B.C. consumers are seeking a genuine experience
The evolution of consumerism continues and the current phase has today’s consumers placing enduring loyalty in products and services that are decidedly authentic. Authenticity is an essential part of today’s “experience economy” and proactive home builders understand this fact. That is why many leading builders are not just assembling sticks and bricks to make homes, but rather delivering homes of the highest quality, while [...] Read More
Are you about to engage the services of a house designer? Is it as simple as Googling designers? Well, it can be I guess, but this alone may not produce the desired outcome when it comes to designing your dream home or completing renovations. So… what should you consider in selecting and hiring a house designer? It will come as no surprise when I say [...] Read More
Years ago, I took an interior design and marketing course with the legendary Gene Dreyfus who impressed upon me the importance of designing a home for the intended market. “For example,” he said, “give most bachelors a microwave and a fridge with an ice-maker and they’ll be happy.” Empty nesters, on the other hand, will want significantly more countertop, a central island and full-height [...] Read More
The B.C. economy is plodding along during this post-recession period, and next year is expected to produce more of the same. It makes sense that a relatively small and open trading economy like our own is being held back by weak global conditions. B.C. merchandise exports actually fell 2.7 per cent through the third quarter as a result of the fallout from ongoing recessionary [...] Read More
I am now convinced that we will never hear the end of housing bubble speak. The premise is now as firmly entrenched in popular consciousness as carbon emissions and TMZ. It has taken the form of idolatry in the blogosphere, where any countervailing narrative is demonized. It has catapulted university dropouts into media darlings because of a hackneyed web page and an opinion. It [...] Read More
There is a growing need for more affordable housing choices across British Columbia. For decades, affordable housing was subsidized primarily by the federal and provincial governments. However, since the mid-1990s, federal support has dwindled and provincial subsidy dollars have generally gone to those in greatest need. While many wait for the federal government to put a national housing strategy in place, I believe developers [...] Read More
Increasingly, developers and homeowners are seeking ways to make their dwellings more green. A great way to start is at the top. A roof can be made greener in a variety of ways. Probably the simplest is the white roof. A white roof reflects heat, keeping the building cooler than a dark roof, thereby saving on air conditioning costs and energy use. By contrast, [...] Read More
Leading home builders invest considerable resources into developing products and processes with the goal of delivering great homes and creating happy homeowners. The numerous variables and uncertainties in home building, however, mean that perfection is not always possible. As a consumer shopping for a new home, it is important to understand the track record of prospective home builders when it comes to delivering complete [...] Read More
I will never forget a day in 1973 when Bill Teron, then-president of Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation, walked into my office at the CMHC head office in Ottawa and asked me how many new housing units had been built in Canada during the previous year. While I cannot recall the exact number, it was probably in the order of 230,000. Why do we [...] Read More
Being a self-confessed real estate junkie, one of my favourite things to do when I’m enjoying summer vacation time is to check out local housing markets along my travel route. Now, this can be a sobering activity, especially since homes in most B.C. towns have incredibly low sticker prices compared to the typical Metro Vancouver rabbit hole. I find that little traffic congestion, clean [...] Read More
A dramatic 92 per cent of consumers surveyed indicate they trust recommendations from friends and family above all other forms of advertising, according to the latest Nielsen Global Online Survey. ‘Word of mouse’ counts This has increased by 18 per cent since 2007. Leading B.C. home builders and renovators recognize the importance of creating referral-ready customers and the online world has made that even [...] Read More
