HOUSING

Tarrace Standard, Wednesday, September 16,1992 — Page AS

~Boomers build bigger

TERRACE -- There's not only
more ‘houses being constructed
here this year, people are also

__ having them built bigger.

-That’s one of the findings of a
breakdowit. of . building permils

~-: issued for the first seven months

of the year...
- Building - inspector Paul. Gipps

+) pointed..out. nearly half the 61

*~ building permits issued to July 31

-were.for. Iwo-storey dwellings

* with full basements.

:That shift in demand away from

one -atd.a -half storeys. or split

Jevels. was particularly. noticeable

7 ‘inthe: RI. Single fainily zone, he
~s added, nee

fe cert

There; the percentage of two-

_ Storey homes. jumped to close to
60 percent.

But, the: Jargest homies to be
built: SO" far this year, based on
average.” “square footage,

‘Betieh.!

One ‘aud half storey homes were
‘the: smallest constructed helping
to boost the average size to just

.  mnore than 2,000 sq.tt. -

~ Not-surprisingly, those. homes

nO were also among the most cx-

“peusiye ones to appear in the city,
“, Gipps: placing the average value
* at $140,500,”

~.Only.a few hundred dollars be-
“hind were the homes built in the

rural suburban zone, again on the
Bench, mere

‘Although all three were » only ;
‘one level: houses, they still aver-.
aged’ 1,800. sq.ft.
mich less. than two-storey hames

in arca, not

being builtin the R1 areas. -

. .Gipps-said those R1 housing
“starts have been part of another
—drend:this year, that of infilling.
‘<:That-had been especially evi-
ident in areas where initial devel-

opment had taken place prior to

7 1989, he added.

‘I Gipps said the other shift this

year had been the sudden spurt of |
home .

“spec’’, or speculative
construction.

_.These-are houses built on: the
assuniplion the builder will be
able to find a buyer rather than

Staten esintnrs 9s 7
Elven regent meena aren te)

TERRACE — Real | estale ac-
livity took a dip in the summer
after a busy spring but remains
healthy, says the president of the
North West Real Estate Board.

- Gordie Sheridan attributes some
of the drop to the effects of the

‘pulp strike in carly summer.

Under normal circumstances

we'd be in a very good market

but it was an exceptionally busy .

‘spring. We're slowly coming up

‘tothe level of this spring,’
‘said,

> he

Overall Sheridan said the level
of activity is equal to that of last
year...

“<Wet‘ this year’s market is dif
ferent than the one of last year.
~ Real estate values have climbed
an estimated 10 per cent com-
pared to last year and lower inter-

"est, rates, a program requiring
only five per cent down and using,

RRSP money has made the
market more altractive.
Prospective buyers, for in-
stance, will have trouble finding
starter homes in the $60,000
range.

“What's been hot all year are

“homes in the $70,000 - $110,000
‘rauge,’’ said Sheridan.

Flipping through Mulliple List-
ing Service homes and those of-
fered exclusively by Sheridan’s
company, Reinax, he pointed out
only nine homes in the $60,000
range while several pages of
homes .with prices of between
$90,000 and $120,000.

And there are homes now going
on. the’ market with an asking
price of more than-$250,000.

This: surprises Sheridan but he:

docs add that market demand ant
supply does set prices.

have -
-been-in the Al zones up on the”

simply to fill a specific contract
with a property owner,

And that’s a marked. change |

from recent years when virtually
‘every new house was built to or-
der,

To the end of July, no fewer
than 21 of the 61 housing starts
were “specs’’, Gipps pointed out.

What's prompting the building
boom? While be. agrees much of
the activity comes from people

who are ‘trading up”? to bigger ~
homes, Gipps adds an influx. of -

new residents has also played its
part.
Exactly to what extent cach was

a factor would become clear early”

next year, he said.

That’s because the inspection ©
department plans- to poll. all:
owners of new homes to find out -:

just what prompted constriction.

The survey would also reveal |’

whether the housing boom had

helped ease the community's.

tight rental situation. ©’

There were indications, Gipps .
explained, that possibly as many
as one quarter of those people |.
who had "traded up” to bigger’: :

homes had held on to their pre-

out.

Suggesting that was likely’ the
case With people who had paid:

off the mortgage on their original

home, he added, “It gets them |

into the rental market the easy

way.”

Although, with fall now here,
Gipps forecast of .a slowdown in
building activity is no surprise, he
said the change in weather. was

-not the major factor.

Instead, the problem is the. dif-

ficulty of finding a builder to take’

on the job.

Pointing out all the.builders he
knew of were booked solid for
ihe remainder of the construction
year, le kiew of five proposed
houses where . the prospective.
owner was being forced to put off
the project until next year.

. As for what else °93 might
hold, Gipps added, "If Orenda
breaks ground...””

r *Snne Genes bpinde crm Oe aa! eras where eA Em le

vious house and were renting it a

“Luc

SS

R1

RL |
‘(single family) |

Pennits issued: 29

Total value: $3.98 million

Ave. Value: $137,100
' Ave. area: 1,862 sq.ft
Spec. homes: 6

-R2
(Single-family)
Pennits issued: 5
Total value: $493,500
Ave. Value: $98,700.

Ave. area: 1,360 sq.ft.
Spec. homes: 3

‘R3
(Multl-family)
Permits issued: 1
Value; $76,000
Area: 1,100 sq.ft.
Spec. homes: 1

wis

“RS.
(Medium density)

Permits issued: 1
“Value: $119,000

“Area: 1,717 sq.ft.

"Spec, homes; 0

RE}.
(Low density)
Permits issued: 8

Total value: $748,500
Ave. value: $93,565 |

. Ave. area: 1,300 sq.ft
Spec. homes: 5

-» RT
“(Low density) _.

Permits ‘issued: 2°
Total Value: $226,000
Ave. value: $113,000

© Ave.‘area: 1,500 sq, ft.

Spec | homes: 2

uiet summer,.but-prices still

SIGNS OF the real estate times see business picking up after a dip during the pulp mill strike,
reports North West Real Estate Board president Gordie Sheridan. He notes activity is particularly
strong when it comes to homes in the $70,000 to $110,000 price range.

i

One benefit for local buyers is
being able to make a five per cent
down payment aud to borrow
from an RRSP account for pure

- chases.
“ST hasw’t really bad’ a major

impact in this arca, but we have
done some transactions,” said

Sheridan of the purchase options.

“They seem more for urban areas

with a lot higher (home) values.”
“T think that’s why they were

*. put in: ‘place — it's the same with -

the low interest rates, We're gain-
ing from a spinoff where the
economy isn’t doing that well at a

certain Jevel in Ontario and in
eastern. Canada,’* Sheridan con-
tinued, ,
He-said Terrace and area is dif-
ferent than other areas of the
country because housing here is.
stilt affordable when looking at
housing prices in those areas.

(Ru ral Subu rban)
- Perinits issucd: 3.
Total. value: $420,300
Ave. value: $140,110 .

- Ave. area: 1,800 sq. ft.
: “Spec. homes: 0...

LUC
- (Mountain Vista)

: Permits issued: 6 ;
Total value: $583,000

"Ave. value: $97,200

Ave. area: 1,240 sq.ft.

-. Spec, homes: 4

Al
(Rural) -
Pentits issucd:6
Total value! $843,000 :-
Ave. value: $140,500
Ave. area: 2,050 sq.ft.
Spee. homes: 0

clim|

The prices here and low interest
rates have stimulated people who
want to sell their existing homes
and move into 4 bigher class of
living accommodation, Sheridan
added.

Renters are also moving into
the housing market as they find
mortgage payments can be
cheaper than paying rent.

“There’s still.a lack of rental
housing out there and people are
buying starter hones,” Sheridan

said.

The realtor said it’s difficult to
categorize home buyers this year,
adding that’. people make deci-
sions based on their own needs
and financial circumstances.

One thing realtors are finding,

Sheridan continued; are smarter

buyers and sellers.

“People arc a lol more knowl-
edgeable. In the past they
weren't. And there’s an increas-
ing demand on better quality of
service,” he said,

The B.C. Real Estate Associa-
tion aid its northwest counter-
part, the North West Real Estate
Board, emphasizes - training -
courses and a code of ethics. ©

Last fall, a disclosure form for.

those selling houses was intro-
duced.

It’s being modified as the need
arises but does point to answering
as many questions as possible
during the selling process: and
now when a sale is concluded,
said Sheridan.

Buyers are also taking ad-
vantage of pre-approved mort-
gage services. provided by banks
and options being offered on vari-
ous types of mortgage financing,
he said.

and. again in
_ |.) Marketplace. I always read it,
‘|e [because I am a great supporter
fof literacy.

- [some way.

- Fmedical clinic area nuisance.

“humans.

“. {tion is a program similar to the

ne antinal was spayed.“ wala fe

LETTERS

TO THE TERRACE STANDARD

Cats get
raw deal

‘Dear Sir:
I read your column, ‘The

Start’, in the paper fast week
The Skecna

. However, I take exception to
the latest wrile-up about the
[wild cats behind the medical
clinic. If I were just learning to
read, or were a young child
able to read, il would be preity
easy to infer from the brevity
of the piece that cats assumed
to be ‘wild? or found in an in-
‘Jappropriate place ought to be
‘trapped" or gotten rid of in

No doubt the cats behind the

The simplistic solution of get-
ting rid of them only serves to
‘Tteach that animals are of less
importance ‘than humans, and
expendable, The real problem
is not even hinted at - that wild
cats live there for a reason: no
one wants them, or those who
wait’ them cannot afford to
take care of thei.

‘You know, I could see this
litle ‘The Start’ write up on
cats serving ‘as a calalyst for
someone. with a less (han
humane approach to animals to
consider hunting: them or
poisoning them. Look at the
message - “Let’s get rid of
them’.

I wish this town would wake
tip to the real reason we live
animals living in the strects,
People need to take responsi-
bility for pets, which means
| giving them reguiar meals and
having them -spayed, so they
can’t arbitrarily increase the
pet population, causing
animals to live wild and irritate

- What would heap this sitwa-

‘one.in place when I lived in
Toronto. There, when you took.
in a pet from the humane
society or SPCA, the pet had
already had a complete check-
up, and for a nominal fete -
‘whichcould' be! witvdd’ + the:

Maybe: it’s time our city and -
local ‘veterinarians consider
this option. [ am sure it's not
outside the realm of pos-
sibility, especially considering
someone is spending time, ef-
fort and money to find other
ways to rid Terrace of its
medical clinic parking lot
squatters.

And how about educating
your readers of ‘The Starl’
with some basic information
about why cals can became
pests. —

_ Marianne Weston
Terrace, B.C.

Kill game
protested

Dear Sir:

‘Tt bas come to our attention
that an. American distribution
company with offices in Canada
is planning to market in this
country an. illustrated game
called Seriat Killer Board
Game.

The game comes packaged in
[its own bady bag and the play-
ing pieces include four seria
killer figuriues and 25 babies, -

Dawn Black, MP New West-
minster/Burnaby is calling for
Justice Minister Kin Campbell
to work with Minister of
Revenue Otto Jelinek to keep
this game out of Canada;

‘We are horrified by the
thought of this game, which
crosses: all lines ‘of. common
decency, coming into ovr coun-
try. We have written to mem-
bers of Parliament and urge

Cont'd Page A13

: : The ‘Start’. is for. people’
learning how to read.

~ government \ will send you
“ information... -

Information

You will vote Oct. 26.
The vote is for changes to
the federal government.
‘You will be asked to
vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to these
changes.

-. You can find out more
about these changes. _
The federal. government
and, the: -» provincial -

3141. It is ‘also a free.

“s on how. to. vote.: It will be

The federal government
has a phone number. It is
1-800-561-1188. This is a
free phone number.

The provincial govern-
ment also has a phone
number. It is 1-800-463-

number,
There will be news soon

just-like an election.

~ fire.

Afire |

A house burned. down:
Sept. 10 in Thornhill:
It belonged to Claudette
and Gene Sandecki.
The house —

destroyed.

The fire started in a
work shop beside the
house.

It spread quickly. .
Nobody was. hurt in the

was