Brittany Reimer 778-908-8045 E-mail Me Now

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

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

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

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

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/

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

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!

Read more Articles from Adam Kreek

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

LONDON — Canada's diving team has captured a second medal at the London Olympics.

Roseline Filion of Laval, Que., and Meaghan Benfeito of Montreal won bronze in the women's 10-metre synchronized event.

China continued to dominate the competition, with Chen Ruolin and Wang Hao earning 368.40 points to win gold.

Paola Espinosa Sanchez and Alejandra Orozco Loza of Mexico took the silver with 343.32.

Filion and Benfeito, who were diving last in the eight-team field, scored 337.62.

The medal comes two days after Emilie Heymans and Jennifer Abel gave Canada its first medal of the Games with a third-place finish in the women's three-metre synchro.

Filion and Benfeito, who are best friends outside the pool, were seventh in the same event four years ago in Beijing.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/2012-summer-games/Canada+wins+second+Olympic+bronze+medal/7017381/story.html#ixzz22EJTAL76

Go Canada Go!

"Brittany was the ideal realtor for myself. As a first time homebuyer buying new development, Brittany ensured nothing was over looked. Her organizational skills, knowledge, and attention to detail were incredible. Each step of the process Brittany made sure I was content with the decisions being made; I always felt supported and never pressured when it was time to finally pick my first home. Brittany has a passion for real estate and working with people, this was so evident while working with her! I would recommend Brittany to any of my family and friends!"

Thanks, Brittany!

-Brittany W.

Read more: http://www.thenownewspaper.com/sports/2012-summer-games/London+Games+spark+memories/6956641/story.html#ixzz218ziVN2E

For the second year in a row I had the pleasure of helping out with the Surrey Knights 2012 summer camps. I had a great night talking to the kids and ended with an hour of working on backstroke technique. Thank you again to coach Nici and the Surrey Knights Swim Club for having me there!!!

Hoping to get out to another session later in the summer.

On Saturday night I attended my second Cloverdale Tritons fundraiser being held at the Townhall Public House in Langley. The food was fantastic and I highly recommend this pub for lunch/dinner to anyone who hasn't been. I donated a "Mojito" theme gift basket (if you received my post card you will know why) as well as a signed Brittany Reimer swim cap.

Thank you, Cloverdale Tritons for having me! :)

Check out the latest Fraser Valley Real Estate Board's stats for July.

News Release: July 4, 2012

(Surrey, BC) – For the fifth consecutive month, the ratio of property sales in the Fraser Valley compared to the number of listings on the market has remained stable. In June, it was 14 per cent – the same as it was in February and April of this year. In March and May of 2012, it was 15 per cent.

Scott Olson, President of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board explains, “Our market last month remained consistent. Our sales were down compared to May, however the number of new listings we received dropped as well, which seasonally is typical for June in the Fraser Valley.”

Last month, the Board posted 1,463 sales, a decrease of 9 per cent compared to May and 8 per cent fewer than the 1,588 sales processed on the Board’s Multiple Listing Service (MLS®) during June of 2011. At the same time, the Board received 2,898 new listings, a decrease of 12 per cent compared to May and an increase of 5 per cent compared to those received during the same month last year. The decrease in new listings pushed the number of active listings down slightly in June – by 1 per cent – compared to the previous month, however still 9 per cent more than were available in June of 2011. 

“Although our inventory is trending at historically high levels, sales have remained steady so we’re not seeing significant downward pressure on residential prices overall.

“There are individual property types and areas with their unique trends, which consumers can ask their local REALTOR® about directly, however across the Fraser Valley in June, both average and benchmark prices, the price of a ‘typical’ home, for detached properties remained on par month-over-month and showed positive gains year-over-year.” 

The composite benchmark price as determined by the MLS® Home Price Index (MLS®HPI) of a single family detached home in Fraser Valley increased 3.6 per cent in one year. It went from $548,000 in June 2011 to $551,000 last month.  

In June, the MLS®HPI composite benchmark price of a Fraser Valley townhouse was $305,000, on par with 2011 and the composite benchmark price of an apartment increased by 0.7 per cent year-over-year; going from $202,100 in June of last year to $203,600 last month. 

Olson adds, “Another market gauge we monitor closely is the average number of days it’s taking to sell properties. In June, it took on average 44 days to sell a detached home in the Fraser Valley and give or take a day this has stayed the same for four months, another sign of stability.”

—30 —

The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board is an association of 2,908 real estate professionals who live and work in the BC communities of North Delta, Surrey, White Rock, Langley, Abbotsford, and Mission. The FVREB marked its 90-year anniversary in 2011.

At-grade light rail is coming to Surrey – at least for Canada Day.

The City of Surrey will have a 60-foot scale model of Bombarier's Flexity Freedom, an at-grade rail car described as transit built in North America, for North America.

It boasts zero emissions and reduced noise.

Mayor Dianne Watts says it's time at-grade rail was brought here.

“Surrey’s population is expected to increase by 50 per cent over the next 30 years, so we need efficient transit service now in order to help shape and connect our growing communities,” Watts said in a release.  “Light rail is cost-effective and will allow us to create billions of dollars in new economic activity.”

Watts said cities such as Portland, Oregon experienced an $8-billion boost in new development after implementing the system there.

The City’s vision includes three light rail lines:

· City Centre to Guildford, along 104 Avenue, with a connection to Highway 1

· City Centre to Newton, along King George Boulevard, with the opportunity for extensions further south in the future

· City Centre to Langley, passing through Fleetwood along Fraser Highway

For more information on Surrey’s light rail plans, visit: www.surrey.ca/RapidTransitNow

The rail car will be on display Sunday, July 1 at the Cloverdale Millennium Amphitheatre, 176 Street and 64 Avenue.

If Homeownership wasn't hard enough.. Now A first-time homebuyer could need to earn as much as $500 more a month and would have to pay an extra $209 toward their mortgage each month under new mortgage rules that the federal government announced Thursday.

The changes, which apply to government-backed insured mortgages, will mostly affect first-time home buyers looking to get into the condo market. These changes mean up to five per cent of Canadians who might be considering buying a new home will likely no longer qualify.

I know homeownership does sometimes seem like it's 1 million miles away, but it is possible. Let's sit down and discuss your options to see if there is any way we can achieve your goals of being a home owner.

Read more on this story below: 

http://www.vancouversun.com/business/mortgages/First+time+homebuyers+will+squeezed+mortgage+rules/6821870/story.html

There has been some confusion the last few months about how the new "First Time Buyer $10,000 (1 time) Grant" will work. But to simplify it for you, I have attached a link to the BC Government website which gives you a ton of information. If you are lucky enough to qualify for this grant, certainly try to take advantage of it.

One of the major factors is that the home has be "New Construction" meaning brand new. But also needs to be finished before April 1,2013. There are some great developments out there that would qualify for this grant. You also MUST be a first time Buyer, hence the name! If you want additional information, please do not hesitate to call me.  

http://www.sbr.gov.bc.ca/individuals/Income_Taxes/Personal_Income_Tax/tax_credits/fthb_bonus.htm

Cheers,

Brittany Reimer

Don't forget to take advantage of the limited time First Time Buyer grant applicaple on New Homes built and completed before April 1,2013. 

Find out more here:

http://www.sbr.gov.bc.ca/individuals/Income_Taxes/Personal_Income_Tax/tax_credits/fthb_bonus_guide.htm

I have some great mortgage brokers and financial advisors who can explain how to use your RRSP's towards your downpayment or you can check out the below link which will give you more info:

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pub/tg/rc4135/rc4135-11e.pdf

Happy reading!

Cheers,

B

As many of you probably already know, I own a yorkie/chihuahua cross named "Elley" who is 7 years old. Her hair can get quite out of control after not visiting the groomer for a few weeks.. and this time we let it get WAY out of hand!! You have to check out the before and after pics below..

Since we are on the topic, I have to say "Furfection" in Cloverdale did an amazing job and has done an amazing job every time Elley has visited. They are located in the Clayton area off 188th and 68th. The owner Ashleigh goes above and beyond with Elley every time and for that, I thank her!

If you want to check it out or need a new groomer for your pooch: www.furfection.ca

Now for the good stuff.. The PICTURES!! 

BEFORE.... (ew)

AFTER: 

THANK YOU "FURFECTION" for the puppy make over!!!