MEDIA RELEASE
March 3, 2020
Leverage Your Buying Power with Expert Knowledge.
Metro Vancouver’s real estate appears to be recovering with home sales showing signs of a more stable market, however in terms of buying, the market remains complex and strategies are required to maximize one’s purchasing power.
Just 18 miles (a 35 minute Skytrain ride) from Downtown Vancouver, Surrey is a city with their eye on the future. Surrey’s City Centre is expected to double its population by 2041, which would make it the second-highest urban area in BC; a hub bursting with culture where over 100 languages are spoken. The new geographical centre of Metro Vancouver, when looking to buy, Surrey is one HUB to discover.
The Homebuilders Association Vancouver (HAVAN) has gathered industry Experts who are ready to share their knowledge at the Home Buying 101 Forum on Tuesday, March 24 from 4pm – 8pm, at City Hall, Surrey Centre.
Buying your first home in one of the world’s most in-demand markets requires savvy and a few strategies to stretch your dollars to maximize buying power.
Ron Rapp, HAVAN CEO says ‘the Home Buying 101 Forum is an excellent opportunity for consumers thinking of purchasing a new home now or in the near future. It provides an opportunity to empower and inform purchasers with the knowledge required before undertaking such an important decision. Our Forum will dispel and offset much of the rumor and or misinformation surrounding the B20 Stress test, the unfolding Condo insurance issue, and will offer the opportunity to speak directly to the experts who can speak to the current marketplace, share real-life strategies, and help empower people to leverage their buying power.”
HAVAN’s Homebuying 101 Forum is an informative and interactive evening targeting first-time homebuyers, parents helping their children get into a home, and those new to Vancouver.
Presented in part by BC Housing, the Home Buying 101 Forum is free to attend and will be streamed live. Both options require pre-registration at https://havan.ca/event/homebuying101forum/. People are encouraged to attend in person, to take the opportunity to meet with industry experts in the Expo. Offered one day only, empower yourself so you can buy smarter.
Forum participants include:
Shayne Ramsay, CEO, BC Housing (Moderator)
Panel 1: Know your Local Market 5pm – 5:45pm
Jamie Squires, VP & Managing Broker, Fifth Avenue Real Estate Marketing
Collette Gerber, In-coming President, Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver
Panel 2: Financial Strategies 6pm – 6:45pm
Alisa Aragon, Mortgage Expert, Bridgestone Financing Pros with DLC Mountainview Ltd.
Clint Grayson, District Vice President, HomeEquity Bank
John Wiebe, Partner, Kuhn LLP
Panel 3: Smart Shopping 7pm – 8:00pm
Wendy Acheson, VP & Registrar, Licensing and Consumer Services branch of BC Housing
Tony Gioventu, Executive Director, Condominium Home Owners’ Association of BC
Glenn Duxbury, Owner & Founder, Duxbury & Associates-Building Inspection and Consulting Ltd
Laszlo Antal, Business Development, Associa
FORUM SCHEDULE/TOPICS:
4:00 pm to 8:00 pm Expo (Educational Tradeshow)
5:00 pm to 5:45 pm Panel 1: Know Your Local Market
- Trends: new housing forms emerging; millennial trending markets; developments in planning stages
- Trending Markets, finding a local realtor.
6:00 pm to 6:45 pm Panel 2: Financial Strategies
- Mortgage outlook – amortization, B-20 stress test; Fixed vs variable mortgages
- Buying options to enter the market, reverse mortgages – Bank of Mom & Dad
- Re-finance for a Laneway (helping to retain your equity; multi-generational living)
- Understand risk factors of alternative lending options to enter the market
7:00 pm – 7:45 pm Panel 3: Smart Shopping
- Benefits of buying new with New Home Warranty Insurance
- Strata bylaw update; depreciation reports; Strata insurance
- Home inspections
- What your property manager does for you.
We gratefully acknowledge our sponsors for partnering with HAVAN to provide consumers with this invaluable education, free of charge.
Presenting Sponsor: BC Housing
Education Sponsors: Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV), Fifth Avenue Real Estate Marketing, Bridgestone Financing Pros with DLC Mountainview Ltd, Home Equity Bank, Kuhn LLP, Condominium Home Owner’s Association of BC (CHOA), Duxbury & Associates – Building Inspection & Consulting Ltd., Associa
Expo Sponsors: FortisBC, Foxridge Homes, a Qualico Company
Media Sponsors: The Vancouver Sun and The Province, Black Press, Glacier Media, Epoch Times, Next Home
INTERVIEWS please contact: Dawn Sondergaard – 778-373-9783, dawn@havan.ca
About HAVAN
Recognized as leaders in the homebuilding industry since 1974, HAVAN members include builders, developers, renovators, designers, suppliers, sub-trades and leading industry professionals. We are an association of knowledgeable, trusted, resourceful and local professionals who build over 65% of Metro Vancouver’s homes. HAVAN provides both industry and consumer education, opportunities to connect, and actively liaises with local municipal governments with the focus of meeting Metro Vancouver’s housing needs. A not-for-profit association, HAVAN is proudly affiliated with both the provincial CHBA BC, and national CHBA offices.
