The Rodzone

There is no apt description ;)

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Why I am Sticking with EF Lenses on my R5

I bought my EOS R5 at launch in 2020. It has been the best brand new camera I have ever owned. I have owned a great many brand new cameras. In 1979 I bought a Canon AE-1 new, then in 1983 I bought a brand new Canon A-1, then in 1985 I bought a brand new Canon New F1, in 1986 I bought a Canon T90 brand new, the list goes on… Some of those previous cameras were legends in their own right. The R5 is…

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The "Living Wage" Argument is Failing Us.

In the upcoming CCRA meeting a topic of discussion associated with retail and service at ground floor, street level is on the agenda. The city has been pushing for more urban density in Downtown which I agree with. They want to make certain that ground floor use is in retail and services to ensure an adequate amount of services exist to serve the higher population density. This is all good. They…

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How will future bridge tolls affect Downtown business?

Kristin Woods https://youtu.be/JVE69hPhx-4?si=gqFJonMA04uRmtnq When you walk around Downtown Vancouver, particularly on the weekends, you will see allot of Oregon license plates on cars. Vancouver has undeniably become a local hot spot for activities at Esther Short Park and the Waterfront. People already tend to complain about parking availability and the costs. What happens when we add the…

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1 Bed Downtown Condo Under $200k ?

RMLS listing photo Say it isn’t so, have things softened up enough to bring back the $199k condo? Apparently the answer is yes. A ground floor unit at Parkview has come to market with a list price of just $199,900, sure it’s only a $100 shy of $200k but it is certainly under that magical value we haven’t seen in quite some time. Now to be clear you more savvy readers may recall a sub $200k…

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Another Viewpoint Unit on Market & What's Happening Downtown?

There has been a fair amount of activity in Viewpoint recently. These high rise luxury units tend to be few and far between but the last 12 months as seen three units come and go including the latest unit that was listed last week. I was surprised to see unit 1023 sell for such a low price. That was a NE corner unit with nice views. Granted it did not have souther exposure but I still feel it…

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Downtown has a Bigger Buzz, this year.

It seems this year the activity Downtown is a bit more bustling especially on the weekends. Now to be fair there has been quite a weekend buzz in Vancouver for years, but it is getting busier. We have all the usual festivals, and events at both the Waterfront and Esther Short Park but these days there is more pedestrians on Main Street, in and around the Park and Waterfront as well. Part of it…

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Vancouver continues with bustling activity on Weekends

Downtown Vancouver is noticeably busier on the weekends so far this “summer” season. I know officially summer starts this upcoming weekend 🙂 This past Saturday I picked up my son at the train station around 10:30 in the morning and the pedestrian traffic was quite strong. It wasn’t limited to Esther Short Park either. Thousands of people were wandering around from Mill Plain all the way downtown…

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This Blog is Now Quarterly

Hey everyone I really appreciate you guys that have been reading these posts now for well over a decade. Interest in STO is still solid but definitely doesn’t draw the attention it did years ago. I have decided to reduce this platform to a quarterly format to focus on other social media platforms I operate on. I still play the game regularly and keep up with the campaigns. I got the free ship…

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Vancouver Urban Condos Holding up Better than PDX

Take a look at condos on the South Waterfront or the Pearl District and you will find that prices have really softened up. Vancouver’s urban Condo market has softened a bit as well, but the Pearl used to fetch 30+ percent more than Vancouver’s Downtown and now they are a little less expensive than we are. This is especially true in the entry level condo market where a large selection of those…

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Is Seattle's Mayor Helping us or Hurting us down here in Vancouver?

Seattle’s new mayor has been making waves in the Emerald City with her actions and comments regarding business and wealthy people. She inherited a messed up system and seems content to make it even worse. Seattle suffers from the worst office vacancy rate in the Western US. Nearly 40% of those gleaming skyscrapers downtown are vacant. Seattle had the strongest per-capita GDP of any major city in…

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Fire Season Could be Bad this Year

Although the rain gauge is above average for the water year so far, the Cascade Snowpack is running about half of normal. We rely on that snowpack for the snowmelt that keeps most of the summer green. Without it we tend to dry out like California and suffer from a similar fate as they do every year. If we start drying out in June, it could be a long smoky summer in the Couv. You may recall just…

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Qualifying for a Condo Purchase is Different

A typical real estate transaction involves a buyer using a mortgage loan to purchase a home. The buyer gives the lender a series of documents proving income and showing debts, to determine what amount the lender is willing to lend them. The buyer then uses that as a baseline to search for homes. Let’s say a lender is willing to lend $500,000 to a buyer and the buyer is required to put down 3.5%…

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Clinically Perfect or Classically Flawed?

Throughout the history of optical design we have been chasing perfection. Centuries ago designs were based on optical theory with no computers to aid in design, no modeling in advance of production, none of that. By the 19th Century we at least had a test medium in the form of film. This no doubt helped push design implementation into a much faster production window. By the time the 20th Century…

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Did Anyone Look at Using UP and BNSF tracks from Downtown Vancouver to Union Station?

I never heard anyone in the IBR circles suggest a regional train like the Seattle Sounder. All the track needed is already rated for passenger service as Amtrak runs the Cascades, Coast Starliner, and Empire Builder trains on the tracks. This option could skip the MAX Yellow line at the EXPO altogether and run the trains to Downtown Portland at the Union Station near Chinatown. The big upside to…

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Some Experts Suggest Light Rail May Be Delayed

The IBR project has cost estimates that have soared well above eleven figures. That is some serious cash with the current estimated range of $11.5 to $13.5 Billion, yes Billion with a B. Take a moment to imagine one million dollars. A measly one million with a M. That is a stack of $100 bills nearly 4 feet tall. It will however fit conveniently and neatly into a typical briefcase. Think of the…

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Weekly Downtown Videos Now on YouTube

Episode 9 I have been publishing weekly video reports on activity in Downtown Vancouver mostly surrounding condos. These short videos tend to run about 90 seconds or so showing off condos and other cool facts about Downtown Vancouver. Be sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel so you don’t miss these weekly updates. I also have a very comprehensive review of all the condominium developments in…

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Would You Pay $45,000 for a Parking Space?

How much would you pay for a parking space? Would you pay $45,000? Last week I was discussing this very topic with a local developer that builds mid-rise apartments and condominium towers. Let’s see if we can find out the value of a residential parking space in an urban area like Downtown Vancouver. There are literally professional commercial appraisers that have to figure this type of valuation…

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