

 By Dave Lynn

People often have a checklist for preparing and the actual move itself but overlook tasks to do once they've moved in.

Here's an article of 3 items you shold take care of once you've moved into your new home.

Must-do items after moving in

Here's the latest Economic news from the BC Real Estate Association: BCREA Economics Now May 26

I helped out with the Cadboro Bay Festival last weekend. The one day of the month that it rained. The kids had fun anyways.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDZGUlkJNF8

We spent a couple of days up on the San Juan Ridge in search of the Marbled Murrelets. They fly 30 km inland to nest in the old growth forest. You only hear them at daybreak as they leave for the ocean,  that means camping out. The first weekend we set up in strong winds and woke up inside a very wet cloud – no birds. The next time the weather was perfect. In the morning we could hear them for ½ an hour as the sun came up.

I've syndicated my web site to Face Book and Twitter. Lets see if it works

I decided to make my life simpler and get a website that was easier to maintain. I hope you like the new look.