MAY 2011 - REFER A FRIEND PROMOTION

From Today May 2nd 2011 until May 31st, 2011. Simply refer your friend, family member or coworker to buy or sell a Vancouver property with Albrighton and receive a 12 month subscription to Dwell magazine.  Once your friend completes their purchase, you will receive a 12 month free subscription to Dwell Magazine sent to you directly.  

Dwell Magazine is an international magazine publication that displays and discusses great aspects of modern living.  Each issue includes unique architecture, modern spaces, along with great furniture and building ideas.   Read more about the magazine here: http://www.dwell.com/

* Conditions apply

SELLING OR BUYING A UNIQUE PROPERTY?

Paul Albrighton is a Downtown real estate expert. Providing unmatched high-end property marketing for modern condos, lofts, live/work lofts and architectural properties in Vancouver, BC.

Our clientele often appreciates art, design, and a modern take to thinking and living. We value property that is designed to visually and functionally enhance their lifestyle. With each transaction our focus on client satisfaction allows our service to lead the marketplace.

Our unique promotional systems online and our large networks keep Albrighton Real Estate ahead of the competition.

If you are planning to sell or buy a unique property, contact Paul Albrighton today at 604. 315.5574 or at [email protected]

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE 2010

ALBRIGHTON LOFT

In 2010, we were fortunate to work with so many great clients and beautiful loft spaces.   As a Thank You for your business, website visits, and online attention, we want to reward all our fans.  Simply go through the five selected lofts below, vote for your favourite space, and email us to get into the Dwell Magazine 1 year subscription contest.  We know everyone has their own taste, but these are the five most "spoken about" lofts we dealt with in 2010.  We want to know your opinion.  Which one was your favourite?

How to Win?

1. Go through the pictures, details, and links below, and decide which was your favourite Albrighton loft of 2010. 

2.  Vote on our online poll.

3.  Email us at [email protected] with the subject line "Voted" and your name will be put into a draw to win a 1 year free subscription to Dwell magazine.  The contest begins on Decemeber 4th 2010, and the final draw will happen on January 1st 2011. 

4. Cast your vote, watch the poll, and wait for your chance to win!  The winner will be emailed on January 1st for their subscription mailing details.

THE LINE UP

1 - #402 1180 Homer St - McMasters Yaletown Loft

This beautiful space is located in the heart of Yaletown along Homer Street.  This unit featured over 1300 sq.ft., exposed wood beams and sand-blasted concrete walls and ceilings.  The interior was finely detailed with a high-end open style kitchen, sliding glass walls, and reclaimed fir hardwood floors.  Some other highlights of this suite were the open concept living space and the high level of luxurious throughout the kitchen and spa-like bathrooms.  For all the photos and details on the "McMasters Yaletown Loft" visit the property page by clicking here.

2 - #314 1220 E Pender St - Workshop White Loft

This open plan true live/work loft offered plenty of space and light.  Located on the top floor of " The Workshop" at E Pender and Clarke, this industrial style loft was selected for its amount of space, two level plan, and the 18' ceilings.  The amount of light was great from the full height windows and the skylight, exclusive to top floor suites at 1220 E Pender St.  The concrete floors, exposed cinder-block walls, and open plan make this loft very special, and "eye-candy" to those minimalist fans.  For all the photos and details on the Workshop White Loft click here.

3 - #211 1220 E Pender St - Country Style Loft

Over 1500 sq.ft., natural fir wood beams, wide-plank floors, "see through glass" loft floor, and a large chef's kitchen make this loft ultra-unique.  This loft was recognized as the "Country" or "Whistler" styled loft.  In my loft career I have not seen such a property like this, especially within a building like the Workshop.  This loft was a true blend of great ideas, attention to design, and simply stunning materials.  Some other special features within the Country Loft were heated floors within the spa-like bathroom, slate flooring, 3 full height windows, views to Downtown Vancouver, and double insulated walls, which made this space very quiet and peaceful.  For more information and photos on the Country Style loft, click here.

4 - #307 345 Water St - Greenshields Gastown Loft

Beautiful interior detailing and workmanship all in an open concept living space topped off with a patio facing the ocean and mountains, make this loft a top pick of 2010.  Designed by Alda Pereira, the interiors at Greenshields are in a league of their own.  This suite features, re-claimed maple floors, beautiful Raumplus glass partition walls, special art displays, stone counter tops, and a restored tin-tile ceilings.  Some other special features are a in-suite storage room, exposed concrete structural beam, and custom art-feature style lighting.  Over 992 sq.ft. with ocean and harbour views make this a very unique Gastown loft.  For more details on the Greenshields Heritage Loft click here.

5 - #502 1238 Seymour St - White Bright Downtown Loft

Two level of living, bright white space, and views of Downtown Vancouver make this open concept loft a top topic in the Albrighton office.  Another combination of vision, practicality, and workmanship make this loft very special.  These owners completely customized this space.  They started with a custom loft space upstairs incorporating a large master bedroom, and a semi-private second bedroom.  The upstairs master bedroom had an electric fireplace, and large strip of closet space.  Downstairs, many of the walls were taken down, a large bathroom was designed, black-stained oak hardwood floors were fitted, and custom pot-lighting was installed throughout, making for a dramatic space.  For more information and photos of the White Bright Downtown Loft, click here.

VOTE HERE

Free Online Poll

EMAIL US FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN

1 YEAR OF DWELL MAGAZINE

1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION

EMAIL [email protected]

Email us at [email protected] with the subject line "Voted" and you will be entered in the draw for a 1 year subscription to Dwell Magazine.  The draw will take place on January 1st 2011, and if you are the winner, you will be emailed on January 1st 2011.

Gastown Lofts for sale

Prices for quality lofts starting at $400,000.  Great buildings in classic locations.  Just some of the loft buildings featured are: 55 E Cordova St "Koret", 289 Alexander St "Edge", 36 Water St "Terminus", and 55 Alexander.  Follow this link: http://www.albrighton.ca/gastown_lofts.html

*All listing are in accordance with MLS reciprocity system.

See All Downtown Vancouver lofts for sale

Prices starting at $335,000.  Buildings include 1238 Seymour St "The Space", 933 Seymour St "The Spot", and the "Hooper Building" at 869 Beatty St.  http://www.albrighton.ca/downtown_lofts.html

*All listing are in accordance with MLS reciprocity system.

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A LOFT

WE CAN HELP

Paul Albrighton's business profile.  When it comes to lofts or architecture, Paul speaks with passioin: "It all began when I started in the Real Estate business, I had a love for architecture and some unique buildings in Vancouver.  I noticed that there was a group of people searching for something unique to live in, they were tired of day to day average spec condos.  My goal was to fulfill that need while enjoying my passion of looking at spectacular places"

Here are a few videos done on suites/lofts at The Space.  They are spread around our sites, but this blog posts have them in one place.  You can email this link to people if they are interested in lofts at The Space. 

The Space Videos:

#910 1238 Seymour St - Marketed in July 2009

#502 1238 Seymour Street - Marketed in Jan 2010

The Space Lofts online promo/introduction video in September 2009

The Space - #304 1238 Seymour St - Raw Loft walkthrough video in September 2008

Whatever happened to Green Real Estate?

When the North American economy was in full force, and the Vancouver real estate market was fully blooming Green building technologies were hot.  Developers were promoting the latest Green additions to their projects, Green marketing was “in”, and consumers found a way to justify higher prices for these qualities.  Since then, whatever happened to Green buildings? Was it a fad or did people actually value these additions to new developments and were willing to pay the price?

 
This fall, my experience with Downtown Vancouver condo and loft buyers has been disappointing in regards to Green value-adds.  With a target audience of people who appreciate architecture, new technology, and new design, the Green demand has simply been forgotten.  I believe this past 2009 economy has made our consumers very price conscious.  People pay closer attention to what they are paying for and the short term returns.   Even in our past 5 months of true sales and price recoveries, people are shopping with more short term intentions.  Since March 2009, we have seen similar activity to the most active months in 2007 in regards to sales figures and price increases.  (Read last month’s market report)  But people are not acting the same when it comes to buying property.   

Recently while promoting the environmental advantages of one of Vancouver’s few Green buildings “Pomaria,” (See below) a LEED tower in Downtown Vancouver, in more than one case, my clients would not consider the Green advantages while comparing prices to similar properties in the area.  I felt disappointed, and slightly concerned.  I brought up this issue amongst a few people in the industry, and they experienced similar feedback from other clients.  Does this mean, now that the bottom line is “more important than ever,” people are forgetting about Green technology, and the long-term effects on the environment?

While attending a UDI (Urban Development Institute) development course last week, I spoke to other professionals within the industry about the possibilities of new Green initiatives being implemented by developers for upcoming projects, they quickly responded with the answer “no”.  As expected, they asked if I have had experienced any demand or requests for these types of features from consumers.  You can imagine where this conversation led...

My point of this article is that I hope that the Green initiatives can once again be absorbed and demanded by consumers.  At this time I believe the pressure will have to come from government and planning departments.  If there were tax advantages with certain Green guidelines for new developments this could cause some very positive energy.  The reality is very few people are willing to pay the price up-front.  Developers are not willing to add Green features if consumers are not willing to pay extra.       

Pomaria 1455 Howe St – LEEDE residential condo tower

Pomaria is a 30 storey residential tower located in False Creek North in Downtown Vancouver.  It was developed in 2007 by Qualex-Landmark and designed by Rafii Architects and Robert Ledingham.   Pomaria was amongst the first and only developments to pursue LEED.  This building has been designed to enhance living while considering some Green technologies including: a unique ventilation system, geothermal/geoexchange heating and cooling system, storm water management system, specially selected materials, and low volume/consumption appliances and fixtures.  All these systems are designed to lower its impact and increase its long term sustainability.    http://www.pomaria.com/

Written by Paul Albrighton.- also posted at http://www.albrighton.ca/blog.html

Summary for local Downtown Vancouver Market Report for condos and lofts

The market continues to show positive signs.  Inventory is still low, and our market still remains as a sellers market (defined by having less than three months supply).  Sales activity has slowed down since the Summer months which is typical for this time of year, however; sales in October were up 4.1% from September which was already a very active month.  Compared to October of 2008, sales were up 117% for Greater Vancouver. 

“High confidence and low mortgage rates are continuing to drive the activity we’re seeing in the housing market today. We’re coming off several months of unseasonably high sales levels, which has allowed for a gradual increase in home values this year,”  - Scott Russell, Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) president said.

This month I wanted to more of an analysis of Greater Vancouver, and Western Canada.

November Market Update
Since the market correction last winter, the market has bounced back nicely to test previous highs, both in the number of sales and in benchmark prices. The summer of 2009 surprised many analysts and market-watchers with both its resiliency and fervour, and clients have asked what will happen in the fall and winter.

No one really knows what the market will do, but traditionally, the winter season has resulted in a slow-down in the market as families buckle down for the school year, weather patterns make buyer tours less pleasant, and holiday planning begins. Because there are fewer buyers, some sellers will decide that they can wait until these buyers return, which results in less supply to offset the drop in demand.

However, statistics show that house prices tend to be lower in the winter than in the summer which is why home price stats are seasonally adjusted. People who sell in the winter are more likely to be ready to sell and realistic rather than curious and unmotivated. Also, because there are fewer buyers, true negotiations between buyers and sellers are more likely to occur in place of auction-type multiple offer situations.

So what does this mean if you're a buyer or seller? If you're a buyer that has the flexibility to purchase during the winter months, your selection may become more limited, but if you find what you like, you will likely have a better opportunity to negotiate for your home rather than bid for it. If you're a seller, a limited supply can work in your favour if you have a good realtor that can outline the unique features of your home.

Every situation is different, and each year presents a new set of challenges and opportunities that require professional analysis.  Source, Macdonald Realty Ltd.

Albrighton Vancouver Loft bulidings, and architectural residences:

These webpages feature information, listings, and property for sale within these buildings.

PAUL ALBRIGHTON

Vancouver Loft and Premiere Architecture Realtor

Macdonald Realty Downtown Vancouver

604 315 5574

http://www.albrighton.ca/234-e-5th-ave-granite-block.html - Granite Block Lofts in Mount Pleasant - 234 East 5th, Vancouver

http://www.albrighton.ca/233-abbott-st-abbott-place.html  Abbott Place in Gastown Vancouver - 233 Abbott St, Vancouver

"33" in Crosstown Vancouver - 33 West Pender

The Workshop Lofts in Mount Pleasant - 1220 E. Pender St, Vancouver

Koret Lofts in Gastown - 55 E. Cordova, Vancouver

Del Prado Yaletown Loft Building - 1155 Mainland St, Vancouver

The Hamilton Yaletown Loft Buliding - 1178 Hamilton St. Vancouver

The Space Lofts - Downtown Loft Building - 1238 Seymour St, Vancouver

Bowman Lofts in Crosstown - 528 Beatty St, Vancouver

XL Lofts in Cambie/Mount Pleasant W - 428 W. 8th Ave, Vancouver

Metropolis Lofts in Yaletown Vancouver - 1238 Richards St, Vancouver

Alda Lofts in Yaletown Vancouver - 1275 Hamilton St, Vancouver

Crosstown heritage loft building - 518 Beatty S, Vancouver

The Spot Lofts in Downtown Vancouver - 933 Seymour St, Vancouver

Tribeca Lofts in Yaletown Vancouver - 988 Richards St, Vancouver

McMasters Buliding - Lofts in Yaletown - 1180 Homer St, Vancouver

Sophia - Mount Pleasant Modern condos - 298 E. 11th Ave, Vancouver

The Edge lofts in Gastown Vancouver - 289 Alexander St, Vancouver

Artech Warehouse Lofts in Mount Pleasant - 336 E. 1st Ave, Vancouver

Loft 495 in South Granville/Mount Pleasant - 495 W. 6th, Vancouver

Van Horne in Gastown - 22 E. Cordova, Vancouver

Carrall Station in Gastown - 1 E. Cordova St, Vancouver

Crane Building - 540 Beatty in Crosstown - 546 Beatty St, Vancouver

Murchies Building in Yaletown - 1216 Homer St, Vancouver

Waterfall Building in False Creek - 1540 W. 2nd, Vancouver

The Grace in Yaletown - 499 Drake St, Vancouver

The Grace in Yaletown - 1280 Richards St, Vancouver

http://www.albrighton.ca/1111-alberni-st-shangrila-condos.html - Shangri La in Downtown - 1111 Alberni St, Vancouver

http://www.albrighton.ca/1128-w-georgia-st-shangrila-estates.html - Shangri-La in Coal Harbour - 1128 W. Georgia St, Vancouver

http://www.albrighton.ca/1277-melville-st-flatiron.html - Flatiron in Coal Harbour - 1277 Melville St, Vancouver

http://www.albrighton.ca/harbour-green-two-1139-w-cordova-st.html - Harbour Green II in Coal Harbour - 1139 W. Cordova St, Vancouver

http://www.albrighton.ca/the-qube-1333-w-georgia-st.html - The Qube in Coal Harbour - 1333 W. Georgia St, Vancouver

Why are lofts and condos selling so fast?

Paul Albrighton - market update for condos and lofts Aug '09.  Demand high, inventory low, prices increasing since April 2009. 

Vancouver Lofts - A blog about lofts and loft buildings!

Albrighton real estate is dedicated to offering you the most information and details on Vancouver lofts for sale and Vancouver loft bulidings.  Just check out how much information they provided for June's blog: http://albrighton.ca/blogs/2009/6/

More links about Albrighton real estate:

Albrighton Real Estate Network:

Albrighton Real Estate: http://www.albrighton.ca/

Vancouver Lofts: http://www.albrighton.ca/vancouver_lofts.html

Downtown Vancouver Lofts for sale: http://www.albrighton.ca/downtown_lofts.html

Yaletown Vancouver Lofts for sale: http://www.albrighton.ca/yaletown_lofts.html

Gastown Vancouver Lofts for sale: http://www.albrighton.ca/gastown_lofts.html

Crosstown Vancouver Lofts for sale: http://www.albrighton.ca/crosstown_lofts.html

Kitsilano, South Granville, and Cambie Vancouver Lofts for sale: http://www.albrighton.ca/south_granville_and_kits_lofts.html

Vancouver Eastside Lofts for sale: http://www.albrighton.ca/vancouver_east_lofts.html

Mount Pleasant Lofts for sale: http://www.albrighton.ca/mount_pleasant_lofts.html

Shangri-la Vancouver condos for sale: http://www.shangri-la-condos.ca/shangri-la_condos_for_sale.html

The Space at 1238 Seymour St lofts for sale: http://www.thespacelofts.com/SPACE_suites_available.html

Elan Yaletown condos for sale at 1255 Seymour St: http://www.elan-yaletown.ca/elan_suites_available.html

HH-yaletown 1133 Homer St condos for sale: http://www.hh-yaletown.ca/

The Grace Vancouver 1280 Richards St for sale: http://www.albrighton.ca/1280-richards-st-the-grace-tower.html

The Grace Vancouver at 499 Drake St for sale: http://www.albrighton.ca/499-drake-st-the-grace-1.html

1111 Alberni St and 1128 W Georgia St condos for sale: http://www.shangri-la-condos.ca/

1238 Richards St, Metropolis condos and lofts for sale: http://www.albrighton.ca/1238-richards-st-metropolis.html

1333 W Georgia St The Qube condos for sale: http://www.albrighton.ca/the-qube-1333-w-georgia-st.html

Properties that offer loft spaces or architectural design

Mount Pleasant near Main St. Lofts

# 203 2635 PRINCE EDWARD ST – “Soma Lofts” This unit is near Main, however the street it is on is nice, quiet, and not so industrial.    This in East Mount Pleasant.  This area is improving and is being redeveloped quickly.  There are a few warehouse styled lofts in the area.  These suites stand out for offering beautiful finish from polished concrete floors, ultra high ceilings, quality kitchens & bathrooms, and sliding wall/doors.  These are prime “loft style condos”.

 # 708 328 E 11TH AV -  “Uno” This is right by Soma Lofts, and another architectural building with good values.  This suite is a two bedroom which a bright good layout.

# 314 336 E 1ST AV – “Artech Lofts” This is a Warehouse style Mount Pleasant live/work loft building with great open layouts.  This unit features concrete floors and some nice updates.  It also has a North facing mountain view.  This building is home to many artist live/work studios and home offices. 

  Vancouver East Loft

# 410 2001 WALL ST – “Canerry Row” - These are beautiful true double level lofts with great space.  This unit is well priced as the past three loft sales at this building were between $345,000 to $365,000.  This building is located out of the core of the city, in the industrial area, near Powell and the Bottom of Victoria Dr.  This loft has great industrial northern views. 

  Gastown Loft

#202 36 WATER ST- “Terminus”, This is a new Gastown retro-fit building using the facade of a heritage hotel.  These properties must be viewed to be appreciated, these units do not feel narrow as the ceilings are very high.  The build finish and quality are amongst the best lofts in the city.  All these units include parking.  It is right in the character tourist area of Gastown. 

 Yaletown Loft

# 313 1275 HAMILTON ST - This is one of Yaletown’s best conversion buildings.  It was designed by Alda Pierra, and the detail to attention clearly shows.  This suite features high ceilings, original exposed timber beams, and very nice kitchen and bathroom finishing’s.  I highly recommend this place.  The strata fees are only $273/mn.

 Westside Lofts

# 203 4387 W 10TH AV – “Roar One” http://mlslink.mlxchange.com/Pub/EmailView.asp?r=468319604&s=BRC&t=BRC I’ve included the listing and the older listing of this place so you can see as many photos as possible.  This is a beautiful building in a great location in Point Grey.  The design and attention to detail is very apparent.  This place is right out of Dwell Magazine.  This building ranks amongst the best loft boutique buildings in the city. 

# 510 1529 W 6TH AV – “South Granville Lofts” These are highly desired lofts as they are located near Broadway and Granville.  These suites are home to many business including hair salons.  People really like them for their well built concrete construction and people can walk right up to the suites without having to be buzzed in.  These were re-done in 2006, the developer still owns a few suites and should be releasing some units. 

# 408 338 W 8TH AV – “Loft 338” This smaller loft building that looks like a warehouse conversion with metal cladding on the outside.  This is a nice simple open space with over 800 sq.ft.   This is in a great area full of new development and a new skytrain station.  It is one block away from the main commuting route – W 9^th or Broadway. 

 # 201 980 W 22ND AV – “Simon” This is a more quaint location near Oak St.  This unit offers great space, and an outdoor patio.  This area is located right near Shaughnessy. 

 # 302 428 W 8TH AV – “XL LOFTS” This is a nice architectural concrete loft building near the new developments in the Cambie area on W 8^th.  These units have nice exposed concrete, great layouts, and a very central location.  This area is now home to many great new stores including Whole Foods, Best Buy, and Canadian Tire.  This is 1 block from a Skytrain station.

Disclaimer The data relating to real estate on this web site comes in part from the MLS Reciprocity program of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver or the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. Real estate listings held by participating real estate firms are marked with the MLS Reciprocity logo and detailed information about the listing includes the name of the listing agent. This representation is based in whole or part on data generated by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver or the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board which assumes no responsibility for its accuracy. The materials contained on this page may not be reproduced without the express written consent of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver or the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board.

Be sure to check out the daily updated Vancouver's top rated loft real estate website: http://www.albrighton.ca/vancouver_lofts.html.  This website features top notch lofts for sale in Vancouver.  This organized website has all lofts for sale in the city organized by the following neighbourhoods:

  downtown lofts
  yaletown lofts
  gastown lofts
  crosstown lofts
  south granville and kits lofts
  vancouver east lofts
  mount pleasant lofts

See this descriptive article with neighboood information and links about some great Loft condos for sale in Vancouver under $500,000.  http://www.albrighton.ca/blogs/2009/3/21/592-vancouvers-best-lofts-under-500000.html

Vancouver lofts by Paul Albrighton.

Vancouver Lofts

Vancouver's #1 real estate marketing for lofts

We specialize in Vancouver lofts and heritage style buildings located in Downtown, Yaletown, Mount Pleasant, Fairview, South Granville, Cambie, Kitsilano, Vancouver East, Gastown, and Crosstown. We provide the most comprehensive source for searching for lofts, and marketing lofts, loft style condos, and architectural property in Vancouver, BC. Feel free to contact us at 604 315 5574 or [email protected] for more information on selling or buying a loft style condominium or townhouses in Vancouver. See our daily updated Vancouver loft blog. This blog features hot buys on the market, highlight loft buildings, and updates about the Vancouver LOFT market.

546 Beatty st - Crosstown loft - Crane Building -- Vancouver lofts

See our building webpage for 546 Beatty St, The Crane building is located in Crosstown Vancouver.

These suites are full of character, see the morning sun and super high ceilings located in Townline's latest HERITAGE VANCOUVER LOFT CONVERSION - The Crane building at 540 Beatty st. This exceptional loft style features soaring overheight ceiling, original bri ck wall, exposed concrete beams, iron columns, refurbished double hung sash windows, concrete polished floors.  Marketed by Paul Albrighton - Vancouver lofts. www.albrighton.ca/vancouver_lofts.ca

Building webpage for 546 Beatty St.

List of lofts for sales at 546 Beatty St, Crane building.