Buying a presale small development can be a thrilling venture, offering the promise of a brand-new home tailored to your desires. However, beneath the surface lies a potential minefield of risks, particularly when it comes to the integrity and intentions of the builder. Are you dealing with someone genuinely invested in providing quality or someone merely looking to push through to the next deal, regardless of the consequences?

The cornerstone of any presale purchase lies in the builder's integrity and commitment to quality. It's a lesson learned through experience, as highlighted in a recent encounter with a presale deal in East Vancouver. As an agent, my responsibility is to safeguard my clients' interests, which often entails scrutinizing the builder and the property for any red flags.

In this particular case, warning signs were evident from the outset. Despite noting numerous deficiencies during the initial viewing, my clients chose to proceed cautiously, mindful of the importance of a thorough inspection. The subsequent inspection revealed a staggering 60 deficiencies, along with a myriad of paint issues, further underscoring the need for diligence. 

Attempting to address these issues in a collaborative manner, we proposed a walkthrough with the builder and both agents. However, it quickly became apparent that the builder was not receptive to constructive dialogue, leaving us disheartened by the lack of cooperation.

Navigating the negotiation process proved equally challenging, with the builder displaying reluctance to acknowledge the extent of the deficiencies. Despite our efforts to reach a fair resolution, the builder's proposed compensation fell woefully short of the mark, highlighting a blatant disregard for accountability.

Attempting to address these issues in a collaborative manner, we proposed a walkthrough with the builder and both agents. However, it quickly became apparent that the builder was not receptive to constructive dialogue, leaving us disheartened by the lack of cooperation.

Navigating the negotiation process proved equally challenging, with the builder displaying reluctance to acknowledge the extent of the deficiencies. Despite our efforts to reach a fair resolution, the builder's proposed compensation fell woefully short of the mark, highlighting a blatant disregard for accountability.

Ultimately, my clients faced a difficult decision: proceed with the purchase, armed with the protection of a contractual agreement, or walk away from the deal altogether. After careful consideration, they opted to proceed, fully aware of the potential challenges that lay ahead.

As we neared completion and observed that some of the deficiencies had been addressed, we made another attempt to negotiate a resolution, but it appeared that finding common ground was becoming increasingly unlikely.

On the day of completion, my clients were prepared to move in as scheduled. However, the builder chose to delay signing until the very end of the day, refusing to communicate with their lawyer or realtor. This unexpected turn of events added immense stress to an already challenging day. The clients found themselves in a predicament, needing to arrange storage for their belongings and hastily secure temporary accommodation. It was a chaotic and frustrating ordeal.

This experience underscores the urgent need for industry-wide reforms aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability in presale developments. Implementing standard holdback clauses and enlisting third-party inspectors to evaluate deficiencies and determine appropriate compensation could help mitigate conflicts and promote fair dealings.

While developers and builders play a vital role in meeting the demand for housing, it's imperative that their actions align with ethical standards and a commitment to quality. Only by holding them accountable can we foster trust and integrity within the industry, ensuring that future presale ventures are characterized by transparency, fairness, and above all, the assurance of a home built to last.

Reflecting on my 15-year journey in real estate fills me with gratitude and humility. This year, achieving significant milestones like being named the top individual agent in our office, receiving the prestigious Chairman award from Remax, and ranking different months, #8, #76, #47 and #26 in 2023 for Remax Western Canada has been incredibly rewarding.

But amidst these achievements lies a story often overlooked—the personal transformation that brought me to this point. Five years ago, I reached a breaking point. Despite professional success, I was overwhelmed with stress, achy body and lacked balance in my life. Big changes were needed!

In 2018, I underwent a profound shift. Through meditation, mentorship, and prioritizing self-care, I began to reshape my life. I realized the importance of taking time off, exploring new passions, and nurturing relationships outside of work.Challenging societal expectations of perpetual availability, I committed to nurturing a healthier lifestyle. In 2019, I embarked on an unforgettable adventure, traversing South America and conquering the rugged terrain of Patagonia alongside like-minded souls.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 presented unforeseen obstacles, yet it also offered an opportunity for introspection and connection. Despite the challenges, I embarked on a journey to Thailand, where I found not only love but also a renewed sense of purpose.

In 2021/2022, I decided to push the boundaries of conventional living further by taking an extended hiatus to explore the world and cultivate meaningful relationships. From traversing the picturesque landscapes of northern Thailand on a scooter to basking in the tranquility of Laos, each moment was evidence to the beauty of living life on one's terms.

The following year, I continued to embrace the spirit of adventure, immersing myself in the rich cultures of Thailand and the Philippines. Sharing these experiences with loved ones, including my cherished team and beloved mother in law, brought unparalleled joy and fulfillment.

As I reflect on the past 15 years, I am reminded that true success extends beyond professional accolades—it lies in the ability to embrace change, cultivate balance, and seize every opportunity for growth and exploration. My journey in real estate has not only shaped my career but has also enriched my life in ways I could have never imagined. And for that, I am eternally grateful.

Are you thinking of buying or selling a home in Vancouver? If so, you might want to consider East Vancouver as your destination. East Vancouver is one of the most diverse, vibrant, and affordable areas in the city, offering a wide range of benefits for homeowners and investors alike.

But what are the benefits of East Vancouver real estate? And how can you find your dream home in this area? That's where Matt Henry comes in. Matt Henry is an experienced and professional RE/MAX realtor who specializes in East Vancouver. He has the knowledge, skills, and resources to help you with your real estate needs and dreams.

Here are some of the benefits of East Vancouver real estate:

- Diversity: East Vancouver is known for its diversity, both in terms of people and housing options. You can find different cultures, cuisines, festivals, and events in this area, as well as various types of homes, from condos and townhouses, to single-family homes and duplexes. You can also find different neighborhoods, each with its own character and charm, such as Commercial Drive, Mount Pleasant, Fraser East, Victoria East, and more.

- Affordability: East Vancouver is one of the most affordable areas in the city, offering good value and potential growth for your money. According to REW.cathe average price of a home in East Vancouver was $1,548,000 in April 2023, up 8.9% from last year. The demand for homes in this area is high, as more people are looking for convenient and comfortable alternatives to downtown.

- Amenities: East Vancouver is close to everything you need, from shopping and dining, to schools and parks, to transit and highways. You can easily access downtown, the airport, the highway, and other parts of the city by public transit or car. You can also enjoy the natural beauty of the mountains, the ocean, and the islands nearby.

- Culture: East Vancouver is rich in culture and history, offering a unique and lively lifestyle for its residents. You can enjoy the arts and music scene in this area, including the famous murals and live music venues. You can also explore the craft breweries and local markets in this area, or visit some of the historical landmarks and buildings, such as Hastings Park or Strathcona.

- Service: Matt Henry is committed to providing you with exceptional service and results when it comes to buying or selling a home in East Vancouver. He will listen to your needs and goals, answer your questions and concerns, and keep you informed and updated throughout the process. He will also go above and beyond to make sure you are satisfied and happy with your transaction.

East Vancouver real estate is a great opportunity that you don't want to miss. With Matt Henry as your RE/MAX realtor, you can make it happen. If you have you want to buy or sell use our contact links below.

In the competitive East Vancouver real estate market, making your home stand out from the rest is crucial for a successful sale. As a seasoned RE/MAX Realtor in Vancouver, I understand the importance of home staging in creating a lasting impression on potential buyers. In this article, I'll share expert tips on how to effectively stage your home to maximize its appeal and increase its value.

1. Declutter and depersonalize The first step in staging your East Vancouver property is to declutter and depersonalize your space. Buyers need to envision themselves living in your home, so remove any personal items such as family photos, collections, and memorabilia. As a RE/MAX Realtor in Vancouver, I recommend keeping your décor neutral and minimal to appeal to a wide range of buyers.

2. Optimize lighting Proper lighting can make a significant difference in how your home is perceived. Bright, well-lit spaces feel more inviting and spacious. Replace any burnt-out bulbs, and consider upgrading to energy-efficient LED lights. Additionally, open curtains and blinds to let in natural light, showcasing the best features of your East Vancouver real estate.

3. Enhance curb appeal First impressions are crucial, so don't neglect your home's exterior. A well-maintained front yard and entryway can instantly boost your property's appeal. As a top RE/MAX Realtor Vancouver, I suggest investing in fresh landscaping, painting your front door, and adding stylish address numbers to create a welcoming entrance.

4. Rearrange furniture The right furniture layout can make your space feel more spacious and functional. In East Vancouver real estate, potential buyers are often looking for open-concept living spaces. To create this effect, consider rearranging your furniture to improve traffic flow and create a sense of openness.

5. Use color strategically Color can greatly impact the overall feel of your home. Stick to a neutral color palette with pops of color to create a cohesive and modern look. As an experienced RE/MAX Realtor in Vancouver, I've found that incorporating soft blues, greens, and greys can make your East Vancouver property feel calm and inviting.

6. Showcase key features Highlight the unique features of your East Vancouver real estate, such as a fireplace, built-in bookshelves, or high ceilings. Make sure these elements are clean and in good condition, and use accessories and furniture to draw attention to them.

7. Accessorize thoughtfully Carefully chosen accessories can add the finishing touches to your staged home. As a leading RE/MAX Realtor Vancouver, I recommend using decorative pillows, artwork, and plants to add warmth and personality to your space. Remember, less is often more, so keep your accessories to a minimum to avoid a cluttered look.

The art of home staging can make a significant difference in the success of your East Vancouver real estate sale. By following these expert tips from a top RE/MAX Realtor Vancouver, you can showcase your property in its best light and attract more potential buyers. To learn more about how staging can help sell your home faster and for a higher price, contact me today for a consultation.

Being a Remax realtor in Vancouver offers insight into the wants and needs of the city. Global shifts, market trends and new, emerging needs. Whether its exploration into laneway homes or coach-houses, Fraser Condos, 2 bedrooms on Main Street and East Vancouver townhomes, Matt Henry is constantly aware of the pulse of the city and its residents desires.

The newest kid on the block to watch now is the significance of the home office!

Home offices have become coveted real estate, with a new demand from so many professionals adjusting to working from home.  The Matt Henry Team @ Remax gives insight into how this current upswing is adding to property value: 

“Main Street real estate and the surrounding East Vancouver areas of Cambie Street and Cedar Cottage, continue to be highly desirable places to live.  Now we are seeing a new factor adding to their importance; space for a home office.  A year into the pandemic, we are at a time when some peoples’ jobs have gone completely remote for the foreseeable future, so if you’re a homeowner ready to sell and you have that great little nook, alcove or spare room that could be perfect for a home office, you’ve just added to your point of sale greatly. Even for owners looking for renters, this same principle applies. Real estate ties itself to the trends and right now we are seeing a real need for that extra little bit of space to work at home.” - Matt Henry.

So this is great, for people selling but what about people who are renting? Is there benefit on their side too? Well in short, yes. As people shift from heading out to the office to now working from their homes, they can look at writing off workable space at tax time.  We encourage everyone to check with your accountant or investigate through the Canadian government’s website for how to proceed.

These are unpredictable times and we’ll take the wins where we can. Although working from home is causing adjustments beyond what we realized, we are now able to see benefits from this change for both sellers/buyers and renters alike.

As always, the Matt Henry Team @ Remax is here to work with you, helping you to achieve your Vancouver real estate goals.

Matt Henry Team | homes@matthenry.ca | matthenry.ca | Instagram | facebook

Buyers Market has arrived!

Prices are down, inventory is up, now may be a great time to buy.

Current projections from the Bank of Canada, and many Economists alike, are suggesting that interest rates are going to remain low heading into the Fall season, which could level out the really high market prices we’ve been seeing for a while.  Our regions exceptionally high prices have dropped since the peak.

“This isn’t to say rush into hasty purchases, say’s Matt Henry of Remax Select Realty, but rather be aware that you can take more time to really look and evaluate your options. There will be lots of inventory to go through coming up in the next few months and prices will be a lot more attainable for people wanting to make a move or get into the market.  Be aware to not step out of your means either.  Just because you can get a low interest rate you still need to be mindful of keeping within your budget as to not put yourself in a pressure position should the interest rates fluctuate in the next few years.”

But, as it stands now, it seems the buyers will have an advantage on price, rates and availability so if you have been waiting on the right time to get into the market, now just might be it.

*For further information on First time Home Buyers Tax Exemptions please contact our team at homes@matthenry.ca

Is it time to consider a joint purchase?

In the ever-changing ebb and flow of Vancouver Real Estate, a new trend is starting to emerge that serves as both an excellent investment option as well as an entry point into the market. Welcome to the table, the Joint Purchase option.

“From an Investment standpoint, it makes total sense”, says Matt Henry, Vancouver Remax Realtor. “You get a small group of like minded people who are essentially treating this as an addition to their existing portfolio mix. As far as longevity before seeing returns, this is relatively short as groups can see profit in 2-3 years”.

“But”, he says “this is also a great play for entry into the marketplace. Which a lot of young, successful Vancouverites are still struggling to break into, despite having great careers and even some capital saved up. You could essentially use the profits from the sales in this kind of joint purchase situation and add that to your savings. From there, many first time buyers are now in a position to put a down payment on their dream home.”

The process seems fairly simple, so long as you have someone like Matt Henry onboard. He comes ready to vet each person in the group to ensure a cohesive endeavor. He will mediate for the group in times of personality conflicts or emotions on the buy/sell part of things. He has the leads on homes suited for this venture, lawyers, developers, stagers and anyone else needed to ensure a smooth transition from purchase to sell to profit.

So whether it be a sound investment deal to step up your Portfolio, or an opportunity for you and some friends to all get into the Vancouver Real Estate Market, perhaps a Joint Purchase might be right for you.

For further information on Joint Purchase please contact the Matt Henry Team at Remax Realty Vancouver*

Tips for settling into a new neighbourhood

Moving to a new neighbourhood can sometimes leave us feeling a bit like a fish out of water. Fortunately the Matt Henry Team has compiled our top 3 tips that can help ease you into your new space!  Whether your Vancouver Realtor has helped you into a condo on Main Street, a Laneway in East Vancouver, a Coachhome in the Fraser Valley, a townhouse in Mount Pleasant or a home in the Cambie area, these helpful hints can get you settled in and feeling at home in no time!

1)     Be a tourist (on foot) in your new neighbourhood!

The “on foot” is the key part of this step as walking is where we really get that birds eye view of our surroundings and we can literally stop and go as we please, with no hassle of finding parking! Take notes as you go to create a list of funky shops and new eating spots you and your family can try out.  Once a week choose a new place from your list to explore and before you know it familiarity will quickly bring comfort.

2)     Throw a party!

Inviting your friends and family to come celebrate with you in your new space is a great way to begin forming new memories that will last a lifetime! Cherish these firsts’ as they will add to the joy you feel in your new home.  It is proven that the places in which we experience moments of happiness are places we want to return to time and time again.  Beginning with a celebration is a sure way of laying a foundation of vibrant energy in your new space. Who doesn’t want to go home to that!

3)     Ask, ask, ask!

Talk to the locals in your new area.  Ask them their favourite cafés, watering holes, best produce markets, fish shops, florists.  Then go see those places for yourself.  We are creatures of comfort and the more we familiarize ourselves with our surroundings the quicker they begin to feel authentically like our own.  Plus, with all that conversing you might just make a new friend or two!

As we specialize in Main Street Real Estate in East Vancouver our team is always happy to share our favourite spots and tips. If you’ve recently moved, re-located, or are looking into a new home in this area please feel free to reach out to The Matt Henry Team at Remax for some great local knowledge!

The upside of having a Realtor who lives where you’re looking to buy.

Perhaps when it comes to choosing a Realtor we should consider one who actually lives in the area(s) of interest we are considering.  This often over looked benefit could provide heaps of valuable insight during your information gathering phase that you do during your search of where to live and where to buy.

A Realtor who lives in your area of interest could offer invaluable information to your house hunting process, as they will have personally vetted the neighbourhoods in question.  They will know the creature comforts like good restaurants, parks, cafes, places to shop, what schools are in the area, and so much more.  It is something worth considering when choosing the person (or team) who will help guide you in one of life’s biggest and most exciting choices.

Matt Henry, a Vancouver Remax Realtor, specializes in Vancouver’s Main Street homes for sale and he also happens to live in the area.  He feels the added benefit he can offer people looking to move to the area is essential during their hunt as he went through the process personally so he firsthand understands the questions his clients have about the area, and he can provide honest answers from his own experience.  “People appreciate a personalized experience, and what more personal than sharing how I came to be in my home I love, right in the area that they too are looking to buy,” he says. 

So in that regard, Vancouverites looking to move to Vancouver’s Main Street area can take comfort in having Matt on their side, as he truly is organic to the area and also happens to know his stuff when it comes to Real Estate!

-Matt Henry Team

"Let’s talk density in Cedar Cottage.  Or lack thereof.  In many areas of the city there is a “missing middle” in housing availability, which consists of housing options such as duplexes, town-homes, multiplexes, laneway homes, coach homes and live/work spaces.  Action has been taken to address this need with recent focus being in East Vancouver’s Kensington-Cedar Cottage area.  

The City of Vancouver has proposed the “Making Room Housing Program” which is set to rezone the Kensington-Cedar Cottage area, thus allowing dwelling options that fit into that “missing middle” sector. 

This is great news for people who have outgrown their midrise units, but aren’t yet ready to get into a single detached home.  This approach not only offers affordability options and increased housing choices in the Kensington-Cedar Cottage property for sale market, but also encourages more community living which is great for an already community focused neighbourhood.

East Vancouver Remax Realtors see this upcoming rezoning as an excellent move by the city to increase supply and diversity in housing options and also increase opportunity to provide secondary rental housing options by way of new builds with locked off suites, multiplex builds, and laneways or coach homes for sale.

Kensington-Cedar Cottage is soon to be no stranger to density and diversity in housing availability and the Matt Henry Team looks forward to providing more dwelling options for our clients wanting to invest, reside or relocate to this thriving East Vancouver neighbourhood.     

-Matt Henry Team

MAIN STREET

The poster child for City Living with a young family Main Street.

An eclectic art hub, fused with an abundance of educational options from pre-K right into College. A culturally diverse delight for your taste buds with no shortage of emerging chef’s, craft breweries, café’s and wine bars. Not to mention the vast amount of green space for exploring, dog walking, picnics and playtime. Main Street succeeds in blending its independant spirit with emerging new families and young professionals.

Main Street grows with you, without asking you to forget who you are.

Fuel up at one of the over 25 coffee bars Main Street has to offer before embarking on your own walking art tour, as Main Street is home to the highest number of multicultural and incredibly vast murals in the city. Continuing your outdoor exploration, you will quickly get a feel for each of the 8 distinct neighbourhoods that Main Street encompasses (Downtown Eastside, Old JapanTown, Chinatown, Strathcona, Mount Pleasant, Riley-Park/Little Mountain, Punjabi Market, and Sunset) as you investigate the rich culinary flavours, the unique blends of old and new, and the individual personalities of each area.

Main Street also offers an abundance of preschool, elementary and high school options. It is abundant in playgrounds and parks. Main Street continues to meet a balance of city living and family dwelling, which is why we are quickly seeing it become one of the fastest growing communities for thriving young families!

-Matt Henry Team