Courtesy of Adrian Vekic

ADRIAN VEKIC Cell: 604.617.5041 • Office: 604.293.8888 info@adrianvekic.com • www.adrianvekic.com ADRIAN’S HOME NEWS

2025 | ISSUE 6

A handy gadget you might want to install around your home is a motion detecting light switch. These are great in places where you need light, but often have your hands full and therefore turning on the light is difficult. They are also an option for individuals with mobility or accessibility limitations. Consider adding them in places such as your pantry, closet, laundry room, crawl space, garage, etc. The motion detecting switches can be installed in place of your current light switch relatively easily. They detect motion within the area and automatically turn the room’s light fixtures on. You can program them to shut off after a period of inactivity as well, so if you have a habit of forgetting to turn the lights off - or are leaving a room with your hands full - you can set them to do the task for you. This helps you save energy and money. Some versions can also turn on fans, activate multiple lights at once and can even be programmed to dim. LIGHT THE WAY

Easy Bulgogi (KOREAN BBQ BEEF)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil • ¼ teaspoon Korean red pepper flakes • ¼ teaspoon minced fresh ginger • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper • 1½ pounds beef sirloin steak, cut

• ⅓ cup soy sauce • 2 green onions, chopped, separate dark green parts from white/light green parts • ¼ yellow onion, thinly sliced • 3 tablespoons white sugar • 3 cloves garlic, minced • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

very thin using kitchen shears • 1 teaspoon honey, or to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Whisk soy sauce, white and light green parts of green onions, yellow onion, sugar, garlic, sesame seeds, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, ginger, and black pepper together in a large glass or ceramic bowl. 2. Add steak slices and toss to evenly coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or up to 1 day. 3. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, cook and stir steak and marinade together in the hot skillet, adding honey to caramelize the steak. Cook steak about 5 minutes. 4. Garnish bulgogi with dark green parts of green onions.

THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN BEING BLIND IS HAVING SIGHT BUT NO VISION.” Sudoku

HELEN KELLER (1880 – 1968)

Summer laughs What’s gray and has four legs and a trunk? A mouse on vacation. Knock, knock. Who’s there? Lettuce. Lettuce who? Lettuce go to the beach! When do you go at red and stop at green? When you’re eating a watermelon. Why is ice cream always invited to all the parties? It’s cool.

To complete this Sudoku, fill in the blanks so each row, column and each of the nine 3x3 grids contain one instance of each of the numbers 1 through 9.

SOLUTION

PREPARING YOUR AIR CONDITIONER FOR SUMMER

In preparation of the warm days ahead, now is the time to ensure your air conditioning units are clean and in working condition. For central air conditioning units, a professional maintenance can be booked now or there is upkeep you can do yourself. Start by ensuring the power to the unit is off. Then head outside and remove any covers or tarps you may have used over the winter. Clear away debris, dirt and dust from the exterior of the unit - you can use a low-pressure hose or a wet cloth. When the outside of the unit is clean, tackle the inside. Remove the protective panels to access the coils and fan elements. Clean them with a soft cloth or vacuum. If you’re using water, be sure not to spray any electrical elements such as the motor. Once everything inside the unit is clean and the unit reassembled, head inside your home to change the air filter which is typically the same filter as the furnace. When everything is clean and dry, turn the power to the unit on and give it a test run. Once you start using the unit, confirm there are no refrigerant leaks or issues by monitoring things like the temperature of the air (is it warmer than it should be?), frost or ice build-up on the copper lines, or hissing or bubbling sounds from the unit itself or the evaporator coil installed inside the house. An HVAC technician should be called to evaluate the system if any of these are present. For window or portable AC units, the process is essentially the same. You want to unplug the unit, clean the exterior and interior and any filters, fans and grates you can access.

HOST A SUCCESSFUL YARD SALE You’ve gone through your home and gathered all the items you want to include in your yard or garage sale, but what are the next steps? First, check with your municipality and find out what is required to host a yard or garage sale and what guidelines, if any, you need to follow regarding signage on the day. Once that’s taken care of, determine the date to host your sale. Choose a weekend that is “low key” in your area meaning it isn’t a long weekend and there aren’t any big festivals, sporting events, major concerts, etc. scheduled that would draw potential shoppers away. Having the sale over two days is ideal to maximize your selling efforts. Think about inviting family or friends to participate to make it more fun and spread the work around. They can sell some of the items they’re looking to get out of their houses and you can keep each other company during the sale or plan to split up the shifts to get a few breaks over the weekend. With the date planned, start promoting. Local buy and sell groups often allow garage/yard sale postings to be made on their online sites which can be useful. Furthermore, spread the word with friends, family, neighbours and colleagues. Signs around the neighbourhood, in local businesses and at nearby intersections also draw in a lot of drive-by traffic. Once people arrive at your sale, be sure your items are grouped together appropriately so anyone looking for kitchen gadgets, for example, can head to one area. A rule of thumb is to have your big items that will draw people in front and center with other goods placed around them because the more people walk by and see, the more they’re likely to purchase. Finally, have everything pre-priced which makes it easier for you as well as shoppers. Most people will negotiate so if your prices are a tad high, be willing to haggle. If your goal is to just clear everything out, price items lower.

Buyers remain hesitant as inventory builds

$757,300 apartment DOWN 2.4% year-to-year

$1,997,400 detached DOWN 3.2% year-to-year

BENCHMARK PRICES

$1,106,800 attached DOWN 3.4% year-to-year

17,094 ACTIVE LISTINGS 2,228 SOLD LISTINGS

detached 654 1,086 apartment

detached 6,387 7,370 apartment

33.6% SALES TO NEW LISTING RATIO

32 DAYS ON MARKET (detached)

7.7 MONTHS OF INVENTORY

6,620 NEW LISTINGS

Vancouver, June 3, 2025: The Greater Vancouver REALTORS® (GVR) reports that residential sales totalled 2,228 in May 2025. “While there are emerging signs that sales activity might be turning a corner, sales in May were below the ten-year seasonal average, which suggests that some buyers are still sitting on the sidelines or are being especially selective,” said Andrew Lis, GVR’s director of economics and data analytics. “On a year-to-date basis, sales in 2025 rank among the slowest to start the year in the past decade, closely mirroring the trends seen in 2019 and 2020. It’s worth noting that sales rebounded significantly in the latter half of 2020, but whether sales in 2025 might follow a similar pattern remains the million-dollar question.” The MLS® Home Price Index composite benchmark price for all

residential properties in Metro Vancouver is currently $1,177,100. This represents a 2.9 per cent decrease over May 2024 and a 0.6 per cent decrease compared to April 2025. The total number of properties currently listed for sale on the MLS® system in Metro Vancouver is 17,094. Sales of detached homes in May 2025 reached 654. The benchmark price for a detached home is $1,997,400. Sales of apartment homes reached 1,087 in May 2025. The benchmark price of an apartment home is $757,300. Attached home sales in May 2025 totalled 469. The benchmark price of a townhouse is $1,106,800. Statistics reflect market activity in May 2025 | Source: Greater Vancouver REALTORS ® (GVR) | Market values stated are of the benchmark of Vancouver and surrounding region. Individual home market values will vary and are affected by factors such as location, size, interior and exterior condition. Please call to get an up-to-date evaluation of your home.

The referral of your friends and family is the greatest compliment you can give me!

ADRIAN VEKIC Cell: 604.617.5041 info@adrianvekic.com www.adrianvekic.com

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