As Vancouver celebrates its 125th birthday this year, the new route will give the city a very special present, expected to generate around CAD $54 million of tourism revenue for the Vancouver area each year*. Also, the 10 percent increase in capacity to London Heathrow is great news for Canadians wanting to travel to London in 2012, with the city hosting some of the biggest events in a generation.

In addition to the Vancouver service, Virgin Atlantic is launching a second service between London and San Francisco that will operate three times a week starting in March 2012. It is estimated that the new Vancouver route and increased frequency at San Francisco have the potential to create up to 430 jobs in aviation and tourism across both cities.

"The North American market has always been at the core of our business. Our success here has been due to our investment in product innovation and our willingness to respond to customer demand," said Steve Ridgway, Virgin Atlantic's Chief Executive. "With almost 20,000 people flying from the UK to Canada each month in the peak season, the UK is the largest overseas market for passengers to British Columbia. Greater competition to both Vancouver and San Francisco will benefit passengers through improved choice and better value for money.". . . . .

* The estimated contribution of Virgin Atlantic flights to the Canadian economy of CAD $54 million in the first year was calculated by the number of additional travellers to Vancouver per year and the average price of a six night visit to Vancouver including spending money.

(( Virgin Altlantic would have done a lot of research to announce and commit to this volume !! ))

Vancouver rental buildings a hot trend for investors, report finds

 B.C. sales totalled $238 million in first half of 2011, a 51-per-cent jump over the same period last year, Avison Young says

 By BRIAN MORTON, Vancouver SunSeptember 13, 2011

 http://www.vancouversun.com/story_print.html?id=5390965&sponsor=

VANCOUVER - A new study suggests Metro Vancouver apartment rental buildings are increasingly a hot item for investors despite rising vacancy rates.

“Demand for multi-family residential rental properties remains insatiable for a number of fundamental reasons,” Michael Keenan, managing director of Avison Young, Metro Vancouver, said Monday in reference to his commercial real estate services company’s Summer/Fall 2011 B.C. Multi-Family Investment Report.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Vancouver+rental+buildings+trend+investors+report+finds/5390965/story.html#ixzz1Y3c78jNA

“Apartment buildings are a low-risk investment, offer secure income streams and are the most easily financed commercial real estate commodity of all, thanks to rates guaranteed by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.”

Keenan also said rental apartment buildings continue to rise in value as investors seek safe havens for their capital.

Other factors influencing demand, the report said, include low investment risk and the opportunity for tenant turnover to increase rental rates and improve yields.

According to the semi-annual report, which tracked investment deals valued at more than $5 million, in the first half of 2011 total multi-family rental building sales amounted to $238 million – a 125-per-cent increase over the second half of 2010 ($106 million) and a 51-per-cent jump over the first half of 2010 ($158 million).

The report said institutional and overseas buyers look to B.C. for opportunities, but that investments in the suburbs are drawing buyers out of Vancouver as the supply of large, institutional-grade apartment buildings available for sale within city limits shrinks.

Seven of the large institutional-grade transactions were in Vancouver, three in New Westminster, two each in Coquitlam, Burnaby, the North Shore and Surrey, and one each in Surrey, Richmond, Abbotsford and Chilliwack.

The three largest acquisitions in the first half of 2011 were the $44-million purchase of Ocean Residences in Richmond, the $24.5-million purchase of Bonsor Apartments in Burnaby, and the $23.75-million purchase of Marine Garden Village in Vancouver. . . .

Read more:

 http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Vancouver+rental+buildings+trend+investors+report+finds/5390965/story.html#ixzz1Y3dSa1lT

'Melbourne world's best city to live in, Mumbai among worst'

      - The Economic Times  - 30 Aug, 2011

According to the Economic Intelligence Unit's new Global Liveability Survey, Melbourne dislodged Vancouver British Columbia, to become the best city in the world in which to live.

Vancouver has topped the survey list since 2002. It fell this year to third place behind Vienna, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

The cities were gauged on five categories -- political and social stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.

They were scored out of 100 points and the report noted that the top 10 cities were only separated by 1.8 percentage points.

 It is interesting that Australian cities were among the world’s most expensive cities  to live in.

 The top 10 liveable cities included Toronto, which is placed at 4th, followed by Calgary (5th), Helsinki (7th) and Auckland (10th). London was ranked 53, while at 26 position, Honolulu was the top US city.

The worst places to live among the 140 locations surveyed by EIU were Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, Bangladesh's Dhaka and Zimbabwe's Harare.

Other Australian cities in the top 10 included Sydney, which is placed at 6th, while Perth and Adelaide ranked eighth and ninth. "Australia, with a low population density and relatively low crime rates, continues to supply some of the world's most liveable cities," survey editor Jon Copestake said.

British Columbia commercial real estate investment market remains strong despite global economic turmoil

Avison Young releases Mid-Year 2011 British Columbia Real Estate Investment Review

http://www.avisonyoung.com/library/pdf/Van_Research/Invest_MY_2011web.pdf

VANCOUVER, Aug. 29, 2011 /CNW/ - The British Columbia commercial real estate investment market maintained its traditional strength in the first half of 2011 after reaching record deal and dollar volume highs in 2010. During the first six months of 2011, $594 million was invested in 36 transactions involving office, industrial and retail assets in BC.

A lack of supply hampered deal and dollar volumes in all asset classes, which led to lower deal and dollar volumes when compared with the record-setting $1.026 billion in investment sales activity by the mid-point of 2010.

The low cost of debt continued to drive down yields with private investors representing the majority of both vendors and purchasers. Industrial and office product captured 75% of the dollar volume invested by private buyers. REITs, which were the second most active purchasers of commercial real estate assets in the first half of the year, spread their investments almost equally among office, retail and industrial assets.

These are some of the key trends noted in Avison Young's Mid-Year 2011 British Columbia Real Estate Investment Review, released today. The semi-annual report tracks office, industrial and retail investment sales in BC greater than $5 million.

"It is a perfect storm for vendors in the marketplace right now," comments Michael Keenan, Senior Vice-President and Managing Director of Avison Young's Vancouver office. "With a stable economy and banking system inspiring investor confidence, historic low interest rates, a lack of available quality commercial real estate, and an inordinately high demand for commercial product that doesn't exist, the combination of those factors has created an aggressive pricing environment and downward pressure on yields. Vendors, should they choose to dispose of assets, will find buyers of all types working to meet their pricing expectations."

Keenan continues: "Canada is viewed as a safe haven for investment. We are sought after as a destination, and Vancouver more so than any other city in Canada." . . . . .

B.C. home buyers are moving up sooner than expected

- 2011 TD Canada Trust Repeat Home Buyers Report finds three-quarters of repeat home buyers move earlier than they originally intended -

VANCOUVER, Aug. 23, 2011 /CNW/ - Nearly six-in-ten B.C. repeat buyers are moving on to larger or more luxurious homes - and they're moving sooner than expected.  In fact, the TD Canada Trust Repeat Home Buyers Report, which surveyed Canadians who recently bought or intend to buy a home that is not their first, found that three-in-four British Columbians are moving earlier than planned.  More than half (51%) had no intention of moving but now find themselves on the house-hunt again and 22% thought they would move again but not this soon. Not ones to settle, B.C. residents are experienced movers; they are the most likely in the country to have owned more than four homes in their lifetime (39% versus 29% nationally).

"Our research indicates that British Columbians aren't staying in one home too long," says Barry Rathburn, Manager, Residential Mortgages, TD Canada Trust. "There are costs associated with a move, so I'd recommend that people explore all of their options before making the decision to change homes.  It might be more affordable to renovate and make your current home work for you." . . . . .

Stable Canadian economy and good quality of life is luring 'planeloads' of overseas buyers eager to invest

http://www.globaltvbc.com/money/Chinese+investment+surge+hits+housing+market/4353865/story.html

Good, president of The Key, a Vancouver-based sales and marketing firm that's focusing on a new wave of Chinese buyers, figures he's sold more than 500 homes to mainland Chinese investors and immigrants in January and February in Vancouver and Toronto.

"[Chinese investors] have really picked up a lot of steam in the last two or three months," Good said in an interview. "And I believe this is just the tip of the iceberg. There's an über-wealthy upper class forming and there's a strong middle class growing in China. This massive middle class is now getting to a point where they can afford international real estate. And Canada is viewed by the Chinese as a very stable place to put their money.

"There are literally planeloads of Chinese coming here to buy real estate."

But it's not just condos that are attracting Chinese buyers, with single-family homes and large lots topping the list.

Vancouver named the world’s most livable city

West Coast News / Vancouver Sun  Tuesday February 22, 2011

– Jeff  Lee

For the fifth year in a row, Vancouver has been named the most livable city in the world,

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, a market research department of The Economist magazine, which surveyed 140 cities. The top 10 preference include  1. Vancouver, 2. Melbourne, 3. Vienna Austria,4. Toronto, 5. Calgary, 6. Helsinki Finland, 7. Sydney Australia, 8. Perth Australia, 9.Adelaide Australia, 10. Auckland New Zealand. In the U.S. Pittsburgh was the top city, in 29^th place, just ahead of Honoluly, while Los Angeles moved up three places to 44^th. And New York held onto 56^th. spot. London moved up one place to 53^rd. While Paris came in at #16.  The top Asian city was Osaka at #12, tying Geneva Switzerland and beating out the Japanese capital of Tokyo which came in a #18.  Hong Kong was at 31 but Beijing, capital of the world’s most populous nation and #2 economy, struggled in at #72.  The article also details the 10 worst which were mostly African cities.

Vancouver is a global centre for new media business and investment

Edit Article | Posted: Feb 06, 2011

Vancouver is positioning itself as a major player on the world map of digital media creation and development. Ten years ago, the pose was wishful thinking based on forecasted potential. Now, after a decade of hard work from key parties—entrepreneurs, skilled and creative knowledge workers, angel and venture capital investors, and educators--the vision is becoming reality.

 Figures on the size of British Columbia's digital media industry vary. At the high end of the range, industry watchers estimate the sector's size at over 1000 companies employing more than 16,000 people generating $2.3 billion in annual revenue. B.C. digital media industry players run the gamut from small start-ups and specialized shops to international brands like Electronic Arts and Radical Entertainment. . . . . . . 

http://www.articlesbase.com/business-opportunities-articles/vancouver-is-a-global-centre-for-new-media-business-and-investment-4176254.html#ixzz1DJaD4Kam
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

Georges Pahud, President of  CREA (Canadian Real Estate Association)   -

Gave a presentation Nov. 26, 2010 at the Capilano Golf & Country Club in West Vancouver.

The Governor General's  "Award of Excellence" was given to The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver, which was one of only 2 firms in 2009 given this award. It's focus is primarily for how well management and staff work together in a productive, harmonious, active, business environment. 

Interest rates - It was repeated that they will probably stay at around the same levels they are now,  in  2011 

Inmigration continues to be Western Canada's biggest housing influence factor.

COMPETITION  BUREAU

Mere posting or Mere business model  or Alternat Style of business model -