Thought I would post some of my cell phone photo's...  You can see what I saw..  kind of.. Hope that you enjoy them.  "No... I think I see an opening... " Keller Williams Parade Float An Interesting 3 Wheeler   Demon dog #1 (the puppy) Momma Dog with Puppies.. Demon dog #2 -- Our rescue dog. I think that is enough for now.  I do hope that I didn't bore you too badly.  Check back as I will be posting a video of Mother Dog doing her tricks... Think we can get on Letterman?? Wait till you see....   03/08/2009

I would like to welcome Gary Fraipont and his team to Active Rain Community! Gary is one of the broker owners of RE/MAX ridge-meadows realty. Team Fraipont has many-many years of real estate experience. Gary is one of those REALTORs who is ready to help any time. I'm happy to see more and more of our RE/MAXers here on Active Rain. Active Rain a great online community, a place where you can learn, share and advertise. Google loves Active Rain by ranking the blog posts within hours for the desired keyword. Wheneever you want to make a blog post you just click on "New Blog Post" button and write your article. Active Rain (AR) is point-based blog network. The more points you get the higher you rank. It's quite competitive. Just like the industry itself. Gary, I wish you happy blogging and i... 03/07/2009

Yes, It is that time again.  Time to adjust our clocks ahead one hour.  That time is at 2:00am tomorrow morning, so, unless you are one to wake up at 2:00am and run around your house, changing all of your clocks, I do suggest that you set them before you go to bed...  If not.... You might just be late for your open house tomorrow.... or whatever you might be doing.  Ever wonder where that hour goes?  I figure it goes into a holding pattern and just can't wait to come back when the Fall hits.... 03/07/2009

I'm very proud to be a part of #1 real estate office in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows -RE/MAX ridge-meadows realty. This is the best real estate office in the whole universe. I'm serious. But I've always been lucky with places I worked at. I guess right choices do matter. Oooooooops. What makes it so great is it's people. Gary Fraipont, Reiner Weininger (just Reiner who loves to be in Mexico 3-4 times a year) and Michele Bouchard make this office one of the places you want to work at. They are always there for you and always ready to help. And everybody is just so helpful in this office. Being new to this industry I aprreciate it as nobody else. And some people say real estate is easy...*sigh...I wish. Actually it is easy if you love doing it. Anything is easy at that point. Thanks a bun... 03/06/2009

OPEN HOUSE-24360 102A Ave, Maple Ridge, BC-Sunday, Mar 8 1-4PM "Shows like a showhome". 9ft ceilings, new laminate flooring in living room,gas fireplace, wrought iron staircase, huge island in kitchen. All stainless appliances, professionally finished walk-out basement (could be suited). Vaulted ceilings in master with walk-in closet & ensuite. Jack & Jill bathroom for bedrooms. Quality throughout, built by Falcon Homes & Designs. Lots of extras. Bring your fussiest Buyers. Backyard is fenced with deck. Listing is a courtesy of RE/MAX ridge-meadows realty. 03/05/2009

OPEN HOUSE-22815 125B Ave, Maple Ridge, BC-Saturday, Mar 7 1-4PM   Tired of stairs? A "10" out of "10"! 3 bedroom rancher located on a quiet cul de sac. Laminate floors, ceramic tile, gas fireplace, big kitchen. Main bath boasts double sinks and jacuzzi tub. Newly fenced private backyard with hot tub. 3yr old roof. SHOWS VERY WELL! Come and see this beatiful house this coming Saturday and don't forget to bring a friend. Listing is a courtesy of RE/MAX ridge-meadows realty. 03/05/2009

Sales   Residential housing sales in Greater Vancouver rose 94 % in February compared to the month before. Some of the areas that saw increase(detached): Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows - up 29% Coquitlam & Burnaby - up 63% Port Coquitlam - 209% Port Moody - 650% (not a typo) Vancouver - 117% For full report please visit Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows Real Estate website. Inventory New MLS® listings for residential properties continued to decrease for the fourth month in a row. Interest Rates Bank of Canada has cut its lending rate by 0.5% to 0.5% this morning. The banks have followed by cutting the prime rate by 0.5% down to 2.5%. Variable and fixed rates went further down. 03/03/2009

As we are approaching traditionally the busiest real estate season of the year, Spring, the amount of sales increases. No matter what people have to move and spring-summer seems to be the best season to do that.                                                February 2009                                         January 2009 Units Sold                                        42                                                             36 Active Listings                               646                                                            589 Sale Success Ratio                        36%                                                         18% Units Listed                                     171                                                            167 The sales in Februar... 03/02/2009

Yes... Not all blogs are happy blogs.  Keller Williams Results Realty is no longer.  The owners/brokers have made the decision to change brands and to go with RE/MAX.  The new offices, which will now be two seperate franchises, will be known as RE/MAX Results Realty.  Some people will think this is a happy blog, while others not so happy.  The Keller Williams signs around town are going to be changing here in the next few days, and the KW brand is going away in the area, or is it?  Keller Williams Valley Realty in Abbotsford is not part of this franchise and will remain unchanged.  Close to 200 agents changing branding.  Tell me what you think... Subscribe to my blog to keep up to date on what is going on in Maple Ridge real estate.    02/26/2009

Yes... We keep telling you that the time to BUY is NOW... but the market really is picking up.  It has been amazing here in Maple Ridge, BC this past couple weeks.  I talk to other REALTORS and clients, and we see more and more offers going in and being accepted.  Yesterday I was in a multiple offer situation again.  There are still some homes that are coming on the market at the right price.  We just have to find them and get the Buyers into them.  Interest rates again are at the lowest rates that I have seen them.  Homes are at 2005-2006 levels.  First time Buyers need to start jumping as there are some great deals out there, and the lenders still have money to lend.  BUYERS - CALL ME - 604-719-3805   darren@darrenrevell.com    www.darrenrevell.com Need a Mortgage?   www.mortgageinBC.... 02/26/2009

I get asked this question a lot. The Golden Ears Bridge and Pitt Meadows Bridge will improve transportation system of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows communities tremendously. It will be much easier to get to Langley, Surrey and Tri-Cities consequently to Vancouver. For the up-to-date information on the bridges please visit my Maple Ridge Real Estate website. Will the real estate prices jump? I think home prices in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows areas have already gone up in the anticipation of bridges to be constructed. I know some people who have invested in Real Estate in the area a couple of years ago thinking they can make some profit once the bridges are complete. Well, guess what? We're in the dropping market place and it does affect Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows real estate markets as... 02/24/2009

Just Look. Isn't it beautiful? I think it is one of the most beautiful bridges in Greater Vancouver area. The bridge is scheduled to open up in June 2009 and is right on time. These pictures were taken from the private plane during recent flight over Langley in January. And the last one...I left it this size on purpose. Just to show you how truly beautiful it is. What does the opening of the new bridge means for Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows Real Estate?   02/24/2009

When I was a kid growing up in Maple Ridge, BC I would never have imagined the school traffic jams and chaos that would develop for the next generation of kid's morning trek to school.  I can not recall anymore then a handful of kids being driven to school, maybe one or two in a taxi from a very rural location back in my school days in the early 1970's.  Today, almost everywhere there is almost complete gridlock during the morning drop off in urban areas it seems. These pictures were actually taken on a good day, the second picture shows traffic backed up in both directions.  A month earlier all this was compounded by months of construction which started on the first day of school... I am not kidding you or exagerating this point. We live a long way from the school up a mountain so I ho... 02/23/2009

                                                                               Detached                          Attached Active listings at Feb 22/09                                                     72                                        50 Average List Price                                                                  $550,365                          $321,402 Sold listings Jan 1-Feb 22/09                                                    8                                            5 Average Sale Price                                                                 $461,187                          $300,300 Average Days on Market                                                          91                                          80 Sales Success Ratio                     ... 02/22/2009

Do you know your REALTOR well? My clients do know me from the personal contact, my Greater Vancouver real estate website and the posts I try to write on a regular basis here on Active Rain. First of all, let me tell you what I think about North America's addictions. The main addiction here is coffee. When I moved to Canada the size of the jugs, cups, mugs surprised me. Travel mugs were something I've never seen before. Before I came to Canada, coffee to me was a small amount of very dark liquid barely covering the bottom of a miniature cup. In Europe it's called Espresso.  But since I decided that I like it here and I might stay I had to adjust to a lot of things including the Coffee Culture.  Let me tell you I've never been a coffee drinker. The main reason is probably my family habit... 02/22/2009

My daughter and I were driving along Lougheed Hwy this morning and she started asking what is going on with all of the construction signs and why are the speed limit signs all covered up.  I explained to her that they are working on the interchange there and that they were making it safer for drivers, pedestrians and also bike riders.  I thought I would check it out today and see just what they are doing.  Apparently they have a grant to do some work there but that CP Rail had squashed their original plans because they want to store longer trains in the area. So, they have come up with a new plan to lengthen the merge lane, widen the road, put in a median or two, and make the corner safer for all.  If you want to see information on just what is going on, you can view the plan here : htt... 02/21/2009

Thank you for checking my blog.  I posted stats a month ago, so it is time to get them out to you again.  Please note that there may be a couple more sales in the numbers that post every month as there are sometimes properties that are under contract that have not had their subjects removed.  This is only the stats for firm sales.  If the numbers have dropped at all from last months stats, that is because the deal had gone firm and then collapsed.  We had heard that December outsold November last year.  The numbers in Maple Ridge do not tell that story.  It may be board wide, that I haven't checked.. but in Maple Ridge, that is just not the case. MAPLE RIDGE ONLY...   Detached Homes ---    November 2008 - 30 ,  December 2008 - 22 , January 2009 - 33 Attached Homes ---     November 2008 ... 02/21/2009

The Bridal Fair took place on Feb 2, 2009. It was my first bridal fair I ever have attended. What was I thinking when I was getting married? I should have gone to one. For those brides who didn't make it there I'll show and tell you what it's all about. There was close to 25 exhibitors               Fashion Show   The main part of the show was the fashion show with intermission and brakes. After each set of the fashion show one of the exhibitors has donated a door prize which was one by one of the brides-to-be. There was 25 prizes which I think was great! Each bride got a bag with keepsake gifts from all sponsors. Mine was the fridge magnet with local useful phone #s. Next time I think I'll do notepads. Appetizers were served along with some punch. There was also an open cash bar which ... 02/20/2009

Over the next month or so you are going to be receiving the necessary documents required to complete your tax returns.  For those of you who choose to complete your tax returns on your own I wanted to provide you with the link to TD Waterhouse website that will provide you with a 20% discount on Quick Tax Software.  Click on the link or logo below. http://www.tdwaterhouse.ca/    Once you have accessed the site, please scroll down to "Taxes Made Easy. Taxes Done Right." Click and follow the instructions.  02/19/2009

I was asked for more information on this post.  As I mentioned in the post, the rates and information quoted was for an amortization period of 35 years, on a 5 year fixed term. The jist of the blog was to inform people waiting on the fence, waiting for prices to come down, that doing so may not be a good idea. A 1% increase in interest rate = close to 10% in price reduction. (on monthly payment) Should the interest rates start to go up, they run the risk of losing any reduction in purchase price that they are waiting for.  (as far as their payment goes).  In Canada, that will make it for a 5 year period (or the length of the mortgage term).  In the States, that is for the length of the amortizarion.  So, with the longer term fixed rates in Canada being set by the bond market, lets take ... 02/19/2009