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New Listing!! Super Sharp, well kept 4 bedroom basement home tucked away on a quiet cul-d-sac! EXTENSIVELY remodeled “open” floor plan features a professionally finished contemporary new kitchen w/stainless appliances, soft closing hardware,under cabinet lighting & centre island. PLUS kitchen/eating/dining area that opens onto massive covered patio (380 sqft), perfect for entertaining. 3 good size bedrooms upstairs with one bedroom down. Lots of updates include new kitchen (2010), new paint, hot water tank (2012),windows,furnace,alarm,bathrooms,light fixtures. 1 block away from George Greenaway Elem.


See Virtual Tour Here:


http://www.seevirtual360.com/themes/50/flashTheme.aspx?listingID=23647

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Having grown up in Surrey and competing in several different sports as a child, I have such an appreciation for the amount of hard work these kids and their parents put into their sports. Every kid that achieves this level of sport deserves to be recognized and these girls deserve it! 

 

Mackenzie Wong and Stephanie Payne have been selected to Team BC, and will at the 2012 Under-18 National Women’s Championship in Dawson Creek Nov. 7-12.

 

The two Surrey residents were selected after a Team BC development camp July 25-29 in Salmon Arm. Twenty-four players were invited to the camp, as was the Kazakhstan women’s team, and 20 were chosen to the team.

 

 

Wong, 16, played for the Fraser Valley Phantom of BC Hockey’s Female Midget AAA League. She led the Phantom in scoring, and was third overall in the five-team league with 18 goals and 20 assists for 38 points, three behind league-leader Jesse Keca of the Thompson-Okanagan Rockets. Keca, from Kelowna, will also be on Team BC in Dawson Creek.

 

 

Payne, 17, is a defenceman with the Pacific Steelers of the Junior Women’s Hockey League.

 

 

Nice work girls!

 

Courtesy of:

http://www.surreyleader.com/sports/167218025.html

 

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The London 2012 Paralympics get underway today and our Team Canada members are ready to represent and make us proud. There is one Surrey, BC/Maple Ridge resident who trains in Surrey for swimming that I am cheering extra Loud for...Nathan Stein!! 

 

Nathan's family has been extremely supportive to me over the years and I can't help but think this year will be Nathan's year to BRING HOME THE GOLD! His first race is tomorrow so I will be watching in anticipation for results...:)

 

 

For full results and coverage visit the London 2012 Paralympics website here :

 

http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/sports/

 

Go CANADA Go!

 

HAPPY LONG WEEKEND!!

 

Brittany

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I remember doing the famous Cloverdale corn maze as a child and it's back for another year of fun! Here are the details:

 

Our world-famous Corn mazes (Maize Mazes) are shaping up as temperatures cool and the kids return to school. Summer isn’t over yet but this autumn harvest-themed activity is always a hit.

Bose Family Corn Maze (Cloverdale/Surrey).


Website: http://www.themaize.com/sites.php?ID=&username=cancloverdale



  • Location: 64th Avenue and 156th Street, Surrey 
  • Dates: August 30, 2012 to October 21, 2012
  • Activities: Corn maze, country store, sand box, slides, campfire, pumpkin patch.
  • Hours: Hours to change after Labour Day Long Weekend. Group nights are Monday – Wednesday from 6:00pm to 8:00pm (for groups of 15 or more). Open to the public Thursdays and Fridays 6:00pm to 8:00pm; Saturdays 12:00pm to 8:00pm; Sundays and holidays 12:00pm to (not listed).
  • Cost: Children 4 and under are free. Children 5-18 are $5.50, adults $7, seniors are $5.50.

 

Have fun!

 

Brittany

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Looking for something to do on Thursday August 23rd?

 

Head down to "The Shops" at Morgan Crossing for out door movie night!

 

Here are the details:

 

Outdoor Movie Nights @ Morgan Crossing

Join us on August 9, 16 and 23rd at 7pm to enjoy free outdoor movies! 

August 9th: The Hunger Games

August 16th: Men in Black 3

August 23rd: Monty Python - The Holy Grail

 Bring your chairs and blankets! Enjoy pre-show activities, mini doughnuts, cotton candy and popcorn starting at 7pm!
All by donation with proceeds going to The Centre for Child Development


Movie Begins at 8:30pm 

 

Have fun!

 

Brittany

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HI clients & friends,

 

I am looking for friends, family & clients to join me on September 30th, 2012 to  run a 5k at the Surrey International World Music Marathon! Want to join? Register Here:

 

http://surreymarathon.com/race-info/registration/ AND Register Under TEAM NAME "Brittany Reimer Real Estate". Also, please let me know if you do register! 

 

Thanks everyone, looking forward to it. See below article of interest for the Mayor's 5K.

 

 

Brittany Reimer was one of Canada’s top swimmers, but she’s left the competitive swimming pool behind and is now enjoying new sports and finding ways to keep fit. As a long-time resident of Surrey, Brittany was enthusiastic to hear about the Surrey International World Music Marathon and decided to sign up because she loves being a part of community events and being active continues to be an essential part of her life.

After retiring from competitive swimming in 2008, Brittany has found new ways to keep active: biking, going to the gym and running.  She’s excited to take part in the Mayor’s 5K with the Surrey International World Music Marathon as fitness has always been an integral part of her life, and now she looks for new ways to keep active and have fun with sport.  Although she is not racing any more, Brittany volunteers with the local Cloverdale swim team and has recently started swimming with the local Masters team as well.  However, Brittany is also kept extremely busy as she is a business owner in her local Cloverdale community.

Brittany encourages everyone to take part in this exciting new event and looks forward to participating in this great fitness initiative with her community.

 

 

http://surreymarathon.com/2012/08/15/leading-canadian-swimmer-to-compete-in-surrey-international-world-music-marathon/

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Buying a first home is one of life’s most significant purchases, and a new poll shows many first-time homebuyers wish they had done things differently.

More than half of those who were asked said they would make a bigger down payment and that they would buy a home sooner, the 2012 TD Canada Trust First Time Home Buyers Report found.

“The survey results reveal that people generally want the best of both worlds, to be able to buy a home sooner and to have a bigger down payment,” said Brett Currah, district vice-president, TD Canada Trust. “What it means at the end of the day, though, is that planning becomes critical.”

Richmond mortgage broker Chris Pughe said the most important thing to consider is whether you can afford your monthly payments. The size of your down payment or the timing of your purchase is not as important as being sure to buy a home that is within your means, Pughe said.

With a five-year fixed rate, monthly payments are fixed, but for buyers who chose variable-rate mortgages, Currah suggests factoring a potential rate increase into your budget.

He also suggests adding a clause that lets you lock in at a fixed rate if market volatility makes you nervous down the road.

Many first-time homebuyers said they could have been better prepared and more thorough when budgeting, the poll found. Thirty-seven per cent of those surveyed did not budget for ongoing costs such as maintenance and utilities, while 17 per cent overlooked some of the one-time charges like inspection fees and five per cent didn’t budget for anything beyond the down payment and mortgage payment.

“When setting a budget for home ownership, you not only need to consider all the upfront costs but the ongoing costs that will become a part of your monthly expenses. Having a realistic picture of your new monthly expenses will give you a clear understanding of what you can afford and help you decide on the mortgage term and repayment plan that you’ll be comfortable with,” Currah said.

Some of the expenses that come along with buying a home include an inspection fee of $400 and up, but the buyer decides whether they want to do an inspection, Pughe said. Sometimes a lender will require an appraisal of the property, which could cost $300 or more.

Another expense is the property transfer tax, which is waived for first-time homebuyers of homes purchased for less than $425,000, Pughe said. The tax is one per cent of the first $200,000 and two per cent of the remainder. Pughe said many people don’t realize that if a couple is buying a property and one of them has not previously been on a property title before, 50 per cent of the tax can be waived on homes purchased for less than $425,000.

Legal fees for a property purchase will cost about $1,100, Pughe said, adding that a high-ratio buyer will also face CMHC fees, but those will not come out of pocket, they will be added to the mortgage amount.

“There shouldn’t be any surprises,” Pughe said, but added that strata fees are always subject to change.

Two-thirds of first-time buyers in the province admit they’re worried about affording their home if interest rates go up, the survey found.

Despite very low five-year fixed mortgage rates in July, a panel of mortgage experts put together by RateSupermarket.ca does not expect downward movement to continue.

“Due to increasingly poor global economic performance and consistently low Government of Canada bond yields, fixed mortgage rates are not anticipated to change,” the panel said in a news release. “Variable mortgage rates are also expected to remain the same due to the Bank of Canada maintaining its key interest rate.”

New mortgage rules were brought in last month that shorten the maximum amortization to 25 years from 30, which was expected to deter some first-time homebuyers, although that doesn’t appear to be the case. Although sales are slowing in Vancouver, The Sun reported earlier this month that the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver’s president Eugen Klein said the decline appears to be caused by a drop off in investment buyers, and not declining numbers of first-time buyers.

The TD survey found that most first-time homebuyers save for one to four years for a down payment, and that in B.C. those buyers are equally split between looking for a detached house or a condominium, with townhouses the next most popular choice.

Currah said prospective buyers can learn from other buyers’ mistakes.

He suggested beginning to research online and pointed out that TD Canada Trust has an online forum that allows potential homeowners to chat with experts at www.tdcanadatrust.com/homeownership.



Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/First+time+homebuyers+wish+they+second+chance+report/7067627/story.html#ixzz23AMCEcPf

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I loved this article I read today and couldn't help but post this to share with you all! Given my past experiences, I can relate so much to all these athletes in this article. All three of the athletes featured (including the author who is also an Olympian) are such an inspiration to us all to keep fighting even when things don't go as we want or expect. Enjoy!

 

Adam Kreek
August 7, 2012
 
 

Simon Whitfield’s crash and Paula Findlay’s last place struggle in the Olympic triathlon have brought back painful memories of my own Olympic failure.  After I finished 5th in Athens, depression and sadness dulled the vibrant celebration of the games.  I did not want to see other events; I avoided the crowds.  I wanted to get away. In fact, I avoided closing ceremonies, a decision I regret to this day.

My old multi-variable calculus professor, an ancient east-Indian man, would often tell me, “Success is a function of your expectations.”  How true is that?  Paula and Simon were our best hopes in Triathlon.  They expected the best from themselves.  Heck, many Canadians including myself expected the best. Their disappointments will be as large as their hopes to succeed.

What do you say? Really.  There are few words that felt comfortable in my history of sporting failures.  The best words came from a fellow commiserator on the rowing course.  Marcel Hacker was the German single sculler and medal hopeful in Athens. He raced poorly and ended up in the B-final.  Marcel looked at me with his stern German eyes, “Sport ist Scheisse…” he said.  I nodded.  Our dreams had just been flushed down the toilet.  There wasn’t any more to say.

There is a hidden benefit to failure, though.  Athletes are young.  They have lives, businesses, families and careers that follow their athletic experience.  Athletes must let go of their elite athletic identity to find their best life.  Athletes must transition, reflect upon their past, learn from it and grow.  Paula will go to medical school or law school.  Simon will run a triathlon outfitting business and be a super-dad.  Both will take their lessons of sport beyond sport.  I find that inspiring.  Paula and Simon are both wonderful, full-hearted people, and great role models for our children.

Athlete success and failure is a perfect model for life.  Rarely, if ever, will you reach the top.  And once you get there, the peak is small and short lived.  Failure is far more common, but we should still embrace challenge. Ironically, the beauty of life is enhanced through struggle, and the peace found after failure.

Paula, Simon or the dozens of Canadian athletes who will see their dreams flushed down the toilet this Olympics won’t care about future enlightenment or the success their heart-breaking experience will breed.  These young Canadians will discover their strength later.  Our future leaders will pick themselves up and let go of their elite athletic identity.  For now, though, they must live the basic truth: Sport ist Scheisse.

Read more Articles from Adam Kreek

© COPYRIGHT - POSTMEDIA NEWS

 

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The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board processed 1,393 sales on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in July, an increase of 5 per cent compared to the 1,322 sales during the same month last year, and 5 per cent fewer than the 1,463 sales in June. At the same time, the board posted 2,938 new listings on the MLS® in July – on par with last year and just slightly more than the number received in June, resulting in July finishing with 10,813 active listings. 

Scott Olson, president of the Board, says, “I keep trying to find another word other than stable, but it continues to be the best way to describe the Fraser Valley market. While our inventory remains at above-average levels, our sales are sufficiently steady to keep prices consistent.  

“One factor in our favour and likely influencing our market is greater affordability. We sold 25 per cent more townhomes in July 2012 and 7 per cent more condos compared to the same month last year with over half of the townhomes selling for less than $325,000 and half of the condos for less than $210,000.”

The sale of single family detached homes in the Fraser Valley increased by only 1 per cent in July compared to last year. The area that experienced the greatest year-over-year decrease in sales – at 32 per cent – was South Surrey/White Rock where a typical single family detached home was valued at just under $880,000. “We are seeing a reduction in sales of higher-end homes. Last July was one of the busiest on record in that area, so the decrease appears sharper. South Surrey/White Rock would normally see about 100 detached homes sell in July and last month 86 sold, keeping the market competitive and prices resilient,” explains Olson.

Across the Fraser Valley, the benchmark price of a single family detached house in July was $551,400, an increase of 3.4 per cent compared to $533,400 in July 2011.

For townhouses, the benchmark price in July was $303,400, a decrease of -0.6 per cent compared to $305,200 during the same month last year. The benchmark price of apartments in Fraser Valley in July was $206,200, an increase of 2.5 per cent compared to $201,200 in July 2011.

Olson adds, “Real estate is highly local. Depending on the property type and community, prices can be up by 8 per cent or down by 5 per cent compared to a year ago. Contact your REALTOR® for accurate, detailed data about your neighbourhood.”

 

http://www.fvreb.bc.ca/blog/index.php/2012/08/02/seasonal-dip-in-sales-home-prices-continue-to-hold-steady-in-the-fraser-valley

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Reciprocity Logo The data relating to real estate on this website comes in part from the MLS® Reciprocity program of either the Greater Vancouver REALTORS® (GVR), the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB) or the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board (CADREB). Real estate listings held by participating real estate firms are marked with the MLS® 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 either the GVR, the FVREB or the CADREB which assumes no responsibility for its accuracy. The materials contained on this page may not be reproduced without the express written consent of either the GVR, the FVREB or the CADREB.