Our home search begins in Tsawwassen

We have come to that point as a family to start considering a new home.

We love where we live.  My husband has a short 7-10 minute drive to work and mine is even less to my Richmond office.  We have great access to the highway that can get us to downtown Vancouver in 25 minutes or we can take the 99 South, 91 East or Knight Street North to get to all corners of the lower mainland within 30-45 minutes.  We’re by a great entertainment complex for swimming, movies, bowling and other activities, plus we drive by the Richmond Country Market for fantastic fresh produce. Our area gives us a quasi-rural feel with a nice flavoring of metro living.

Our space is decent, not large, but manageable with 915sqft. Our vaulted ceilings help to give a feeling of more space than we actually have.  We could likely continue to revamp, rearrange and reconfigure our home to make it work for us and our son’s growing needs, but for me, I have found it’s the sense of community with the hustle and bustle of young kids running around that’s missing. Not just for Jack, but for our sanity too.  He loves to play and we can only play so much before we have other duties to tend to.  Having a neighbourhood of kids willing to play, without having to pre-book a play date seems like a little piece of heaven to me.

For us the ideal home would have 3-4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, space for an office, a living room, dining room, den and laundry room. A deck with a backyard, garage for storage and a park nearby would be great bonuses.

Though the ‘wish list’ and ‘reality list’ may vary, we are trying to be as practical as we can. For us the priority comes down to:

1. Is the community kid friendly?
2. Are there good schools nearby?
3. Will the house accommodate our needs for “x” years?
4. What’s the commute like to work?
5. What’s the commute like to friends and family?

Starting this process, it wasn’t surprising that our budget was go to restrict us greatly on where we can go and what we could get. Only a few houses in certain areas will meet our criteria and budget, so we opened our search to cover a few communities including Tsawwassen, Lander, White Rock and North Delta.  We would love to consider Richmond, but we know we would be limited to a townhouse.  Its not out of the question, but we would have to weight the pros and cons of the option.

Since I’m not familiar with all the areas of consideration, I decided I should start with an open house tour in each of the neighbourhoods to get a better feel for the type of properties listed meeting our initial needs.

I started my search in Tsawwassen:

1670 Babcock Place $639,900 4 Bed / 3 Bath (with suite) 2618 sqft / 6663 lot Built: 1973 Taxes: $3465	1663 58th Street $715,000 4 Bed / 2.5 Bath 2093 sqft / 7642 lot Built: 1968 Taxes: $3,590
5521 Summer Way $815,000 4 Bed / 2.5 Bath 2681 sqft / 5000 lot Built: 1981 Taxes: $4,050	1224 Pacific Drive $838,000 3 Bed / 3 Bath 3025 sqft / 7584 lot Built: 1986 Taxes: $4,028
5656 Goldenrod Crescent $870,000 4 Bed / 3 Bath 2600 sqft / 6600 lot Built: 1980 Taxes: $4,240	1264 49th Street $879,000 3 Bed / 2.5 Bath 2520 sqft / 7868 lot Built: 1985 Taxes: $4,171
1380 Enderby Avenue $885,000 3 Bed / 3 Bath 1796 sqft / 6534 lot Built: N/A Taxes: $3,533

The results – there isn’t much in the $600-$800,000 range.  To get anything without a great deal of work needed, a buyer (us) would have to look at a purchase price closer to the $850,000 mark. With that in mind, here is a mortgage breakdown for a purchase of $850,000 with property taxes of $3,430 ($4,000 – homeowners grant of $570):

Total Purchase Price: $850,000 Interest Rate: 2.99%

High Ratio Loan (less than 20% down payment) Amortization: 25-year Down Payment (5%): $42,500 CMCH fees: $25,436 Total loan: $832,936 Monthly Payments: $3,940

Approximate income required: $158,400

Conventional Loan (20% or more down payment)
 Amortization: 30-year Down Payment (20%): $170,000 Total Loan: $680,000 Monthly Payment: $
2,860

Approximate income required: $107,000

From my home to yours -
Irene

NFL: It’s not just a Game

About a month ago my husband and I had a conversation regarding the NFL and the seemingly skewed nature of their suspension enforcements.  Our understanding at that time was a player had just been handed a year suspension for marijuana use, while another player, Ray Rice, was given a two game suspension for a domestic violence charge earlier in the year.

Being from a rather liberal province when it comes to marijuana, not to mention the recent legislation legalizing of the substance in 2 of the 50 States, my husband and I agreed that the punishments did not align with the crimes.  We were left questioning the values of the NFL.

Fast forward to today, and in the last couple of weeks the Ray Rice story has been exploded in the spotlight with the TMZ Sports release of new footage showing Rice knocking out his then-fiancé (now wife) Janay Palmer in an elevator. Hours after the “new” evidence, the Baltimore Ravens terminated Rice’s 2012 5-year 50 million contract and the NFL suspended Rice indefinitely.

So far this year the NFL has enforced 31 suspensions, not including the most recent Rice debacle and the pending Adrian Peterson child abusive charges. The suspensions have included violations for substance abuse, use of performance enhancing drugs and performing conduct detrimental to the league.  Most infractions have included fines between $100,000-$200,000, but they have been as high as 3 million dollars, as in the case with Daryl Washington from the Arizona Cardinals for his repeat offense with substance abuse.

The hype surrounding the recent unjust disciplinary actions has had many calling for Commissioner Roger Goodell to step down with a social media push #GoodellMustGo hashtag.  It hasn’t happened yet and unlikely to happen, at least not with the ratings of the league increasing and beating records set back in 2006.  Even with a social media campaign to boycott the games and additional pressure directed towards corporate sponsors still supporting the league, such as CoverGirl, the opening game with Baltimore Raven’s vs. Pittsburg Steelers ended up with more than double the opening night ratings from a year earlier. Sean Gregory, from his TIME article Despite Scandals, The NFL Always Wins states, “Roger Goodell may get booted. More players will likely break the law. But these developments won’t affect the NFL one bit. Because even during one of the league’s worst hours, the votes kept rolling in.”

Ad for CoverGirls’ makeup line

Parody ad shared on social media with #GoodellMustGo

It’s sad.  Even though most of us know it’s wrong- traditions, sport, competition and entertainment end up holding a higher regard than our values.  Money tends to speak louder than everything, especially when it comes to sport and business.  Most national sports leagues and major sporting events such as the Olympics and World Cup are consistently corrupt, quite the contrary to what the leagues and world competitions are meant to represent – fair play and competition.  For me, much of the corruption present in sports leagues and athletic competition over the last few decades has boiled down to ‘a win is more important than human life’.

If the NFL, one of the largest revenue generating leagues in the world, wants to make a difference and change their image from the corrupt, money hungry, mens clubs that they portray now, they can start by reviewing their suspension policies.  Even the recent implementation of a six game suspension for domestic violence seems lax.  How many companies would keep staff on payroll if they were aware of a criminal record and an abusive nature?

Professional athletes are role models, idols, and celebrities that we prominently place on pedestals.  Though it may be hard to maintain a clean image, it’s part of the responsibilities of being in the public eye and, generally speaking, they are compensated exceptionally well for it, especially in the NFL.

The league needs to take control of their brand and look seriously at who’s fit to represent it for the long-term success of the NFL. They are now under the microscope and honestly, how will the public react if more of the same continues to happen?

Football is not just a game, it’s a culture that is held in high regard in our society. The actions of the NFL players, staff and coaches, above all else should respect that.

O’Captain My Captain, Goodbye

https://www.youtube.com/embed/X6y2Y9i5Sj0?feature=oembed There are few standout people who manage to make an impression on everyone that crosses their path.  Robin Williams was one of those people.  His variance from a subtle, sensitive and genuine person to a crazy and explosive comedian warmed and entertained hearts around the world.  We have lost a very unique human being this week, which is clear by the outpour on social media; his influence is truly ubiquitous.

TIME has touched on the challenges of depression and the recent diagnosis of Parkinson’s in their story:  Robin Williams’ Parkinson’s: The Link Between the Chronic Disease and Depression. It ends with the important and notable words from Williams’ wife:

“It is our hope in the wake of Robin’s tragic passing, that other will find the strength to see the care and support they need to treat whatever battles they are facing so they may feel less afraid.”

https://www.youtube.com/embed/6csfDT5ovps?feature=oembed

Big, beautiful home near the border

Pacific Douglas 17358 1A Avenue, Surrey MLS: F1416462

List Price: $699,000 Floor Area: 3123 Unit: 4 Bed/4 bath

Located between the Peace Arch and Pacific Highway Border crossings, this South Surrey/White Rock home is built near parks and a golf courses.  Even though this is a car dependent area, there are plenty of options for major shoppoing centres in south Surrey and across the border.

The house has an open plan. The large kitchen with tons of cupboard and counter space adjoins to a large family room and has access to the back yard and garage.   The living room/dinning is also connected, but separated for more privacy.

Upstairs is complete with three bedrooms, one den/office and a laundry room – that’s room, not a closet, and it’s equiped with a sink and cupboards!  The bedrooms are a good size with decent closet space. The Master bedroom is massive with a walkin closet and 4-peice bathroom.

The basement is finished with a media room and wet bar.  There is also a 4th bedroom, bathroom and living area that can easily be converted into a basment suite with it’s own outside acccess.

PROS

• Beautiful kitchen
• Large master suite
• Laundry room
• Backyard
• Basement suite rental option for mortgage helper
• Side by side garage
• Finished basement with media room
• Den could convert to guest room
• 2-5-10 warranty

CONS

• Not centrally located
• New build adds taxes on top of asking price
• Some inefficientcies need to be addressed (doors not opening/closing properly)
• Car dependent for most amenities

 MORTGAGE DETAILS

Purchase Price: $699,000 + 5% GST Total Purchase Price: $733,950* Interest Rate: 2.99%

*there may be a 2% transitional tax, depending on the start date of construction

High Ratio Loan (less than 20% down payment) Amortization: 25-year Down Payment (5%): $36,698 CMCH fees: $21,964 Total loan: $719,216 Monthly Payments: $4000

Approximate income required: $127,000

Conventional Loan (20% or more down payment)
 Amortization: 30-year Down Payment (20%): $146,790 Total Loan: $587,160 Monthly Payment: $
2,475

Approximate income required: $93,000

From my home to yours -
Irene

Oklahoma Company Markets Bullet-Proof Blanket for Kids

https://www.youtube.com/embed/iaS-ekAwwM4?feature=oembed A TIME article “Oklahoma Company Markets Bullet-Proof Blanket for Kids” was accompanied with a two and a half minute video showing a product, Bodyguard Blanket, providing protection for kids at school from unexpected events such as damaging tornadoes and crazed gunmen.

Bodyguard Blanket is made from the same bullet resistance materials that shield US military. The company claims that every student and teacher should have the protection that bodyguard blankets provides, at a reasonable $1000.00 price point.

When looking at the pictures shown for the tornado disasters, it’s questionable if a blanket would provide adequate protection, but further to that, it’s somewhat shocking that it seems the Bodyguard Blanket is a reasonable solution for protecting kids from crazed people.  Wouldn’t actually dealing with the underlining issues such as market accessibility and promotion of gun ownership produce better results on the number of children being harmed?