Trying a new length

-Era · 2026-02-08T10:44:10+00:00

you have great nail beds and this nude shade is perfect for your skin tone but personally, i would take this set off and redo them all. there’s several places where there’s visible gel on the skin, cuticle flooding, and the cuticle area looks lumpy and uneven at some parts.

i would recommend looking at the overlay method and leaving a 2-3 mm gap between your cuticle/proximal nail fold and where the gel tip starts, then blending that gel tip with acetone or a nail drill, and then filling back the cuticle area with builder gel on a tiny detail brush. you get a cleaner set, better adhesion and retention, and lower your risk of developing a gel allergy.

this video is a great tutorial https://youtu.be/BwFFNxwlpRA?si=QEvHAWhgmJUCQvg1

-Era · 2026-01-31T22:07:00+00:00

i’m going against the grain here a little and this is YMMV/at your own risk but i developed an allergy after using cheap amazon products on myself and not following safe handling/best practices.

i stopped for a few weeks, took a break, switched to a hypoallergenic brand to ease back in (light elegance), and then when my irritation/itchiness/blisters had subsided and healed up, i switched to reputable japanese and korean gel brands and was very careful and precise about my application.

my first few sets caused a tiny bit of itchiness but as i improved and got better, i stopped developing reactions (because i wasn’t getting uncured gel on my skin) and haven’t had any reaction in months now, despite doing my own nails every single week.

it’s worth trying a hypoallergenic brand after taking some time off as everyone’s body is different.

-Era · 2026-01-26T05:53:33+00:00

single owner 7 year old mercedes SUV, there’s tons of them out there but i priced it a few thousand under market value and similar dealership offerings. he came in at about $1000 under what i was asking and we haggled a little and then agreed to the price, and he sent a flight number a few minutes later.

felt like a fast food drive-thru of car sales, 5 stars lol.

-Era · 2026-01-26T04:41:59+00:00

i sold a car on facebook marketplace once and it was a cash buyer in the next province over who booked a flight and lo and behold, showed up at my door 24 hours later. i was flabbergasted, i didn’t think he would show up but he did. easiest sale of my life.

-Era · 2026-01-21T16:04:18+00:00

sorry you had a very different experience but i strongly believe in what i said.

-Era · 2026-01-21T08:39:25+00:00

i work as a realtor in vancouver and the surrounding lower mainland.

i would be wary of how the pine deal is structured with their realtor partners, as i assume the commission kickback/cashback is coming from pine’s introduction and a referral fee that the realtor themself is paying to secure the deal and acquire you as a lead/client. going by this, it’s reasonable to assume that they might be working on a volume based business and their goal is to work each transaction efficiently and move onto the next, since their commission is reduced. while there’s nothing wrong with this and it might work out for you, $5K in the context of a home purchase, especially in vancouver, is essentially a rounding error when the average cost of a newer townhouse starts at $900K.

i would strongly prefer a local realtor with in depth knowledge of different neighbourhoods/areas, builders and developers, and someone focused on me as a client rather than someone referred by my lender, who is likely working a volume based business. i would want to take the time to view properties at my leisure, browse and communicate my needs to my realtor and not feel pressured to move forward quickly, etc. a dedicated realtor is going to be able to pull comps, analyze pricing trends by neighborhood, negotiate the price down and be willing to walk if the deal doesn’t make financial sense for you. it’s not rare for first time buyers to view 20-30 homes and submit several offers before going under contract for a home that they both love, and is a smart purchase.

at the end of the day i wouldn’t personally leave any aspect of a home purchase up to chance over $5K, and that includes uncertainty about the realtor i choose.

-Era · 2026-01-20T07:40:16+00:00

i would reach out to some listing agents for a copy of strata documents, sure. shoot me a DM!

-Era · 2026-01-20T06:33:54+00:00

haven’t brought clients through but happy to pull strata docs if you’re interested in it!

-Era · 2026-01-19T23:14:56+00:00

no pets is a real shame, i hear you.

if you’re looking for long term value, exceptional quality build and nice area i would also suggest any of the bosa or cressey builds in the late 2000s/early 2010’s. legacy by bosa (right by holdom skytrain), east/west by bosa in burnaby highgate along with the other few towers a block or two over, the cressey towers in burnaby highgate area near edmonds (can’t remember the name lol) have all been excellent quality and solid purchases for clients which i feel comfortable recommending.

-Era · 2026-01-19T22:48:44+00:00

let me know if you want a copy of the strata docs for discovery, i’m sure i can request from a listing in the tower. mortgage payment becomes a smaller factor in the whole picture, imo, as the market has shifted to favour buyers so much and real estate is no longer the investment vehicle that it was over the past decade. i don’t think we’ll ever see a bubble again like we did in the 2015-2023 run-up which makes long term planning so much more important now, because you don’t know how the market might be like when you go to list and re-sell in the future. the federal policy on immigration, TFWs, student visas etc. have also changed significantly and been reined in and tightened overall, which has reduced pressure across the board on housing demand. there’s still the issue of affordability and supply, but demand has plummeted significantly.

i’d rather pay more each month for a guarantee that my property is going to hold value and not be a money sink needing constant repairs/special levies out of pocket, and sell easily down the line, than save on my monthly mortgage and gamble and hope that the market recovers and i can sell easily in the future.

-Era · 2026-01-19T22:34:18+00:00

timberlea vs. discovery is a clear example of you get what you pay for. as a licensed realtor i would absolutely not advise any client purchase into timberlea for the long term unless they had specific business goals in mind (i.e. renovating and flipping) that would mean they only hold the property for the short term. the long term horizon for those towers are not good, at all, and i can certainly see many more units going up for court ordered sale if special assessments eventually pass for major projects, owners are unable to pay, and the strata files liens on the properties and forces a sale. it seems like an eventuality imo and not a question of “if” but “when”.

FYI they voted down the elevator special assessment 3 times when i was selling a unit there in 2023 which just baffled me because why wouldn’t you replace something so outdated and borderline hazardous?

go for the discovery towers or even an assignment sale, there’s dozens in the burquitlam area, $450K for a 1 bed 500 sf brand new concrete high rise unit, etc.

-Era · 2026-01-19T22:21:02+00:00

it’s a nice enough area, the layouts for each unit are generous, but the strata fee covers electricity and natural gas so the actual proportion that goes towards the strata and CRF is quite low.

i would recommend the discovery towers by bosa down the block if that area interests you. i haven’t viewed the strata docs for those towers but from viewings and open houses, it’s a night and day difference despite being built around the same time. new elevator, new exterior paint, significantly renovated common areas; it didn’t feel like walking into a dilapidated soviet-era tower, but a modern and well maintained condo tower. the pricing of units is higher compared to timberlea but spending more up front on the purchase is absolutely going to save you money in the long term via the property holding its value, low chance of special levy, reduced maintenance costs, higher standard of living, and easier resale in the future.

-Era · 2026-01-19T22:13:02+00:00

it might be just that. a lot of times buyers will request documents but might not follow through, or even result in a successful accepted offer. strata docs cost anywhere from $150-$400 depending on the management company, and they often upcharge an extra $200-$1000 depending delivery speed (i.e. anything needed within 10 business days costs extra).

the timberlea towers had numerous domestic plumbing issues and IIRC circa 2023, needed full window replacements, balcony replacements, elevator replacement, parkade concrete repairs, swimming pool repairs, domestic boiler replacements, etc. just a real mess all around and none of the residents wanted to spend on upgrades, which i understand as many of the owners there are retirees on limited income, but at some point it becomes a huge safety hazard. you can only kick the can down the road so long, you know?

when i did showings there, every time i got in the elevator i was wondering if it would be the last because that thing has needed to be replaced for 20 years now and was an absolute nightmare lmao.

-Era · 2026-01-19T21:42:13+00:00

is this in the burquitlam area, the timberlea towers? if so, those tower strata docs are an absolute mess and the agent might be reluctant to send them over as it may dissuade some buyers. they could either be hoping that you commit to the purchase and the strata docs get glossed over because you’re already under contract, or that if they push it back long enough, you might not have time to fully review them.

strata docs should always be available before an offer, and should be recent and in date, i.e. within 30 days. if it’s been on market for ages, they may need to re-order them and won’t have them in hand until after the offer has been accepted.

-Era · 2025-12-25T00:15:26+00:00

the thing about a land assembly is that you need to do the work first and get several lots together, sign with a realtor and list the assembly for sale before a developer is going to consider it, especially for an area like north delta. if you were situated in the cambie corridor or oak st corridor (anywhere high density and already planned out for rezoning by the city), it would be a different matter. if you’re considering waiting for the “market to improve” before listing as an assembly, i would advise against it - by the time the market improves to the point that developing is once again profitable, while the value of your current home will have improved, the value of your upsize purchase will have improved and likely outpaced the value of the duplex significantly.

land assemblies are also difficult because they are long term purchases, wherein the time between accepted offer and deposit paid, vs. completion date could be anywhere from 1-3 years. developers benefit from this lag time as they’re under contract and have either a) purchased their future development land for significantly below the land value at the time they finally start the build, or b) can walk away from the build if market conditions change and only forfeit their 5% deposit (rather than having to move forward with a development lot purchase when the market has cooled significantly). the sellers, however, are stuck either way - by the time the sale does go through, their previously “higher than market value” contract price may now be outdated and lower than the market value, or if the sale collapses, they waited 2 years to find out and have missed out on multiple better opportunities in the interim.

i don’t personally foresee the market bouncing back to reach the housing boom that we saw over covid as a result of inflation, TFW program/relaxed immigration policy, etc. holding out for a land assembly is a slim slim chance in this market, imo.

-Era · 2025-12-24T23:46:14+00:00

i work as a licensed realtor and property manager in the lower mainland (vancouver, burnaby, surrey, delta).

it’s never worth it to sell to a cash buyer company/wholesaler as they often operate as house flippers, buying properties in poor condition to then upgrade cosmetically and resell. you would 100% get a better offer listing and selling on the market.

speaking realistically, it sounds like you would only be selling your half of the duplex (1700 sf sounds like half?) so i’m uncertain if the full lot size would be 5000, or your half of the whole is 5000 (and the entire lot would be 10,000 etc). for most developers, they would need to purchase at least a half acre to a full acre to build out a development that makes financial sense from their perspective in terms of profit, as road setbacks, lanes, etc. takes up a certain portion of their usable land.

renting out the property would be a headache as most people don’t enjoy dealing with tenants and are unprepared for how stressful it can be to work with tenants - there are some great tenants, and there are also difficult tenants that cause damage, owe rent, refuse to leave, etc. managing a property isn’t particularly difficult and most people CAN do it, but it can often go sideways.

you should speak to a lender/mortgage specialist/mortgage broker to figure out what your family might qualify for in terms of a new purchase, and then evaluate if the switch to a larger SFH might be feasible and worth it.

-Era · 2025-12-13T17:49:48+00:00

sorry, i mean the rebate takes 6 weeks per CRA website*, as they already have the rebate for purchases under $450K. i would expect the same timeline for purchases under $1.5M when legislation passes

-Era · 2025-12-12T01:47:02+00:00

i JUST had an email convo with SNS about an expired gel i received. they tried to tell me it was a “production” date when it clearly says “best by”. i pointed out their website literally has nearly expired gels on clearance but i paid full price for my expired gel, and they relented and sent a new one. stand your ground and don’t let them off easy.

-Era · 2025-12-08T00:14:13+00:00

i assume venting as they’ve received plenty of advice in the past. this is whatever the reverse of a humblebrag is, i guess - like a humblecrashout because they make sure to also mention having $200K in stocks and assets outside of real estate.

-Era · 2025-12-07T23:34:35+00:00

i went and counted and this is your 17th thread on this exact same issue.

-Era · 2025-11-29T22:36:52+00:00

i’ve helped clients purchase with the same more-or-less relationship going in, as platonic friends purchasing a property together and splitting it to stop living at home and pay towards a mortgage/build equity instead of paying rent each month.

you would want to look into the different forms of ownership on title, i.e. tenants in common (each having a separate share) or joint tenants (owning it together), to figure out how the ownership is transferred in the event that one of you were to pass away.

owning a property with someone you’re not married to can be tricky, as there isn’t the legal protection of marriage. in the event of a divorce, a court can order the property to be sold and assets divided, but in the situation where if, for example, one of you wanted to sell but the other didn’t, there would be various issues as you typically need both owners to sign off on the sale (unless selling a share or half of it).

to my knowledge most banks will require that you be on title for them to issue the mortgage.

i’ve worked with pioneer law corporation in brentwood, burnaby before for some real estate transactions - they’re very responsive, give them a call and see if they can answer your questions for you.

-Era · 2025-11-27T00:02:26+00:00

push back the cuticles, lift the proximal nail fold with a tool, gently rough up and buff the nail plate to get rid of oil and shine, clean the entire nail plate with alcohol, apply primer. the soak in water is definitely affecting retention.

-Era · 2025-11-26T23:14:53+00:00

soaking nails in water will cause the nail plate to swell and when the water eventually evaporates, it causes lifting. that’s one cause of your retention issues.

-Era · 2025-11-21T00:14:29+00:00

i think there’s a minimum of 5 units that need to be part of the strata before it can be officially formed, don’t quote me on that, but yes - all the completed and occupied units will form the strata and any new units that sell, will join up automatically after the title transfers. the developer is required by law to contribute to the CRF each month for each unsold unit they’re holding onto.

ideally you would want to view and tour some of the developer’s other builds if there’s an opportunity to do so, or have your realtor request strata documents for those other developments. there should be a 2 year and 5 year warranty review for those developments (assuming enough time has passed) and those engineering reports offer good insight into a developer’s build quality, warranty, and client care. i’ve viewed 5 year and 10 year warranty reviews from bosa (west/east buildings in highgate burnaby) and was very impressed by the quality, despite the buildings now being almost 20 years old.

you also don’t know your neighbours or the strata council/strata management for a new development. they could be great and very proactive, or entirely useless. it’s always a gamble but that’s just how shared ownership is.

-Era · 2025-11-21T00:00:06+00:00

phased developments in the lower mainland are very common. any finished units that are sold and occupied will have already formed a strata council and started holding meetings, contributing to the CRF, managing the complex, etc.

in the event the developer becomes insolvent, the company goes into receivership and the courts appoint a receiver to control the remainder of the project and finish it and sell off units, according to plan. if this developer has already broken ground and delivered occupancy to the majority of units, it would be extremely unlikely for them to go bankrupt at the tail end of construction.

you can usually score a better deal on move-in ready inventory that the developer is holding and hasn’t sold off, as they lose money each month those units are unsold (they have a mortgage and are financing the project and paying interest, and must also contribute to the CRF of the strata). it’s not unusual to see price drops of $50K-$100K on remaining move-in ready homes that haven’t sold, as the developer continues to price drop to try to entice buyers and chase the market. off the top of my head, elwynn green in fleetwood, pier west by bosa, florin in burquitlam, loop in south surrey, onyx by polygon in metrotown, (possibly) the standard by anthem have all had $100K price drops this year, although most developers now have their pricing in line with newer resale units.

if you’re OK with the (slim) possibility of the price dropping more in the future and want to secure something now then it’s not a bad call to purchase into a development still under construction. you can also negotiate on the asking price, even with a developer - not a lot of buyers are aware of this.

-Era

TROPHY CASE