Saturday, April 27, 2013

Realtor.ca Beta


The CREA is beta-testing their new website. You can find it here: http://beta.realtor.ca/index.aspx?CultureId=1

I've been playing with it on my iPad and laptop for about 24 hours. Its map-based interface is better than the previous version. Pictures display better too. It's great that it's easy to toggle between map, gallery and list views. Map and gallery are OK, list seems like a very time consuming way to find a house.

Anyone else playing with it? Share your thoughts in comments. 

25 comments:

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Marko said...

It is quite an improvement! I am also looking forward to Zoocasa re-launching their website.

koozdra said...

I like the new design. Very nice mark up.

I like the new cluster markers. The old system just told you that there are too many matches and didn't show any.

Bing maps still are far inferior to the google maps Zoocasa is based on though.

Over all a much better user experience.

eLouai said...

On a different note, from earlier comments.

Wanted to add my 2 cents why I believe investors are shorting Canadian dollar, its all based on the China consumption of raw materials ... wanted to share an interesting video, something I read here and there over the past few years, its nicely summarized in this one video (45 minutes).
Jim Chanos, China, The Edifice Complex

eLouai said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
CS said...

Would be good if the thumbnails for acreages stated the acreage.

CFA Joe said...

I do think our dollar will come under pressure. number of factors:

1) commodity prices decline will reduce demand on Cdn $
2) US will raise rates first due to an improving market and economy, driving our $ down, there's up
3) the dollar Cdn $ will improve the economy and make us "competitive" again
4) banks will increase their spreads due to the lack of growth

So you can hedge/profit by:

1) owning US$ assets, not US debt; hopefully you bought a couple years ago
2) interest rate futures contract
3) underweight Cdn

CFA Joe said...

meant to say "lower" Cdn $ will make us competitive, whatever that means.

Let's not forgot Canada is a very small place. We will be reactive because we can't move markets, unlike the US, Yen, and Euro.

koozdra said...

"This could be a great home for the handy man or anyone wanting quick Equity.."

Quick equity?

http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetails.aspx?propertyId=13110108&PidKey=-1928046360

koozdra said...

"Excellent investment property."

These people should be held liable for these blatantly false statements.

http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetails.aspx?propertyId=12607087&PidKey=1429513714

dasmo said...

Am I the only one who loaths installing an app for every website I browse? I would rather get to know someone first before having unprotected sex and letting them leave their toothbrush in my bathroom....

Johnny-Dollar said...

I recently read an article that explained the Sales to New Listings Ratio as the number of sales for the month divided by the number of active listings added for the month. The comment was made by the President of the Vancouver Real Estate Board that the resulting 15 to 20 percent while at the low end was indicating a return to a balanced market.

What this ratio is showing is that for every sale there are between 5 to 7 new listings added.

That doesn't sound balanced to me. Understandably some of those listings will expire, some will be cancelled.

Thoughts by anyone?

eLouai said...


@koozdra
Love the little listings you put up, Quick equity ...funny.

The other brain fart that got me was the "sold as is where is"
P re-fab? a float home? Trailer park?

http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetails.aspx?propertyId=13110108&PidKey=-1928046360

koozdra said...

Vancouver's crash is going to be spectacular.

http://www.ecorealtyinc.ca/listing?id=260217311

koozdra said...

@eLouai

"sold as is where is"

Most likely indicates a foreclosure.

The Count said...

Vancouver real estate is stupid.

"Own your own hole in the ground, for just over 800k! This 200 sf hole in the ground is located in the heart of the city, just steps from the downtown core. It comes with its own hemp rope to get in and out as well as a steel manhole to keep the rain out. Act now, this one won't last!"

SJ said...

You even get to “Enter through your own entrance” on that one. Just under a million for “just under 1000 SF”.

The most popular Globe & Mail story this weekend is worth a looksee.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/article11585150.ece

“His forecast: a crisis akin to Russia’s debt default in 1998 within the next two years. “I have a lot of confidence a crisis will happen,” he says, “but I don’t have a pinpoint on time.” Such a crisis would trigger a selloff in commodities, with harsh effects on the Canadian currency and economy – a catalyst for higher unemployment, a downdraft in the housing market and higher loan losses for the banks.”

Leo S said...

Normally website apps are annoying, but in this case te realtor app works pretty well while the website doesn't so much on mobile

dasmo said...
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dasmo said...

Yes, this app would be a useful one. I might even use it if I was actively hunting. The practice is just getting on my nerves as of late. It seems to always be in the way of just experiencing a web site from a mobile device these days.

Anyway... RE: the globe article. This is all you need to read from it: "has staked 95 per cent of his investors’ assets on a wager ". If there is one thing to get out of now it's his fund!

koozdra said...


There were increases in nine of the local markets — Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Quebec, Halifax, Winnipeg and Ottawa-Gatineau. The declines were in Hamilton and Victoria.

Teranet said Victoria’s index fell 3.2 per cent in March, the biggest one-month drop for the city in nearly 23 years of data recording.


http://globalnews.ca/news/488330/march-real-estate-index-up-from-february/

Marko said...

Monday, April 29, 2013 8:00am

MTD April
2013 2012
Net Unconditional Sales: 556 586
New Listings: 1,287 1,470
Active Listings: 4,555 4,638

Please Note
Left Column: stats so far this month
Right Column: stats for the entire month from last year

Marko said...

MTD SFH Average = 631k
MTD SFH Median = 540k

koozdra said...

Saving is something my parents used to do.


Very deliberately, the central bankers have punished savers, pushing interest rates so low that any truly safe investment — and older people are always advised to play it safe — yields a negative return when inflation is factored in.


Neil Macdonald: The 'monarchs of money' and the war on savers

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