A child’s crayon drawing, showing three happy people in front of their new home, graces the office of Andrew Lasko of Lasko and Associates. It was a gift from the eight-year-old daughter of a couple from the Philippines – a thank-you gesture for helping the immigrant family purchase a house in Canada by matching their budget with a motivated private seller.
While there have been many such satisfactory outcomes throughout his 10-plus years as a realtor, providing “full service and the right kind of experience for every client” takes effort, especially in a fast-paced and constantly evolving real estate market, says Lasko. “I keep this picture around and on tough days, I look at it and remind myself of why I’m doing what I do.”
The idea of “full service” means different things to different people, and Lasko strives to gauge the exact level for ensuring his clients are comfortable. “That’s why it’s important to start with a conversation to understand their expectations,” he says. “It’s not just about whether they are looking for two or five bedrooms or what kind of amenities they want nearby. I am interested in learning what process works best for them; for example, do they like to be hands-on? Or do they prefer to outsource as many tasks as possible?”
His background in financial planning and analysis in the real estate, urban planning, banking and auditing industries – combined with a passion for community-building – give Lasko an advantage when it comes to enabling clients to make strategic real estate decisions.
He values “a methodical approach and due diligence” for collaboratively navigating an industry, where structures are useful but market trends sometimes require a quick response. That’s where experience is a big asset, he believes.
“Over time, you get to know buying patterns; you see where things are offered and where people are looking,” says Lasko. “I can help you explore real estate as a step towards achieving your overall financial and lifestyle goals. I can also speak intelligently about a range of financial products.”
With many of his clients being busy professionals, including accountants, engineers, doctors and lawyers, Lasko aims to minimize the stress that can come with selling or buying a home. “I have pretty big shoulders, so you can trust me to carry much of the load,” he says. “And I’m constantly challenging myself to go the extra mile, to uphold the ethics – and improve the reputation – of the profession.”
Lasko grew up in Toronto and lived in Sydney, Australia, and Copenhagen, Denmark, before settling in Vancouver in 2007. Moving frequently inspired an appreciation of the “emotional strain that can come with the process, even if you’re super-organized.
“The last time I moved, I had a spreadsheet. I hired a packer and a mover,” he recalls. “I was going to wake up in one place and go to sleep in another.”
Needless to say, it wasn’t quite as stress-free as anticipated, he admits, and experiences like this have reinforced his commitment to offering his clients “the right experience.
“I really focus my attention on what they need,” says Lasko, who loves to discover commonalities, for example, in demographic or socio-economic backgrounds. With his ties to the financial, Jewish and LGBTQI+ communities and his active lifestyle, there is always overlap, “like a Venn diagram,” he notes.
Lasko also hopes to help enhance his clients’ financial flexibility, perhaps by discovering unrealized value. “I love the fact that I can help people enter the market with a condo,” he says, “and move their way up to million-dollar estates.”
His efforts and results have not gone unnoticed, and Lasko has repeatedly earned professional recognition. Yet what matters most is when clients tell him he’s “the best realtor,” says Lasko. “This gives me the shivers, in a good way.”
HALIFAX – A village of tiny homes is set to open next month in a Halifax suburb, the latest project by the provincial government to address homelessness.
Located in Lower Sackville, N.S., the tiny home community will house up to 34 people when the first 26 units open Nov. 4.
Another 35 people are scheduled to move in when construction on another 29 units should be complete in December, under a partnership between the province, the Halifax Regional Municipality, United Way Halifax, The Shaw Group and Dexter Construction.
The province invested $9.4 million to build the village and will contribute $935,000 annually for operating costs.
Residents have been chosen from a list of people experiencing homelessness maintained by the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia.
They will pay rent that is tied to their income for a unit that is fully furnished with a private bathroom, shower and a kitchen equipped with a cooktop, small fridge and microwave.
The Atlantic Community Shelters Society will also provide support to residents, ranging from counselling and mental health supports to employment and educational services.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2024.
Housing affordability is a key issue in the provincial election campaign in British Columbia, particularly in major centres.
Here are some statistics about housing in B.C. from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s 2024 Rental Market Report, issued in January, and the B.C. Real Estate Association’s August 2024 report.
Average residential home price in B.C.: $938,500
Average price in greater Vancouver (2024 year to date): $1,304,438
Average price in greater Victoria (2024 year to date): $979,103
Average price in the Okanagan (2024 year to date): $748,015
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Vancouver: $2,181
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Victoria: $1,839
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Canada: $1,359
Rental vacancy rate in Vancouver: 0.9 per cent
How much more do new renters in Vancouver pay compared with renters who have occupied their home for at least a year: 27 per cent
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Voters along the south coast of British Columbia who have not cast their ballots yet will have to contend with heavy rain and high winds from an incoming atmospheric river weather system on election day.
Environment Canada says the weather system will bring prolonged heavy rain to Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast, Fraser Valley, Howe Sound, Whistler and Vancouver Island starting Friday.
The agency says strong winds with gusts up to 80 kilometres an hour will also develop on Saturday — the day thousands are expected to go to the polls across B.C. — in parts of Vancouver Island and Metro Vancouver.
Wednesday was the last day for advance voting, which started on Oct. 10.
More than 180,000 voters cast their votes Wednesday — the most ever on an advance voting day in B.C., beating the record set just days earlier on Oct. 10 of more than 170,000 votes.
Environment Canada says voters in the area of the atmospheric river can expect around 70 millimetres of precipitation generally and up to 100 millimetres along the coastal mountains, while parts of Vancouver Island could see as much as 200 millimetres of rainfall for the weekend.
An atmospheric river system in November 2021 created severe flooding and landslides that at one point severed most rail links between Vancouver’s port and the rest of Canada while inundating communities in the Fraser Valley and B.C. Interior.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
