Not all realtors are experts when it comes to investment properties. Indeed most in the business are focused on the owner occupied market, and when approached by an investment client, may not have the knowledge or understanding to meet their needs. A recent survey of investors found where most of the problems lie.

British Columbia’s economy, as well as its housing market, is being supported by the resources sector, according to a report released this past Wednesday by the Vancouver Real Estate Forum. Also noted was the higher than normal anxiety felt in that housing market, primarily because of the massive price increases, particularly in Vancouver. Toronto is feeling that same anxiety, with similar price woes.

Condo investors across Canada are waiting to see if a price correction is in their future. The country’s central bank is hinting at such an event. An economic review released this past Thursday noted that multi-family properties may be more apt to see price corrections, since that part of the market is more out of balance than other forms of real estate.

Inflation has eased somewhat across Canada and for the first time since this past July, the percentage increase for most goods went down to 2.9 percent. If you exclude items such as a number of fresh foods and energy items that percentage dropped down to 2.1 percent as of October.

Where you live on North Cambie Street will play quite a role in whether your 2012 property assessment gets a big increase or a sizable decrease. If you are on the increase side of the lines, your value might be increased by as much as 30 percent. On the other side, your property value might go down by up to 12 percent.

According to Stats Canada, new home prices in Metro Vancouver actually dropped by 0.4 percent this past August, when compared to the month before. Part of that may be due to the HST, and confusion on how it applies to purchases. That is particularly true for pre-sales. Developers had to depend on negotiation and promotional prices to garner sales. Victoria is in a similar boat, seeing a 0.3 percent price decrease in like properties.

Canada’s home-construction market is going against the grain of the worldwide financial woes. Information just released by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. indicates that construction of new residences is booming. In September, there were 205,000 new home starts, adjusting for seasonality. This number is very much in line with the housing boom from 2002 to 2008, when housing starts for each year were no fewer than 200,000.

Metro Vancouver drivers are in for yet another increase in gas taxes. The proposed hike of two cents per litre is scheduled to be approved October 7. With the rise in taxes, Vancouverites would be paying the highest local gasoline taxes in the country.

Sometimes residents of Vancouver look at Portland, Oregon with a tinge of envy. That much smaller city has retained more of its early 20th century flavor, while downtown Vancouver is awash with the glass and steel of modern skyscrapers. In Portland, trendy cafes and shops dot the downtown core and nearby neighborhoods, making it easy to find a nice place to enjoy a coffee break or lunch outside on a warm day. Vancouver can lay claim to some magnificent weather, but the restaurants found in that city’s downtown core are often chains or hole-in-the wall, unexciting affairs.

According to data collected from the 11 major metropolitan areas in Canada, August was a good month for home sales. The total number of sales reported by the real estate boards in those areas numbered 19,811 which is a 21.5 percent increase from August of 2010. These are the same 11 markets that accounted for nearly half of Canada’s real estate sales during the month of July, with a combined increase of 15.9 percent over July of 2010.