VictorEric’s own principal, Eric Lee has been shortlisted for the 2010 Western Living Designers of the Year! Congratulations to Eric and the rest of the firm for a job well done.
Check out the entire shortlist here
VictorEric Design Journal Our latest news and thoughts on the Design industry
Vancouver Soccer Field Made of 22,000 Recycled Tires
July 21, 2010 — JenniferStill miss soccer after the World Cup is over? You can watch Vancouver’s own Lions and Wave teams in action at the recently completed Empire Field Stadium. What is interesting about this stadium is that it is made with more than 22,000 recycled tires!
Halfway across the globe from the World Cup in South Africa, a soccer story in Vancouver is making headlines for reasons other than officiating. Vancouver’s Empire Field Stadium has installed a sports field that used 346,000 pounds of crumb rubber made from tires, courtesy of Liberty Tire Recycling.
The field is now the largest installation of crumb rubber in all of British Columbia, and offers other benefits besides the reuse of 22,450 scrap tires.
Please click for the full article by Trey Granger on Earth911
Another Exciting VictorEric Project
July 15, 2010 — Jennifer 
Today was another great example of why we love what we do. We had a meeting with Anjela and Igor, a great couple who’s looking for a unique, modern design home. Like always, we had the pleasure of listening to their unique requirements and had the chance to provide a design solution. The conceptual design has always been my favorite part of the whole design process and this project was even more so. The design ideas came to me in abundance, like water flowing naturally through a stream. We first developed a space plan which flowed and addressed their spatial requirements. We then enveloped it with a great west coast modern exterior. The best part of it all was to hear that our design was exactly what they were looking for. In fact Anjela had stated that “this was much more than what they were expecting”. Another job well done and another great experience for a client!
VictorEric Company Summer BBQ
July 15, 2010 — JenniferThis year’s VictorEric summer event was a BBQ held at Kitsilano Beach. We had almost 20 people in attendance! Before the BBQ, half of our staff got a chance to go on a historical walking tour of the Strathcona in Vancouver.
After the tour we all met up at the beach for an awesome afternoon. We had our tent set up right beside the playground so the kids were very active. In addition to the food and games, we had a hot sauce eating contest. We had five different hot sauces on toast and a special wasabi cracker for the finale.
After a grueling six rounds, Danson finished the wasabi cracker in record time and was crowned the winner! It was a great weekend to celebrate summer and to relax in the sun with everyone.
BW: Vancouver, Canada – Housing Bubble North of the Border?
July 5, 2010 — JenniferI can’t speak to all the specifics of the Canadian housing market, as I don’t know everything about their version of Fannie/Freddie but I do know they have this crazy idea that people need to document their income (outlandish and an affront to ‘financial innovation’) and for the most part require 5% down. There does seem to be a far more emphasis on adjustable rate mortgages, much like Australia versus the U.S. which is more of a fixed rate environment in general.
All that said, parts of this story remind me of one of the two stories that woke me up to what was happening in many parts of Cramerica (we never had a housing boom in Michigan so I had nothing first hand to rely on). As I wrote in [Jan 14, 2009: WSJ - Would You Pay $103K for this Fixer Upper?]
So when was your “I see the light moment” regarding real estate? 2007? 2008? Maybe even 2006 if you were lucky. As I’ve written in the past [Aug 13: Option ARMs- Who Thought Up these Time Bombs?], my moments started happening in mid 2005 (I’m usually early on these things) as I read about Zareh Tahmassebian in a Fortune article [May 30, 2005 - Fortune: Riding the Boom]. I was aghast at the tale of an early 20s mortgage broker in Las Vegas, making $100s of thousands a year churning out mortgages, driving fast cars WHILE flipping 8-9 houses he owned. I have to tell you, I was 10 years older than him and felt like the biggest slacker in the world after reading about his exploits. But I could see this was nonsense… and it would blow up “someday”. If you have never read the article, it truly is an awe inspiring tale and I suggest you follow the link and take some time out to review (a reader has since emailed me that a google search revealed Zareh has fallen on hard times – easy come, easy go I suppose)
So are we seeing a repeat in Vancouver? Hard to say – I assume Vancouver is a lot like San Franscico where there is a limited area to build, along with a large amount of Asian money coming in that will keep prices elevated well over the national average. But I sense the ghost of Zareh Tahmassebian none the less as I hear about “contracts” being flipped like they were in the good ole days in the U.S…
Please click for the full article
Posted by: TraderMark
Date: June 30, 2010
B.C. a draw for China’s rich real estate tourists
July 5, 2010 — JenniferChinese interest in Vancouver-area real estate is so strong that it’s fuelling a market for real estate tourism, with groups of wealthy travellers scheduling visits to the city for the sole purpose of house hunting.
China-based Internet sales company SouFun is organizing two tours — groups of about 20 each from Beijing and Shanghai — which will visit Vancouver and Toronto in August on the hunt for “million-dollar or multimillion-dollar” listings.
First reported in Vancouver’s Ming Pao Daily News, and repeated on the news blog Chinese in Vancouver, a SouFun spokesman said potential buyers are particularly drawn to neighbourhoods with “famous” schools or ocean views.
Ming Pao reporter Eric Chan said SouFun drew a lot of participation for the tours from areas around Shanghai…
Please click for the full article
Posted by: Derek Penner
Date: June 29, 2010
Stable Vancouver property market draws apartment investors, Mainland Chinese
June 29, 2010 — JenniferThis is an article found in the June 29 of Business in Vancouver. It talks about the effects of Mainland Chinese investors on the Vancouver property market. Take a look at what our principal, Eric Lee, has to say about this current trend of oversea investors.
Vancouver’s stable rental market continues to draw investors, despite a slight uptick in vacancies. In the latest deal, 998 Thurlow Street, a 44-unit apartment block built in 1916 and listed with Avison Young, sold for $12.1 million.
“It sold at full price – quite amazing,” remarked veteran broker David Goodman of Macdonald Commercial, who expects close to 85 apartment properties to trade in Metro Vancouver this year. A total of 74 buildings changed hands last year…
Please click for the full article
Written by: Peter Mitham
Date: June 29, 2010
Introduction to a new VictorEric project
June 29, 2010 — JenniferWe have a new and exciting project happening in the West Point Grey are on West 8th Avenue in Vancouver.
As you can see in the pictures below, there is a magnificent view of downtown Vancouver and the water. 
We started the excavation on June 27th and we are so excited to help another family build their dream home. The design process has been ongoing for a few weeks prior to excavation and it is slowly coming beautifully together. Construction is being done by Kellog Dream Home Builders and we look forward to a great collaboration with Ray and his wonderful team.
This house will be done in a modern design with floor to ceiling glass to take advantage of the amazing view outside. If you are in the area, be sure to check this exciting project out!
If buying new, buy what you need to beat the HST
June 28, 2010 — JenniferThe tax on new construction priced less than rebate threshold of $525,000 will be no greater after July 1 than it is today
The excitement is building. There are only five more sleeps until HST becomes a reality in B.C.
Facetiousness aside, and despite the relentless protests against the harmonization of the federal and provincial sales taxes in this province, get ready to dig a little deeper into your pockets on July 1.
Great way to celebrate Canada Day and the start of the summer vacation season, huh?
Regarding new homes, there are some misconceptions about the new tax. First off, the HST, like the GST, will not apply to existing homes. Second, if the new home is priced below the rebate threshold of $525,000, buyers will pay no more tax after July 1 than they currently pay under GST.
And although it might be obvious that five per cent GST and seven per cent PST equal 12 per cent, buyers of new homes priced above $525,000 will not pay the full 12 per cent for their homes because various rebates and tax credits apply. But make no mistake, some homebuyers are still going to feel the sting…
Please click for the full article
Posted by: Peter Simpson
Date: June 26, 2010
Vancouver becoming destination for house-hunting tours from China
June 28, 2010 — JenniferVancouver has beautiful scenery and attracts lots of visitors all over the world each year. Now it seems like the goal of some tourists isn’t to visit popular destinations around the city but to scout for housing deals.
VANCOUVER — Chinese interest in Vancouver-area real estate is so strong that it’s fuelling a market for real estate tourism, with groups of wealthy travellers scheduling visits to the city for the sole purpose of house hunting.
China-based Internet sales company SouFun is organizing two tours — groups of about 20 each from Beijing and Shanghai — which will visit Vancouver and Toronto in August on the hunt for “million-dollar or multi-million-dollar” listings.
First reported in Vancouver’s Ming Pao Daily News, and repeated on the news blog Chinese in Vancouver, a SouFun spokesman said potential buyers are particularly drawn to neighbourhoods with “famous” schools or ocean views.
Ming Pao reporter Eric Chan said SouFun drew a lot of participation for the tours from areas around Shanghai…
Please click for the full article
Posted by Derek Penner
Date: June 28, 2010