Sebastian Albrecht Group Vancouver Real Estate
201-2107 West 40th Avenue V6M 1W4 Vancouver, BC, Canada

What happened in the last week of the Vancouver real estate market (Week 8 of 2021)? . Things cooled down a touch. . After the first few weeks of the year set a blistering pace, it was inevitable that we would see a slowing pace at some point. ... . Overall, we are still very much in a seller's market but we did edge ever so slightly back toward a balanced market. . The hot point remains East Vancouver for all micro-markets. Although it was East Van townhouses that were the hottest micro-market in the city. Downtown condos also had a good week. . Westside townhouses and condos as well as East Van condos led the way on the cooler side. Even East Van houses saw demand slow down (yet still very much a seller’s market). . I suspect that this adjustment will be short-lived. It's likely that buyers are just waiting for higher-quality listings that they anticipate coming onto the market in the coming weeks...but we need to watch this closely. . Check out the video and blog post (link below) for more insights and charts breaking down all the micro-markets! See more

Do you know where people are just dying to get in? . Vancouver's Mountain View Cemetery. . Living right next door to Vancouver's only active cemetery, I hear that joke more than most. ... . My family was recently looking at buying a plot in the cemetery... and you might be shocked what your forever home might cost! . Growing up in Vancouver, I would avoid it like the plague. . But now, I find it to be one of the most beautiful parts of the city...the quiet, the history and the views can be breathtaking. . ' , ! . I really love the idea of having a family plot there. A place where future generations can visit past generations. A tangible, physical link between then and now. . Some of my favorite childhood memories are of visiting my Grandfather's grave as a child in Germany. He was a man that I never knew, but I felt connected to because of those visits. . There was a time that you could buy a cemetery plot at Mountain View for $150. But those days are long gone. . Today, you'll need to shell out nearly $30,000 (for up to 8 cremated remains or 2 caskets) for a spot! . Given the cost of residential real estate in Vancouver, perhaps that shouldn't come as a surprise. . But, if you are considering putting down permanent roots in this city be prepared for sticker shock! See more

Don't want to leave money on the table when you sell? . Of course you don't! . There's one thing that a LOT of seller's are missing right now. And, you don't want to be one of them! ... . You MUST make your home easy to show. Particularly in the first week. . Be flexible. Be gracious. . Yes, in a hot market like we have right now you are in control. If you are priced well, you are likely to sell quickly. . BUT, if you aren't flexible with showings you will leave money on the table. . The mistake that I'm seeing being made today is not realizing that selling a home in our current environment is different than it has been ever before. . COVID is forcing showings to be spread out. That means that it's not feasible to get as many people through as we did back in 2016/17. . Sellers are turning away showing requests. Those requests are coming from REAL POTENTIAL BUYERS. The number of times I've seen this happen lately is too much! . You've made so many sacrifices to get as far as you have...don't drop the ball just before you cross the finish-line! . More showings = more offers = more money! . Flexibility on your part will definitely add to your pocket book (as well as your purchasing power for the next step). . If you are thinking of selling and want to talk about how to take the next step, send me a DM! See more

Here’s what happened in the last week of the Vancouver real estate market (Week 7 - ending February 13th, 2021). . This past week was characterized by stability. . After a few weeks of moving consistently towards a Seller’s market (increasing sales and low supply) there was little change over the previous week.... . Every micro-market found itself in a very strong seller’s market except one. The strongest markets were East Van condos and townhouses as well as Westside condos. . Downtown condos had another strong week. It does appear that the weak market there is now a thing of the past. . The slowest micro-market was for Westside houses. But even that one finds itself in a balanced market. . Check out the video and blog post (link in comments) for more info, analysis and graphics! See more

I was a little $h!t disturber. . Not an only child, but I was the youngest. . I think every youngest child delights in wreaking a little bit of mayhem...mainly because we can get away with it. ... . I mean, how could you get mad at a toddler with a face like that? . I'm beginning to see the dynamics play out with my own children. . They're getting older and developing more of their own personalities. But, I also recognize that we (and the world) treat them differently. . There are more expectations and responsibilities placed on the eldest. The youngest gets a little more free rein. . There's no real harm in it, but it's fascinating to watch it develop. It's a completely different perspective as a parent. . I'll be honest, though...right now BOTH of my kids may have inherited their tendencies for being playful troublemakers. . I won't say where from... See more

! Why... Because it means that I did a lot of things right the first time around. I mean, I'm sure you've heard a few real estate horror stories. Perhaps you've even had a bad experience yourself. I know that it's happened to me. I've hired someone, put my trust in them and they didn't hold up their end of the bargain. It sucked. My goal with every new client is to have them as a client for life. ->->-> That means, I'm not focused on hurrying you through the process...moving on to the next "deal". 1. I'll never pressure you into a decision. 2. I'm always focused on your best interests at heart. 3. I'm continually looking for ways to provide value to you...from now until long into the future. After nearly 15 years in this business, I've had the opportunity to work with many of my clients more than once. Don't just take it from me. Here's what one of my clients had to say about working with me over the years: "We have trusted Sebastian to be our representative through many of the most significant transactions of our lives, and we have always been so happy to have him at our side." - Jason + Andrea There's no feeling better than that. It's what gets me out of bed in the morning. My Bespoke Method is how I help all of my clients. If you are looking to move up from your current home, grab a copy for yourself (link in comments).

What happened last week in the Vancouver Real Estate Market? It was slow. Molasses slow. There were just 105 sales, 44 new listings and 2,517 total active listings.... The last time there was this little activity it was exactly a year ago. Although, there were fewer sales in mid-March to mid-April 2020 as the economy shut down to the pandemic. This is all to be expected...and I believe we will see a couple more weeks of subdued activity before our market picks up in mid-January. Yet, while the overall market is quiet, there is a big difference in how this is playing out throughout the city. If you are considering making a move this year, you need to know this info. Check out the video (and blog post) to find out what section of the city is still in a Seller's Market...and what particular micro-market is ice cold!

What's your favorite meal of the day It's breakfast for me. Hands down. I LOVE breakfast.... Why? I'll give you three reasons: 1. It's easy - I'm no Julia Child in the kitchen, so I like the simplicity of breakfast foods. It's quick and easy to make things that taste good! 2. High ROI - With little effort (or cost) I can make delicious, healthy food that will keep me fuelled for much of the day (I frequently forget to eat lunch). What's not to like? 3. Routine - There's a comfort and familiarity to so much of what we consume at breakfast. Personally, my favorite is my coffee first thing in the morning...but whether it's eggs, toast, cereal, oatmeal, etc, there's a simple comfort in the familiar. You can see that I'm not the only one in my house that loves breakfast. My kids love it, too! What's your fave

Christmas 2020 turned out to be pretty perfect. Having young children really brings out the magic of the season, doesn't it? I mean sure...they can be a handful at times, but look at the pure happiness on those little faces! ... Cherishing these moments with these cuties.

Do you know those embarrassing childhood memories that are just etched in your memory? Let me tell you about one of mine... Back in elementary school we were having an epic snowball fight in the schoolyard (I was possibly 8 or 9?). The adult supervisor (Mrs. T - you know she was a badass with a name like that) came running over to stop us. ... She got right in the middle and yelled "stop" at the top of her lungs. I was caught up in the moment and was just about to release at that very second. I couldn't stop the momentum and let go of the snowball. I still remember watching it leave my hand as though it were in slow motion...right into the back of her head. Bam! She was stunned but soon whipped around and screamed "who did that"? I tried melting into the ground, but it didn't work. Slowly, one kid after another pointed at me. I was SO scared and horrified. We were all terrified of her. I was shaking and crying...she pulled me aside for what I was sure was my public execution. But, when she saw the fear in my eyes and how much I was physically shaking she took pity on me and let me walk away with a stern, "don't do that again". Do you have one of those moments?

Is there anything MORE Vancouver than playing soccer in the middle of winter? As a born and raised Vancouverite, many of my early memories are of outdoor soccer in the middle of winter. Pouring rain...mud...giant puddles...occasionally even snow (it IS still Canada in the middle of winter after all). ... Warm hot chocolate at halftime and a hot bath afterwards to soak off caked-on dirt and thaw-out frozen toes. I'm happy to say that this tradition has now been passed on (HappyFeet Vancouver) to my son (and daughter). Soccer is the ideal outlet for a little boy with as much energy as he has...just as it was for me. Did you play soccer in the middle of winter, too?

Here's your Vancouver market update for the LAST WEEK of 2020 - Week 52! What's the bottom line? As expected, the market continues to slow down into the end of the year. Sales, New Listings and Total Active Listings all declined steeply in comparison to just weeks ago.... This is normal and typical for this time of year...after all, who wants to list their house in the middle of a major holiday? That being said, there were pockets of relatively high-activity such as for East Vancouver houses (the most consistently active market this year) as well as for apartments/condos throughout the city. The weakest market was for townhouses/duplexes in East Van, the Westside as well as Downtown. Check out the video for more details, as well as the blog post (link below) for all the micro-market breakdowns as well as my thoughts on what will happen in the coming weeks. I hope that you get to enjoy some quality-time with loved ones!