80 - Friday, April 9, 1999 — North Shore News

B.C.’S housing ct

ALMOST 30% of
British Columbians had
housing affordability
problems in recent
years, according to a
new United Way of the
Lower Mainland report.

Housing in B.C. was moze
expensive, on average, than in
the rest of Canada for both
renters and homeowners. The
average rent in B.C. of $704
per month was the most
expensive of all provinces and

territories in, 1996, according
to United Way of the Lower
Mainland’s latest
Environmental Scan of British
Columbia. The scan is based
on the 1996 Census and many
other sources. Information
includes population size, inci-
dence of poverty among fami-
fies, growth in’ self-employ-
ment and the tremendous
growth in the charity sector.
According to the Canadian
Real Estate Association, the
average price of residential
housing in B.C. in September

seminar to offer
home buying advice

THINKING about
purchasing your first
home?

It can be a seary prospect
when you aren’t sure how to
go about it.

What location is best?
What type of home is best
suited to your needs? What
mortgage type and term to
choose? What are the legal
considerations? What about
the new provincial legislation
covering building licensing
and mandatory home war-
ranties?

These and other key
questions will be answered by
a panel of housing experts at
the fifth annual free seminar
for first-time home buyers
on Tuesday, April 20 from
7 pm. to 9 p.m. in the
Guildford Sheraton Inn

Sales Centre Open Daily 12-5 except Friday
345 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver

Ballroom in Surrey.

The seminar, which last
year drew more than 800
people, is being presented by
the Greater Vancouver Home
Builders” Association.

Speakers will include Peter
Smith of Canada Mortgage
and Housing Corporation;
Jane Weatherbie from) the
Bank of Montreal Mortgage
Corporation; Shayne Ramsay
of the Homeowner
Protection Office and others.

Attendees can arrive at 6
p.m. and view displays which
showcase affordable homes,
financial options and give out
housing information.

Pre-registration — is
quired,

Call 665-2700 from 8
am. to 6 p.m. Monday to
Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday.

re-

1998 was $208,510, well
below the high of $247,159
set. in) February 1995,
However, despite this decline
in housing prices, the province
still had the least’ atfordable

sts top national

housing in the country with
house prices almost S58,000
above the national average of
ST50,664.

“According to the 1996
census, 29.2 per cent of British

Columbians had housing,
affordability problems with
more than 30% of their house-
hold income spent on shelter
costs, This is especially true for
people living alone in’ B.C.

average

Over half the renters and half
the homeowners with a mort-
gage who lived alone were in
this category,” said Bruce
Levens, of United Way's
Research Department.

Regalbuto also helped to create a mural at the North Vancouver secondary school.

You'll love it even more now that we're

ny

Mural magic

THE mural which graces the parking Ict at the corner of St. Georges and Esplanade continues to grow —
whenever Sutherland Grade 12 student Nathan Regalbuto has time to add to it. It isn’t his only project -—

a

marking down the last eleven homes!

Choice of:

© One bedroom homes
© wo bedroom & den homes © Two level city homes

Features:

Brick clad building, stainless stee! appliances,

Granite counter tops.
985-0570

© Two bedroom homes

MACLEAN/WEDGEWOOD VENTURE iD.

3 YEAR
THIRD PARTY
WATER
PENETRATION
WARRANTY

10 YEAR
NEW @ HOME
WARRANTY