During 2015, the city of Melbourne came up with a clever idea: give each of its 70,000 trees a unique ID number and an email address. The practical goal was to help citizens report fallen branches, damaged trees or tree-related trouble. Each tree’s email was linked to a database, making maintenance a breeze.

But then something adorable happened. People didn’t simply send emails to report issues; they wrote to the trees. They sent love letters, shared life updates and checked in on their leafy friends. One particularly lucky elm received a sweet note: "I hope you're doing well this autumn!"

Instead of shutting down the program, the city leaned into the fun and turned it into a PR success. Some emails even got replies (although Melbourne’s city employees might wish the trees could type the responses.)

Of course, these trees aren’t actually scrolling through their inboxes, but that hasn’t stopped people from sending a little love to their favorite branches!

The slowdown in home sales registered on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in Metro Vancouver that began early this year continued in April, with sales down nearly 24 per cent year-over-year.

For more information, please contact: Gino Pezzani.

Some months feel big — full of milestones, decisions and changes you can see coming from a mile away. But May is quieter. It’s not about the big moments; it’s about the little ones.

The first morning you step outside and realize the weather is warm enough to leave your jacket behind. A cool breeze on a long afternoon drive. That stretch of golden light that lingers just before the sun sets a few minutes later than it did last week.

Humans tend to overlook these things and rush past them while waiting for something bigger. But sometimes, the little things are what keep us moving forward and remind us that not every step has to be planned or that every season has to be about change. Some things are meant to be lived — one small, beautiful moment at a time.

So, this month, I’m being attentive to the little things. I hope you are, too.

With gratitude,

Gino Pezzani

Personal Real Estate Corporation

RE/MAX Heights Realty

Mobile: (604) 418-9366

Email: gino@vanhomesales.com

https://vanhomesales.com/blog.html

The influence of mothers shapes us in subtle and profound ways. Although every mother doesn’t achieve heroic recognition, their daily choices, their persistent faith in our potential and their quiet wisdom help build the foundation of who we become. Through their example and encouragement, we often find strength we didn't know we had.

During the 1950s, when Eustacia Cutler took her 4-year-old daughter Temple to the doctor, she heard words no mother wants to hear. The doctors diagnosed Temple with autism and then recommended institutionalization — the standard medical advice of that era. They said Temple would never speak, never connect, never thrive.

But Eustacia saw something different in her daughter's eyes. Where others saw only limitations, she noticed how Temple could think in pictures, how she related to animals in unique ways and how she processed the world differently — not wrongly.

Against the prevailing wisdom of the time, Eustacia made a bold decision. Instead of institutionalizing Temple, she created an enriched environment at home. She hired a speech therapist, encouraged Temple's natural interests and, most importantly, presumed competence when others assumed limitation.

Her insight proved transformative. Temple Grandin went on to earn a Ph.D., revolutionize animal science, design more-humane livestock-handling equipment used worldwide and become one of the world's most-influential voices in understanding autism.

Today, Dr. Temple Grandin often credits her success to her mother's early insight. "My mother never gave up on me,” she said. “She recognized that different didn't mean less." Sometimes a mother's wisdom isn't just about raising a child; it's about changing the world's perspective, one person at a time.

Happy Mother's Day!

Gino Pezzani
RE/MAX Heights Realty
www.vanhomesales.com
604-418-9366

Canadian employment was virtually unchanged from the previous month, gaining 7,400 jobs to 20.969 million in April. The employment rate fell by 0.1 points to 60.8 per cent, while the unemployment rate rose by 0.2 points to 6.9 per cent. Average hourly wages rose 3.4 per cent year-over-year to $36.13 last month, while total hours worked were up 0.9 per cent compared to April of the previous year.

Employment in B.C. rose by 0.2 per cent to 2.951 million, gaining 6,000 jobs in April. Employment in Metro Vancouver fell by 0.7 per cent to 1.7 million in April. The unemployment rate in B.C. increased by 0.1 points to 6.2 per cent in April. Meanwhile, Vancouver's unemployment rate fell by 0.1 points to 6.3 per cent in the fourth month of the year.

April's jobs report signals a further cooling of the Canadian labour market through the spring as tariff uncertainties continue to weigh on the Canadian economic outlook on multiple levels. As the anticipated consequences of tariffs ripple through the economy, the Bank of Canada may consider a rate cut during their next meeting to partially alleviate the economic damages caused by a highly volatile global trading environment.

https://mailchi.mp/bcrea/canadian-employment-april-2025

For more information, please contact: Gino Pezzani.

May has that in-between energy — halfway between spring and summer, caught in a stretch of grey mornings and slow starts. The month reminds us to slow down and that great things can happen when we pause before the next big shift.

May is all about that sweet spot — between action and stillness, luck and timing, doing and not doing. Inside, you'll find a fresh perspective on those overcast May days, whether luck is random and a reminder that sometimes the best thing you can do … is nothing.

So, grab your coffee, settle in and embrace the pause before summer kicks into high gear. And if you’re in the middle of a big decision — to buy or sell your home — then now might be the perfect time to take stock, weigh your options and ensure you’re moving at the right pace.

As always, I’m here to help whenever you're ready.

To view the full interactive BCREA Housing Forecast, click here.

To view the BCREA Housing Forecast PDF, click here.

BCREA 2025 Second Quarter Housing Forecast

Vancouver, BC – April 2025. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) released its 2025 Second Quarter Housing Forecast today.

Multiple Listing Service^® (MLS^®) residential sales in BC are forecast to fall 1.1 per cent to 73,650 units this year. In 2026, MLS^® residential sales are forecast to move slightly higher, rising 8.8 per cent to 80,150 units.

“Hopes for a return to normalcy in the BC housing market were swiftly dashed this year, upended by a pointless and mutually destructive trade war,” said BCREA Chief Economist Brendon Ogmundson. “While there is significant pent-up demand in the market, uncertainty about the direction of the economy is holding that demand back.”

With slower sales, provincial resale inventory is likely to average above 40,000 listings for the first time in over a decade. As a result, we expect average prices in some regions or market segments to face some downward pressure. Overall, however, we forecast largely flat average prices as sellers wait out the current environment.

For more information, please contact: Gino Pezzani.

For the complete news release, including detailed statistics, click here.

Canadian real GDP decreased by 0.2 per cent in February, following a 0.4 per cent increase in January. Service-producing industries declined by 0.1 per cent, while goods-producing industries fell by 0.6 per cent. Twelve out of twenty major industries contracted from the previous month, driven by mining, quarrying, and oil/gas extraction (-2.5 per cent), construction (-0.5 per cent), and transportation/warehousing (-1.1 per cent). Finally, GDP for real-estate offices and agents was down 10.4 per cent month-over-month. Preliminary estimates suggest that real GDP increased by 0.1 per cent in March.

After a strong beginning to the year, February's GDP data pulled Canadian economic growth below the Bank of Canada's most recent quarterly projection. Additionally, this report captures newly introduced tariffs into the Canadian economic landscape, hence painting a bleak outlook for the subsequent months. During their previous meeting, the Bank emphasized the inflationary risks of tariffs while suggesting patience on policy rate adjustments according to how prices evolve. In a highly volatile environment, the Bank will closely follow next month's CPI and GDP reports to guide its next decision in June. 

https://mailchi.mp/bcrea/canadian-economic-growth-february-2025

For more information, please contact: Gino Pezzani.

Your chances of losing weight increase when your friends are shedding pounds. Your work ethic improves when you admire and model yourself after a strong-disciplinedindividual. The same results apply to self-control: When you see others setting goals and sticking to them, you’re more likely to do the same.

A study from the University of Georgia found that even thinking about someone who possesses good self-control can boost your ability to stay disciplined. This was the first study to demonstrate that self-control is contagious within social and work circles.

The effect is so strong that researchers discovered a simple flash of a name associated with high or low self-control influenced participants' behaviors, meaning that the habits and level of discipline of those around you — whether positive or negative — can subtly shape your own choices.

By exhibiting self-control, you can inspire and positively impact the people around you. If you stick to an exercise routine, then your discipline could encourage others to stay committed to their fitness, financial or career goals. Psychologists suggest that your example can help reinforce good habits in the people closest to you.

However, the opposite is also true. People with poor self-control can influence others negatively and spread such behaviors as unhealthy eating, smoking or procrastination. Because humans naturally mirror the behaviors of people around them, these bad habits can take root if left unchecked.

Ultimately, the choice is yours. You can’t blame your friend for your second helping of cake, but you can choose to surround yourself with people who inspire you to be better. The good news? You don’t need to overhaul your entire social or work life.

Simply thinking about a disciplined individual — whether a friend, mentor or historical figure — can strengthen your own self-control.

So, who will you let influence you in a positive way?

Canadian retail sales decreased by 0.4 per cent to $69.3 billion in February compared to the previous month. Compared to the same time last year, retail sales are up by 4.7 per cent. Furthermore, core retail sales, which exclude gasoline and automobile items, rose by 0.5 per cent month-over-month. In volume terms, adjusted for rising prices, retail sales decreased by 0.4 per cent in February.

Retail sales in British Columbia were down 0.6 per cent in February from the previous month and rose by 4.4 per cent compared to the same time last year. In the CMA of Vancouver, retail sales were down 0.9 per cent from the prior month and 6.0 per cent above the level of February 2024.

February's report marks a second consecutive month of slower sales after several months of retail growth during the fall and winter. As tariffs and their associated uncertainty continue transmitting into the economy, central bankers and economists alike will closely monitor whether this downward trend continues into the summer. 

About BCREA’s Housing Monitor Dashboard

The BCREA Economics team has created the Housing Monitor Dashboard to help REALTORS^® monitor BC’s housing market. This dashboard, which is updated monthly, provides up-to-date data on key variables for public education and use. Focuses include: 

• Resale Home Market

• Construction

• Rental Market

• Borrowing Costs

• Other BCREA Data

In the dashboard, the image and data are available for download under each chart, where possible.

Ingredients

½ cup canned chickpeas, drained and mashed

½ avocado, mashed

1 tbsp hummus

½ tsp lemon juice

¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp smoked paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

1 small whole wheat or low-carb tortilla

Handful of spinach or arugula

Instructions:

In a bowl, mash chickpeas and avocado until combined but slightly chunky. Stir in hummus, lemon juice, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Spread mixture onto the tortilla, then top with spinach. Roll up tightly, slice in half and enjoy!

Why You'll Love This:

•A plant-based protein (about 15 grams) to keep you full.

•Contains healthy fats plus fiber for energy and digestion.

•Quick, creamy and flavorful—ready in about five minutes!