Vancouver's Real Estate Market

[Gululu]

whats ur opinion on recently completed high rise condos with no Electric vehicle charging stations. like wtf? just drives me insane

[bcedhk]

Originally Posted by Gululu

whats ur opinion on recently completed high rise condos with no Electric vehicle charging stations. like wtf? just drives me insane

based on building bylaws for the CoV

Parking stalls - 20% of the parking stalls in every building must include a receptacle for charging cars.
Electrical room - The electrical room must include enough space to install any equipment necessary to provide charging for all residents in the future.

The city probably can boost its rate to maybe 30-40% within this decade, but honestly, the amount of tesla/leaf/volt,etc vehicles are still a margin % in condos.

I see a lot of condos with electric outlets being used for other uses like charging their cordless vacuums and other appliances.

[bcedhk]

Originally Posted by unit

bcedhk,

do you really get the chance to know who your neighbor is when you buy a developed condo either?

Pretty much what Sonick said. When I was looking for my first rental in Richmond, i went to a condo where the elevator had a sign that said "please do not spit in the elevator". Afterwards, the floor i was on had a strong weed and cig smell. So imo, those are some preliminary signs that I personally would look for in a developed condo unit.

[Harvey Specter]

I was looking to buy an investment unit at a new development in Richmond last year and my realtor told me to stay away. He said the new buildings are rundown and not well kept and now reading the comments in this thread confirm what he told me.

[Mr.HappySilp]

Originally Posted by Gululu

whats ur opinion on recently completed high rise condos with no Electric vehicle charging stations. like wtf? just drives me insane

You do know that the install cost for one these outlet is really expensive right. Not to mention the maintanice fees are not cheap. I would rather they add this as an add on. if the unit owner wants to have one install they have to pay more and also pay for their own maintance fees. Some people don't see the need for them (I am one of them why add the cost my unit/starta fee when I am against it). Let those who wants one pay themselves.

[4444]

Originally Posted by Mr.HappySilp

You do know that the install cost for one these outlet is really expensive right. Not to mention the maintanice fees are not cheap. I would rather they add this as an add on. if the unit owner wants to have one install they have to pay more and also pay for their own maintance fees. Some people don't see the need for them (I am one of them why add the cost my unit/starta fee when I am against it). Let those who wants one pay themselves.

out of interest, who pays for the electricity for an outlet in common space like a garage? would it be from the strata?

[Mr.HappySilp]

Originally Posted by 4444

out of interest, who pays for the electricity for an outlet in common space like a garage? would it be from the strata?

that's correct.

[lowside67]

Currently, because the electric car phenomenon is somewhat new relative to the age of most real estate. However, you had better believe that the time is coming where strata owners will be billed for the electricity to charge your car - that free ride is not going to last. There are WAY too many people who don't have electric cars who are vocal about not paying for other peoples' uses.

Mark

[SumAznGuy]

Originally Posted by sonick

You can get a good idea of the people living in the building by looking at things like the cars in the parking garage, condition of the garbage room, condition and cleanliness of the public areas, and reading the strata documents.

While you make a good point, it also demonstrates how useless the strata council is. Most strata's will have some bylaws about leaving garbage on the floor and not using the garbage facilities to dump larger items.
We live up on SFU and at the end of every semester you see vaccums, beds, book case, drawers, and microwaves sitting outside the garbage room.
If the caretaker is on top of things, he will check the camera's and issue a warning to the unit that left the garbage. But now we have a useless caretaker so it's gotten pretty bad.
Same goes with tenants parking in visitor parking.

Originally Posted by bcedhk

Pretty much what Sonick said. When I was looking for my first rental in Richmond, i went to a condo where the elevator had a sign that said "please do not spit in the elevator". Afterwards, the floor i was on had a strong weed and cig smell. So imo, those are some preliminary signs that I personally would look for in a developed condo unit.

Can't really generalize like that. For one, people come and go, especially in a building that has high rentals.
So who your neighbours are now, doesn't mean it won't change in a few months.

[sonick]

Originally Posted by SumAznGuy

While you make a good point, it also demonstrates how useless the strata council is. Most strata's will have some bylaws about leaving garbage on the floor and not using the garbage facilities to dump larger items.
We live up on SFU and at the end of every semester you see vaccums, beds, book case, drawers, and microwaves sitting outside the garbage room.
If the caretaker is on top of things, he will check the camera's and issue a warning to the unit that left the garbage. But now we have a useless caretaker so it's gotten pretty bad.
Same goes with tenants parking in visitor parking.

Heh, aren't we just agreeing here, that there is an advantage of being able to see the building condition and tenants vs a pre-sale?

Stratas and caretakers can go downhill for already built and pre-sale buildings just the same. You just make the decision on the best information available at the time.

[GLOW]

Originally Posted by Mr.HappySilp

You do know that the install cost for one these outlet is really expensive right. Not to mention the maintanice fees are not cheap. I would rather they add this as an add on. if the unit owner wants to have one install they have to pay more and also pay for their own maintance fees. Some people don't see the need for them (I am one of them why add the cost my unit/starta fee when I am against it). Let those who wants one pay themselves.

no idea why you got failed, they are indeed expensive to supply/install, even if just a receptacle. the station unit themselves are very expensive.

it's not practical to install one for each unit's stall if that's what you're saying, nor is it to install an empty conduit for each stall for future. this isn't even taking in to account the building's electrical service.

if the argument is the electricity is going to be based on pay per use, then you could put a POS on it so that whomever is using it gets charged like they do in commercial areas. but i'm thinking if you go that route you need a station, not a receptacle, and that'll add a lot more in terms of cost. if there isn't already maybe there's a receptacle/POS unit/kit available that'll be a lot cheaper than a stand alone charging station.

[originalhypa]

Really?

$31.1-million Point Grey mansion owned by 'student'




It seems like every time you turn around there’s a new eye popping real estate story in Vancouver, and today is no different.

The latest? A $31.1 million dollar Point Grey mansion, allegedly 99% owned by a student, Tian Yu Zhou.

To get some insight on how that could be, and what it could mean we checked in with investigative reporter Kathy Tomlinson who’s been hot on the real estate beat.

Tian’s 14,600 square foot five-bedroom, eight-bathroom mansion at 4833 Belmont Ave certainly seems out of reach of a student.

But Tomlinson says after diving deep into B.C.’s land titles, she’s seen plenty of similar cases where big money properties are registered to students or home makers with little or no income.

She says there’s no ethical or legal issue with a student owning a mansion like this, assuming their parents can pay for it.

But she says the trouble comes when it’s used as a tax dodge.

“The problem comes into play when the property isn’t actually occupied by the student, and when the real owner, the beneficial owner, the parents usually, don’t claim any tax gains because of that. So they’re able to be investors in Canada, and own homes and sell them and have them as investments and not pay capital gains tax.”

On top of that, she says, there’s the issue of such a technique contributing to the city’s empty homes. She says in the course of her investigations she’s seen first hand how many of these properties are vacant.

“I had a list of addresses that were owned by students and I drove around going to those places. And several of them were completely unoccupied. Not furniture and no one home: completely empty. And so that’s where the questions come in of whether these are actual investments by parents or whomever, and that they’re being put in the name of students partially to avoid paying capital gains taxes.”

Tomlinson says the problem is worse than the city’s recent report on empty homes suggests.

She says the survey ignored homes with demolition permits pending, being demolished, or new construction.

She adds it didn’t look at winter months, and that foreign investors typically come for short periods in the summer, potentially making the houses appear occupied.


nice area though...

[Gumby]

^
Ridiculous...

[smoothie.]

[Dragon-88]

Originally Posted by GLOW

no idea why you got failed, they are indeed expensive to supply/install, even if just a receptacle. the station unit themselves are very expensive.

it's not practical to install one for each unit's stall if that's what you're saying, nor is it to install an empty conduit for each stall for future. this isn't even taking in to account the building's electrical service.

if the argument is the electricity is going to be based on pay per use, then you could put a POS on it so that whomever is using it gets charged like they do in commercial areas. but i'm thinking if you go that route you need a station, not a receptacle, and that'll add a lot more in terms of cost. if there isn't already maybe there's a receptacle/POS unit/kit available that'll be a lot cheaper than a stand alone charging station.

My electrician just quoted installation for charging stations in a business park parking lot and that was about $3-4K per system, not including the cost of the system itself.. So it gets super pricey.

Side note: I learned from a Realtor friend yesterday about finding renters. He mostly posts his ads in Korean or Japanese newspapers. In most cases he looks for 1-2 year students, but apparently they are very well kept and take care of the place and actually clean up when their term is done.

[GLOW]

cheap stations (the "system") cost that much plus install...average one will run you double.

[604STIG]

My condo has 2 EV charge stations for anyone that wants to plug in, they just have to log into the station and will get charged according to how many hours they stay plugged in. Currently, I think this is probably the best and most economical method.

[Gululu]

Originally Posted by Mr.HappySilp

You do know that the install cost for one these outlet is really expensive right. Not to mention the maintanice fees are not cheap. I would rather they add this as an add on. if the unit owner wants to have one install they have to pay more and also pay for their own maintance fees. Some people don't see the need for them (I am one of them why add the cost my unit/starta fee when I am against it). Let those who wants one pay themselves.

I think you re confused. It really doesnt cost as much to install a home wall charger as you think. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YJFHFZ0
I use this one, just your standard 30a j1772 level 2 charger. My total charging bill is less than $10 dollars per month according to my chargepoint app. That's all I pay to charge my electric vehicle per month, not to mention I can free load at places like malls and city halls.

To drive out there to my new condo, ideally i'd like to plug my ev as I go and inspect the unit but to my dismay they dont have any. My other condo has 5 charging stations but not this newer one. why

[Traum]

Originally Posted by Dragon-88

Side note: I learned from a Realtor friend yesterday about finding renters. He mostly posts his ads in Korean or Japanese newspapers. In most cases he looks for 1-2 year students, but apparently they are very well kept and take care of the place and actually clean up when their term is done.

Having witnessed international students of different varieties, I refuse to believe that students from certain ethnic groups are tidier than others (but there are definitely certain groups that are worse than average). In particular, I've seen some very messy rooms from Japanese / Korean female students in my younger, wilder days.

[Mr.HappySilp]

Originally Posted by originalhypa

Really?

why not the money is from the parents anyways. Is nothing new.

[melloman]

Originally Posted by Traum

Having witnessed international students of different varieties, I refuse to believe that students from certain ethnic groups are tidier than others (but there are definitely certain groups that are worse than average). In particular, I've seen some very messy rooms from Japanese / Korean female students in my younger, wilder days.

I can confirm that Japanese and Korean students are much cleaner than say.. Taiwanese and Hong Kong students. This comes from my family having home-stay students for about, 15 years.

Granted, the worst were the students from Switzerland and Austria Messy white people

[Mr.HappySilp]

Originally Posted by melloman

I can confirm that Japanese and Korean students are much cleaner than say.. Taiwanese and Hong Kong students. This comes from my family having home-stay students for about, 15 years.

Granted, the worst were the students from Switzerland and Austria Messy white people

Lol you haven't seen International students from China yet. They can/will destroy your place if you don't check it every month.

[buhdeh]

When I was condo hunting in Toronto, I couldn't even count the number of units in brand new buildings that were being rented out to mainlanders and were completely trashed.

[originalhypa]

Originally Posted by Mr.HappySilp

why not the money is from the parents anyways. Is nothing new.

It may not be new to your ancient society of corrupt dirtbags, but the last time I checked this was still North America where most business was done in an ethical manner.

So yeah, it is new. Which is why it's on the front page of every news outlet right now.

[westopher]

Lol business in North America is done in the most unethical manor in the world. Other countries are just joining the party.