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Leieve Tea

Leieve Tea – I am pleasantly surprised to find a local bubble tea shop in White Rock that serves great tasting drinks. I didn’t think there were any in the area. We wanted to go for a drive and check out the pier after it was rebuilt from that insane storm that destroyed it a few years back. We stumbled upon Leieve Tea during our stroll, and the selection of tea that was posted on the window enticed me. The hubs always goes for a classic milk tea as his staple. I ordered the passion fruit green tea and the matcha milk tea. I decided to grab two since it’s not very often we come to this neck of the woods due to a long drive – ie – close to an hour drive to get there.
 
The matcha milk tea was disappointing. I wasn’t sure whether it was due to my ordering request that left this drink to be very lackluster. The drink was very watered down. There was very little matcha flavour at all – and it wasn’t very creamy either. However, I am wondering if this drink was a failure due to my poor ordering choice. If I had chosen hot, or no ice or full sweet – would it have changed things Unfortunately, I won’t know till I go back again. 
 
As for the passion fruit green tea – the drink was amazingly delicious. There was enough sweetness, and the right amount of citrus tang to cut down on the sugar. The green tea was so smooth that it didn’t leave an aftertaste that some teas do. The aftertaste usually reminds me of spinach metallic taste
 
Last but not least – the classic milk tea! The texture is silky smooth and creamy. The sweetness blended well with their own brew of tea leaves which perfectly goes well with their pearls. The pearls weren’t soggy or overly chewy.  It paired very well with the drink itself. It’s definitely one of my favorite milk teas besides chatime and a bakery in Honolulu. If you ever stop by in White Rock – then I would highly recommend heading to Leieve tea if you’re feeling thirsty and craving for something sweet to sip on.
 
@foodblogprec

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88 Noodle House

88 Noodle House –Needed a quick bite while I was running an errand around the Burnaby Metrotown area. I decided on the 88 noodle house which served Korean cuisine. It was close by, and it was a place I haven’t tried. The menu was small but it has the staple dishes that you normally expect to see in Korean restaurants. I had decided to order the spicy seafood noodle soup. It’s one of my go to dishes I like to have for Korean food.
 
When the noodle soup arrived, I had not expected how large the portion was! It was large enough to share with another person! If you’re unfamiliar with the spicy seafood noodle soup – its filled with heaping amount of onions, some wood ear and carrots, green onions and some shanghai bok choy! There was some generous amount of seafood as well – which included squid, mussels and shrimp. The flavour was a great blend of spice and sweet seafood taste. It wasn’t overly spicy that it took away from the flavour of the seafood.
 
The noodles were nice and chewy and also absorbed some of the soup which made it all more enjoyably tasty. Since it’s my first time at the restaurant, I was surprised at the large size of the noodle bowl and the taste. I would come back again to see how their other dishes fair.
@foodblogprec

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Highlights From the Real Estate Board January 2022

The first month of 2022 saw home sales come down from last year’s record-setting pace, while low supply continued to cause home prices to edge higher across Metro Vancouver*. 

“Our listing inventory on MLS® is less than half of what would be optimal to begin the year. As a result, hopeful home buyers have limited choice in the market today. This trend is causing fierce competition for a scarce number of homes for sale, which, in turn, increases prices.”

“As we approach spring, we’ll keep a close eye on the impact of rising interest rates on buyers’ willingness to buy and on whether more home owners will opt to become sellers in what’s traditionally the busiest season of the year,” Stewart said. “With home prices reaching new highs in recent months, the need has never been greater for government to collaborate with the building community to expedite the creation of housing supply and provide more choice for those struggling to buy a home today.” 

Sales of detached homes in January 2022 reached 622, a 15.9 per cent decrease from the 740 detached sales recorded in January 2021. The benchmark price for a detached home is $1,953,000. This represents a 22.7 per cent increase from January 2021 and a 2.2 per cent increase compared to December 2021. 

Sales of apartment homes reached 1,315 in January 2022, a 10 per cent increase compared to the 1,195 sales in January 2021. The benchmark price of an apartment property is $775,700. This represents a 14 per cent increase from January 2021 and a 1.8 per cent increase compared to December 2021. 

“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 statistics Package. Click Here

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

Food for Thought on Real Estate – January 2022

  • 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%

February 2022 Newsletter Introduction

Happy Lunar New Year Real Estatee – I wish you a wonderful and prosperous Tiger New Year! This one of my favorite holiday celebrations where there are tons of sweets, and savory food that you have with family, and the best part is to receive red pocket money! Who doesn’t love that?! As for the market in January, nothing has changed much in regards to inventory level but the prices of homes have aggressively climbed up a lot.  As mentioned in my last newsletter, interest rates increase were possibly implemented in late January which definitely caused a spur in purchasing, however that announcement did not come, in which we can assume the rate increase will be introduced in March Spring instead. The idea that the rate hike to possibly dampen the market has been delayed. However, in the last week of January, there has been a noticeable increase in inventory but will it be enough to keep up with demand? It will be hard to say until we get the stats for February at the beginning of March.  

#CovidBC update: 

BC’s vaccine card program was originally to be expired by the end of January, however that has not extended to June 30. Questions looming whether BC will follow suit with other provinces to scrap the vaccine passport requirement. As number of cases of dropping, that is a positive sign that there is a light to the end of tunnel where we can return to some sort of normalcy. 

Stay safe and healthy!!!

– Sam

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Sushi Tree

Sushi Tree – There was a noticeable lineup for this place that pique my curiosity on what this eatery was all about. I did a quick search and found out that is an inari sushi bar! This is very different and unique since there isn’t anything like this in the lower mainland that specifically makes Inari. I was pretty stoked to try it out. So, what is Inari sushi? It’s a Japanese dish where rice is stuffed in a sweeten fried tofu pouch with numerous different toppings. It’s a great quick on the go meal alternative to the onigiri! Sushi tree is a pick up and go eatery that doesn’t provide dine in. It’s made fresh and the variety of choices were great. They had some cooked and raw choices to choose from. As the establishment was Korean own – there was a few inari ones that had a few Korean flavours available to try out. I had tried – unagi – aka eel / aburi salmon / scallop /ebi – aka shrimp / spicy tuna and BBQ chicken. The pricing for each one varies but each one was very generous in size with large portions of toppings. You can easily stuff yourself with 2 or 3 of them and be thoroughly satisfied. My top 3 choice were scallop, aburi salmon and spicy tuna. They also have vegan and vegetarian items so it’s a great place for anyone that has dietary restrictions. I would come back again to try out the rest of the menu if I want to have a quick snack or lunch! 

@foodblogprec

hangry_bunny

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Wicked Cafe

Wicked Café – I had been pushed/encouraged to try out Wicked Cafe due to a tik tok video. The sender wanted me to review it to see if it’s taste as good as it looks since she wasn’t in town to try it. I ordered the Instagram staple items – strawberry latte / peach tiramisu pot and sweet cheese garlic bun. I didn’t order the famous Tom and Jerry cheesecake since I wasn’t really looking for something too dense.  The decor and the creative creations of the baked goods were fantastic and clearly Instagram worthy. I can definitely see why so many people come to the spot to take photos! The urban and rustic vibe makes it very dreamy. So, what about taste? Overall, I didn’t find it to be anything particular that wow me. The garlic bun didn’t turn out as great as I liked it to be since it wasn’t garlicky enough for me. The sweetness of the cream cheese was a little overpowering for my liking. I would prefer a more subtle taste to it. The ig popular strawberry latte is just that – great for ig photos. The drink itself is simple enough to make. Strawberry puree with milk. When I see the word latte – I expected some sort of coffee with milk and Strawberry together with it. But there was absolutely no coffee in it. It should be renamed properly as it is. The taste isn’t bad but not impressive either. Perhaps make it sweeter and add some dry strawberrys on top to make it more unique and use brown sugar with a bit of lemon zest or lime to freshen the taste. As for the peach pot tiramisu I was expecting some sort of coffee flavour combined with the peaches. But I couldn’t taste much of the coffee within it. It tasted like a soft layered peach sponge cake. Overall, their creative baked goods and desserts are beautiful as their latte art as well. But when it comes to flavors – I definitely think there are other places that outshine it.

@foodblogprec

hangry_bunny

Highlights From the Real Estate Board December 2021

“Home has been a focus for residents throughout the pandemic. With low interest rates, increased household savings, more flexible work arrangements, and higher home prices than ever before, Metro Vancouverites, in record numbers, are assessing their housing needs and options.”

“While steady, home listing activity didn’t keep pace with the record demand we saw throughout 2021. This imbalance caused residential home prices to rise over the past 12 months,” Stewart said – Keith Stewart, REBGV economist

“We begin 2022 with just over 5,000 homes for sale across the region. This is the lowest level we’ve seen in more than 30 years,” Stewart said. “With demand at record levels, residents shouldn’t expect home price growth to relent until there’s a more adequate supply of housing available to purchase.”

“Sales of detached homes in December 2021 reached 794, a 22.6 per cent decrease from the 1,026 sales recorded in December 2020. The benchmark price for a detached home is $1,910,200. This represents a 22 per cent increase from December 2020 and a 2.1 per cent increase compared to November 2021.

Sales of apartment homes reached 1,464 in December 2021, a 1.4 per cent decrease compared to the 1,474 sales in December 2020. The benchmark price of an apartment home is $761,800. This represents a 12.8 per cent increase from December 2020 and a 1.2 per cent increase compared to November 2021.

“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 Package. Click Here

Food for Thought on Real Estate – December 2021

  • 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%.
  • 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 2022 Newsletter Introduction

Happy New Year Real Estatee – I hope you had enjoyed you had an opportunity to enjoy the Christmas festivities and holiday celebrations amongst the new restrictions for gatherings that were announced mid December due to the omicron. We truly had a white Christmas, and historically record breaking cold weather as well. We had broke two records in 2021 – hottest and coldest weather! I’m wondering what Mother Nature will be throwing at us next! As for what’s happening for the market, it was a little quiet during the Christmas holidays and not much inventory has popped up. However, since the new assessment for 2021 has been announced, there has been some rampant interest in home owners looking to sell. We see a slow but steady surge of inventory coming up for that reason. Interest rates are rising right around the corner also is driving many buyers and seller wanting to take advantage of the lower rate before it goes up meaning it’s a race against time to see what the supply and demand will be like. For that reason prices will continue to climb. 

#CovidBC update: 

As Canada faces more active COVID-19 cases than at any other point in the pandemic, federal officials are set to provide an update on national response efforts on Friday. today Canada has the highest ever number of active cases, with more than 371,300 active cases and climbing as of 4 p.m. EST. That’s eight times as many active cases as there were three weeks ago, and four times as many as the peak seen last spring. The latest surge is being driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

Stay safe and healthy!!!

– Sam

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