JAN 20 FEB 3, 2017 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 2, FREE METRO VANCOUVER EDITION ABOVE ALL ELSE LIVEATHAWTHORNE.COM LEGACY EDITION OF THE CAMBIE COLLECTION INSIDE GOING FOR GOLD: HONOURING WHY 2017 IS A GOOD SECONDARY SUITES THIS ISSUE BC’S HOME BUILDING INDUSTRY YEAR TO BUY A HOME ARE THE “NEW NORMAL” New Year Bonus On Now COMING SOON 2 + 3 BEDROOMS HWY 1 84 AVE 82 AVE 208 ST 200 ST 80 AVE FREEHOLD MEANS FREEDOM NOW SELLING NOW SELLING PRICED FROM $879,900* Many people ask what is the difference between a rowhome and a townhome - isn’t it the same thing? There are in fact many differences between a rowhome and a townhome. Freedom is among the many benefits that a rowhome provides that a townhome simply can’t. You own your home and the land No strata fees to pay! Not part of any strata corporation Main level entry and finished basement for single family feel Homes start from approximately 2,300 sq.ft. Visit us at the Hycroft sales centre to choose your home! Open daily from 12-5pm (except Fridays) 16467 24 Avenue Surrey BC V3S 0C4 604 541 2495 hycroftrowhomes.com Any prices exclude taxes. StreetSide Developments reserves the right to make modifications and changes to the building designs, specifications and features should they become necessary. Floor plans, elevations, room sizes and square footages are based on preliminary architectural drawings and may vary from the actual built home. E.&O.E. Sales by Qualico Realty. *Before applicable taxes. contents JANUARY 20 – FEBRUARY 3, 2017 | VOLUME 2 ISSUE 2 16 ON THE COVER Hawthorne: Above all else + online project profiles trending MORE 22 The Smithe 13 Sales Stats +PHOTOS Refined city living Third-highest selling year NEIGHBOURHOOD +VIDEOS on record, Vancouver home +ADVICE 38 Kindred sales hot in 2016 HOME +INSPIRATION A sense of place SEARCH +TRENDING 29 Survey Says... 56 The Guildford Increase in mortgage fraud, at Town Centre “suspicious” applications WITH The right place to DYNAMIC LOOK MAPS FOR THE call “home” 30 Finance CIRCLE Secondary suites are 60 The Belmont at Heritage the “new normal” Made in Murrayville by Sonia Bell + plus 2 DESIGNER SHOWHOMES - NOW OPEN 2 DESIGNER SHOWHOMES - NOW OPEN relaxing after a long day at the office to a whole new level. Before I leave, we take a quick tour of the second showhome where I notice a few of Summit’s standard features that I missed in my haste to get to the rooftop deck: side-by-side garage, main floor powder room, air conditioning on the main living level and master bedroom, luxurious Carrera- VICE PRESIDENT & CHIEF PUBLISHING OFFICER inspired tile in the ensuite, as well as pre-wiring for audio and security camera on the rooftop patio. Kitchens also include walk- in pantries, centre islands with 40 Homebuyers’ Help magazine rack on one end, and even a built-in wine fridge. So be honest, Caroline Andrews when did you see a townhome with a wine fridge as a standard? Just my kind of culinary and social hub. AWARD WINNING BY DESIGN Why 2017 is still a good “Last year, Hayer Builders Group was awarded a Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) PUBLISHER & GENERAL MANAGER National Award of Excellence in the attached home category for Exchange in Langley,” Brandon says as he walks me to my car. SPECIAL year to buy a home “At Summit, they’ve taken all that knowledge plus feedback from their buyers, then kicked the quality and Shawn Woodford design up another notch.” by Wayne Karl Location Surrey Builder/Developer INSERT Hayer Builders Group DIRECTOR OF SALES Development Summit Presentation Centre Home Type and Two Display Homes Townhomes Open noon to 5 pm 64 AVE 142 ST Sales Centre Except Friday 138 ST 14058 – 61st Avenue, Surrey Moe Lalani 14058 – 61st Ave, Surrey Contact 140 ST hayerlifestyle.com or hayerlifestyle.com 61 AVE 778.591.6685 778.591.6685 60A AVE 66 Going For Gold 60 AVE Honouring the best of BC’s SENIOR MANAGER, CONTENT residential building industry Summit Jennifer Reynolds by Susan M Boyce Serious “wow” factor SENIOR EDITOR Lydia McNutt inspiration ART DIRECTOR 47 Winter White Megan Pike One of the season’s 62 What’s Online CONTRIBUTING EDITORS More stories, videos hottest trends Sonia Bell and photos by Elisa Krovblit Wayne Karl Elisa Krovblit 74 Hot Properties advice Find out what’s new and CONTRIBUTING WRITER hot in Metro Vancouver’s Susan M Boyce 18 Home Sweet Home real estate marketplace Housing affordability DESIGN EDITOR by Susan Boyce Yanic Simard deteriorates... Again. by Lydia McNutt 80 Listings Directory MEDIA CONSULTANTS Dave Bird 604.319.7102 34 Mind Over Mortgage Ricardo Hernandez 604.319.7103 The four types of home district maps ownership SALES COORDINATOR Vancouver Justin Salvador by Alisa Aragon 14 28 Burnaby/New Westminster PRODUCTION MANAGER 46 Condo Sense Helen Pearce Expect the unexpected 32 Tri-Cities Don’t be blindsided by GRAPHIC DESIGNER “surprise” costs 36 North Shore/Squamish Miguel Cea by Cameron McNeill PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR 42 Richmond Hannah Yarkony in every issue 48 South Surrey/White Rock Published by 12 Editor’s Note 54 Surrey/Langley 26 Neighbourhood Profile 72 Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows Yaletown 4180 Lougheed Highway Suite 102 by Sara Duck Abbotsford/Chilliwack 76 Burnaby BC V5C 6A7 T 604.519.6080 F 604.519.6088 ypnexthome.ca ADVERTISING Call 604.519.6080 for rates and information. CIRCULATION Highly targeted, free distribution system aimed at real estate buyers using street level boxes and racking, plus door-to-door insertions in key audience segments. COPYRIGHT 2017 Copyright covers the contents of this publication and prevents reproduction in whole or in part; offenders will be prosecuted. We reserve the right to refuse any advertising, to make changes or edit advertising as necessary. Care will be taken to ensure copy accuracy but no warranty is implied or given by the publisher. The publication, the publisher and the printers shall not be responsible for any typographical errors, mistakes, misprints, spot colouring or any information or lack of information furnished by the advertisers. Yellow Pages NextHome is a trademark of Yellow Pages Group Co. in Canada. EDITORIAL Editorial submissions from interested parties will be considered. Please submit to the editor 66 by email to [email protected]. The views and data expressed by columnists do not necessarily represent those of the publication Editors’ Notes Mortgage fraud is on the rise IT LOOKS LIKE RISING HOME PRICES are bringing out the ugly side – or, at least the dishonest side – in some people. Credit reporting agency Equifax Canada reported a 52-per-cent increase in mortgage fraud compared to 2013. Of the mortgage applications that were flagged, 67 per cent were from Ontario and 12 per cent from B.C. Coincidence? Equifax’s survey also found that one in five Canadians who do not have a mortgage are worried they’ll never own a home because of rising prices, and want to buy a home but can’t because of the down payment. Here’s another interesting tidbit – 13 per cent of Canadians said a “little white lie” on a mortgage application is okay, if it’ll get you the home you want. To the fibbers out there: aside from being a crime, by lying on your mortgage application, you’re just kidding yourself. If you weren’t approved based on your actual numbers, then what makes you think that you LYDIA MCNUTT can afford it? It’s no wonder that the Bank of Canada is waving a red flag about rising household debt and Canadians’ ability (or, more aptly, Senior Editor inability) to pay up. Yellow Pages NextHome Here’s a word to the wise – make a budget and stick to it. Consider Email: [email protected] your existing debts, expected mortgage payments, bills and taxes, Twitter: @LydiasTweets expenses and lifestyle. Are you secure in your job? How do you envision your life in five years? In 10 years? At retirement? Don’t forget to factor in a potential increase in mortgage interest rates. All things considered, can you afford it? Don’t overextend yourself in the interest of some extra square footage. You want to live in your home, not for your home. YALETOWN SEE MORE PHOTOS ONLINE Once dominated by warehouses and rail yards, Yaletown is now one of BC’s hottest ‘hoods boasting revitalized heritage buildings turned fashion and design shops, uber hip restaurants and bars, marinas and parks, lending a beautiful backdrop to the highrise buildings that surround them. Read the full story… nexthome.yp.ca/yaletown + get social Interact with us on social media: ypnexthome 12 YPNEXTHOME.CA Trending Third-highest selling year on record Vancouver home sales hot in 2016 TOWNHOMES IN ’16 APARTMENTS IN ’16 Active listings - 826 Active listings - 1,808 Sales - 258 Sales - 915 Benchmark Price - $661,800 Benchmark Price - $510,300 DETACHED IN ’16 Avg. Days on Market - 40 Avg. Days on Market - 33 Active listings - 3,711 Sales - 541 Benchmark Price - $1,483,500 Avg. Days on Market - 49 VANCOUVER AREA HOME SALES hit “The supply of homes for sale couldn’t keep up 39,943 by year end 2016, marking the third-highest year for sales on record. with homebuyer demand for much of 2016. This This represents a 5.6-per-cent drop allowed home sellers to raise their asking price. from 42,326 sales tallied in 2015, and It wasn’t until the last half of the year that prices a 20.6-per-cent jump from the 33,116 home sales recorded in 2014.