Menu

samantha

About samantha

Posts by :

20230416_121325

GET54 Ramen

GET54 Ramen – The sandwich board said it all. The idea of a lemon butter captivated me to come in. I have never tried a lemon butter soba/ramen before. It left me very intrigued. The presentation was very simple with loads of green onion garnished on top, slices of lemon and a couple cubes of butter topping it off. Underneath are cubes of soft tender chicken which was very light tasting. The initial taste of the broth was very simple but once you mix the butter and lemon citrus together in the light milk broth it took me to a new level of tasting appreciation. It was very refreshing which was perfect with the type of noodle that was in it. The soba noodles were nicely absorbing the soup and really had a slight QQ bite. Overall, it was very delightful, and I would grab a second bowl again!

 
@foodblogprec

hangry_bunny

20230415_184826

Uokazu

Uokazu – One of the best dons I have ever had! I usually don’t like Ikura since it’s usually pretty salty and the lingering taste isn’t to my enjoyment. However, this particular place caught my eye when I was walking about in the market. I ordered the fatty tuna with the ikura with the raw egg on top. It was sensational! It was so fresh, and the fatty tuna was exceptionally creamy and Ikura as not fishy nor overly salty. It was a perfect balance with the soft bed of rice underneath. It’s a definite must try and don’t miss out!

 
@foodblogprec

hangry_bunny

Highlights From the Real Estate Board February 2024

“While the pace of home sales started the year off briskly, the pace of newly listed properties in January was slower by comparison. A continuation of this pattern in February would have been concerning, as it could quickly tilt the market towards overheated conditions.”

“Even with the increase in new listings however, standing inventory levels were not high enough relative to the pace of sales to mitigate price acceleration in February, with most segments of the market moving into sellers’ territory,” Lis said.

“This competitive dynamic has led to modest price growth across all market segments this month, but it’s noteworthy that benchmark prices remain below the peak observed in the spring of 2022, before the market internalized the full effect of the Bank of Canada’s tightening cycle.”

Sales of detached homes in February 2024 reached 560, an 8.3 per cent increase from the 517 detached sales recorded in February 2023. The benchmark price for a detached home is $1,972,400. This represents a 7.2 per cent increase from February 2023 and a 1.5 per cent increase compared to January 2024.

Sales of apartment homes reached 1,092 in February 2024, a 17.7 per cent increase compared to the 928 sales in February 2023. The benchmark price of an apartment home is $770,700. This represents a 5.6 per cent increase from February 2023 and a 2.5 per cent increase compared to January 2024.

“NOTE: this representation is based in whole or in part on data generated by the Chilliwack & District Real Estate Board, Fraser Valley Real Estate Board or Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver which assume no responsibility for its accuracy.”

Download The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver’s January / February statistics Package. 

Download Fraser Valley’s Real Estate Board’s January / February Statistics Package.

Food for Thought on Real Estate – February

  • Seller’s market – A seller’s market is when there are more people looking to buy then there are homes available. This causes a rise in price above the long-term average rate of inflation. Typically this is indicated by a sales-to-active listings ratio of 20% or higher
  • Buyer’s market – In contrast, a buyer’s market is when there are many more homes for sale than there are buyers. As a result, prices increase slower than the long-term average rate of inflation. In extreme circumstances this can cause prices to decline. Typically this is indicated by a sales-to-active listings ratio below 12%.e
  • Balanced market – A balanced market occurs when supply and demand are about the same, with home prices rising in line with long-term average rate of inflation. Typically this is indicated by a sales-to-active listings ratio between 12% and 20%.Summary Over a sustained period of time:
    • a seller’s market is represented by a ratio of 20% or higher
    • a buyer’s market is represented by a ratio of 11% or lower
    • a balanced market rests between 12-19

March 2024 Newsletter Introduction

WELCOME Dragon year 🐲!! I know I have been very late and MIA on the this newsletter! As January rolled around – I got busy with work and looking after a sick toddler doesn’t give me much time to send out my monthly newsletter as I wish. As the Chinese New Year came knocking, my schedule was filled with family gatherings and it was too late to send this out. So for this month, I’ve attached January and February stats this time. 

As for the market and rates,  some experts have anticipated that the rates will continue to hold till Summer ie June. However, the general housing market have started to heated up as bank rates are still firm on holding the 5 year fixed rates hovering around the 4.89%. It has brought some confidence for buyers to start looking and ready to pull the trigger to buy. The multiple offers have already started with the subject free offers making it’s way into the competition. 

– Sam

20230410_160130

Nikko Yotaro

Nikko Yotaro – Continuing walking through Nikko tourist area, we stopped by the window shop that were selling a beef curry croquette. Fried beef curry – you can’t go wrong with that! The croquette was made to order and the curry had a deep tone of beef and a hint of sweetness to blend in with the spices that were mixed into it. Definitely one was enough for this one since it can get heavy. I would like to try their sit down menu when I come back to visit. 

 
@foodblogprec

hangry_bunny

20230410_154920

Sanpukujaya

Sanpukujaya – After a long walk from visiting Nikko Toshogu Shrine, a snack was a must! Saw this unique dango shop where there was a few patrons were standing nearby enjoying the treat. As it was close to ending the day when we walked by, there wasn’t much left. However, the way the dango were made and maintained was something I have never seen before. I truly intrigued and curious on how it would taste since most dango I have tried were just sweet. This the first time I have seen a roasted dango with a soy sauce coated all over. With a limited selection, I opted for the last sesame dango. Boy – was I glad that we tried it. It was so different and fun to eat. The texture was chewy and soft – the roasted sesame flavor along with sweet soy was a wonderful combination that meld together so well! I usually don’t like sweet and savory together but this particular flavour were so well synced that I wished I had purchased another one!
 
@foodblogprec

hangry_bunny

Highlights From the Real Estate Board December 2023

“You could miss it by just looking at the year-end totals, but 2023 was a strong year for the Metro Vancouver housing market considering that mortgage rates were the highest they’ve been in over a decade.”

“In our 2023 forecast, we called for modest price increases throughout the year while most other forecasters were predicting price declines. The fact that we ended the year with five-per-cent-plus gains in home prices across all market segments demonstrates that Metro Vancouver remains an attractive and desirable destination, and elevated borrowing costs alone aren’t enough to dissuade buyers determined to get into this market,” said Lis.

“Ultimately, the story of 2023 is one of too few homes available relative to the pool of willing and qualified buyers,” Lis said. “Sellers were reluctant to list their properties early in the year, which led to fewer sales than usual coming out of the gate. But this also led to near record-low inventory levels in the spring, which put upward pressure on prices as buyers competed for the scarce few homes available.”

“Looking back on the year, it’s hard not to wonder how we’d be closing out 2023 if mortgage rates had been a few per cent lower than they were. And it looks like we might get some insight into that question in 2024, as bond markets and professional forecasters are projecting lower borrowing costs are likely to come, with modest rate cuts expected in the first half of the New Year.”

Sales of detached homes in December 2023 reached 376, a 1.3 per cent increase from the 371 detached sales recorded in December 2022. The benchmark price for a detached home is $1,964,400. This represents a 7.7 per cent increase from December 2022 and a 0.9 per cent decrease compared to November 2023.

Sales of apartment homes reached 719 in December 2023, a 2.4 per cent increase compared to the 702 sales in December 2022. The benchmark price of an apartment home is $751,300. This represents a 5.6 per cent increase from December 2022 and a 1.5 per cent decrease compared to November 2023.

“NOTE: this representation is based in whole or in part on data generated by the Chilliwack & District Real Estate Board, Fraser Valley Real Estate Board or Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver which assume no responsibility for its accuracy.”

Download The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver’s December statistics Package. Click Here

Download Fraser Valley’s Real Estate Board’s December Statistics Package. Click Here

Food for Thought on Real Estate – December

  • Seller’s market – A seller’s market is when there are more people looking to buy then there are homes available. This causes a rise in price above the long-term average rate of inflation. Typically this is indicated by a sales-to-active listings ratio of 20% or higher
  • Buyer’s market – In contrast, a buyer’s market is when there are many more homes for sale than there are buyers. As a result, prices increase slower than the long-term average rate of inflation. In extreme circumstances this can cause prices to decline. Typically this is indicated by a sales-to-active listings ratio below 12%.e
  • Balanced market – A balanced market occurs when supply and demand are about the same, with home prices rising in line with long-term average rate of inflation. Typically this is indicated by a sales-to-active listings ratio between 12% and 20%.Summary Over a sustained period of time:
    • a seller’s market is represented by a ratio of 20% or higher
    • a buyer’s market is represented by a ratio of 11% or lower
    • a balanced market rests between 12-19

January 2024 Newsletter Introduction

WELCOME 2024!! How’s the first couple of days into the new year? Have you already planned your next getaway already? I had originally and anticipated to be a single parent for 2 weeks this January when the hubs was suppose to go overseas for a solo trip. However, he decided in wanting a family trip later in the year instead. I am a little disappointed – as I was really wanting him to enjoy his solo trip as he hasn’t had one in such a long time!

As for the market and rates, most people are anticipating to see how the rates are holding up and whether there will be any changes for the next rate announcement happening on January 24th. From December till now, there has been some uptick in activity in the market as more buyers are confident in jumping into the market as fix rates have dropped significantly due the holding rates. Will we see more rates to continue dropping which can impact the variable to drop as well? Time can only time.  

– Sam

Load More