Thank you for your continued support of our business; we are grateful indeed! The success we’ve had over the past 29 years would not have been possible without great clients like you!   

The real estate market has, for another year, really been all over the place. The “roller coaster” ride that began awhile back has continued; I’ve noticed prices decreasing in some segments of the market while remaining steady in others. As I point out every year, now more than ever it’s important to get solid, expert advice as you consider your real estate options. Our Team is here for you, or anyone you care about, if the thought of a move has come up.

The Klassen Update

Jude and Adrianna, who are both part of the Team, will be including their own submissions to this newsletter, so I won’t be writing about them. 

Cindy: Cindy was working with her sister Tracy as a “staging team” tandem, staging our listings. However, Cindy has had to back off, for reasons you’ll read about later in this update. Cindy has still maintained her running passion and enjoys taking Adrianna’s dog Princess Leia out for the occasional evening walk. Cindy really is the grease that keeps the Klassen family machine running.

Jared: J graduated from Trinity Western University this past year. He’s continuing with his summer job of lawn and garden irrigation while he assesses his options for the future. He enjoys hanging out with his buddies, playing guitar, hiking, and playing recreational hockey. Jared is getting pretty good at guitar although I tell him real guitarists play electric guitar turned up to 10, kick over their amps to create feedback, light their guitars on fire, and jump off the drum platform. He tells me these things are frowned upon when playing on the church worship team.

Mireya: Beya is in her 3rd year at TWU and living back at home after her dorm experience last year. She’s in the education program and has started working a bit with students with special needs. Mireya was quite the traveller this past summer with trips to Osoyoos, Newfoundland, and the Philippines (more on that later). Mireya and I enjoy our weekly late night hot tub after her late class.

Nicole: Colie graduated from Langley Christian this past year and is now in Germany at “Capenwray”; a Bible school that also affords travel and cultural experiences. She seems to be enjoying it so much that she doesn’t have a lot of time to check back  in with her Dad. Nicole had a great grade 12 year of school soccer, with her team coming 3rd place in the BC High School Provincials. Her Langley United team did very well too!

Andy: Duke is in grade 10 at Langley Christian School and still plays soccer and basketball. He’s been spending more time on his bike. Andy travelled with me, Cindy, and Mireya to the Philippines in late August/early September to meet his new brother Naldo. Andy and Naldo like to ride bikes together, play Roblox together, and see who can annoy the other the most.

Naldo: 13-year old Naldo is the newest addition to our family. The 3 year adoption process finally resulted in a trip to the Philippines to bring Naldo back to Canada to join us as his “forever family.” Cindy and I are so blessed to be a part of Naldo’s life, and we’re glad that he now has a family with siblings, a dog, and a cat. Naldo (13) and Andy (15) share a lot of common interests, and it’s been great to see them solidify the bonds of their brotherhood. Cindy is working at getting Naldo into school, and I’m working at getting him into his favourite sport, basketball.

So, with 7 kids now, and me now turning 55, I’ve had to delay my “Freedom 55” retirement plans. I’ve re-run my “numbers” to include getting kids through school, sports, braces, clothing, food, and the occasional family trip. My tally confirms that I’ll now be ready to retire when I’m 108!

Another busy yet productive year at the Klassen Group office. We started the year with a full office renovation which allowed me to put my carpenter skills to work, and we now have a nice modern office to work from. No more red carpet, burgundy paint, and red mahogany furniture. It’s been a challenging year for home buyers and sellers with interest rates rising dramatically along with fluctuating prices. Fortunately, we’ve been able to successfully guide our clients through this market with the experience we have garnered over the years (and decades).

On the home front we had to say goodbye to our dog Jake. Fortunately, our cat seems to want more cuddles now. I managed a bit of fishing and golf, although a fraction of what I had planned for in the spring. My wife and I and kids will be leaving for a trip to Europe in a few days (from the time of this writing). Looking forward to seeing Italy, Holland, and England. I’m excited but a little apprehensive about my travel planning skills.

For Morgan and me, 2023 was full of new experiences.

The biggest highlight of our year was our trip to Italy in May! This trip was a delayed celebration of our 5th anniversary. We have not done too much traveling together, so it was a great chance for us to explore areas like Rome, Venice, Pisa, and the Almafi coast. Foodies may not approve, but our favourite meal during the whole trip was… a burger! It was cooked Italian-style at a small family-owned restaurant, and was much better than any burgers around here.

I took advantage of the warmer months of the year with plenty of hikes, camping trips, and lake days, both locally in the Fraser Valley and around our province. The most difficult day of the year was the day I hiked Golden Ears mountain and the temperature reached the mid-30s. This isn’t an experience I would opt to repeat, but since I have the bragging rights now, I don’t need to!

We were also able to buy our first home in Abbotsford and move in this past September. We have lived in 6 different homes since getting married in 2017, so we are excited to finally be the owners of home number 7, where we plan to stay for quite a while.

It has been a year of growth, excitement, and new beginnings, both in my real estate career and personal life.

I want to express my gratitude to all my clients for their trust and support. It has been a pleasure working with such a diverse range of clients, from first-time home buyers to seasoned investors. Every transaction has been unique and memorable, and I’m grateful to have played a role in helping my clients find their dream homes.

In addition to this, 2023 has been a year of joyous celebrations for our family. We had the privilege of attending three family weddings this year, and each one was very special!

The most exciting news of all is a personal one. My wife, Katelynn, and I are delighted to share that we are expecting our first child in March! We are excited for this new chapter of our lives and look forward to what 2024 will bring.

Wishing you a joyous Christmas season and a wonderful start to the New Year. If you have any real estate questions or need assistance in the coming year, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m here to help.

I can’t believe how fast this year flew by. I am so grateful to my team for helping me through this year of learning and growing as a new Realtor in the business. It was a busy one! My biggest highlight was meeting with a buyer who had very specific criteria and finding exactly what they were looking for that very same day, writing an offer, and securing the place. It was an exciting day!

On the personal side, the biggest highlight of the year would be my trip to Paraguay to visit relatives that I had never met before. My Opa grew up there and then moved to Canada when he was around 20 years old. I learned a lot about my heritage and toured some amazing areas in both Paraguay and slightly into Brazil to see the Iguazu Falls, a natural wonder of the world! One thing that I realized was that I really need to work on my Spanish... This was my first big trip in a couple of years and now I’m ready and excited for whatever adventure comes next.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!

So Dear Reader, thanks again for your continued support of our business. We are here to help you with any of your real estate questions, so contact us if there’s anything you need.

Once again, our families are looking forward to a quiet Christmas time of reflection and reverence for the true Christmas story.

Klassen Real Estate Group

SEPTEMBER 2023 EDITION

Well, that went by quickly! Summer started with our daughter Nicole’s Grade 12 graduation from Langley Christian School. Lots of fun activities including the grad dinner, the grad ceremony, and of course all the fun Nicole had with her classmates. Cindy and I are thankful for the friends Nicole has met through high school and hope they will continue to sharpen each other as iron sharpens iron.

The biggest summer highlight for me was setting the Klassen family record at the Rattlesnake Canyon mini golf course. Cindy really enjoyed the fact that I had the score card framed and set on our mantel back home. Other great memories of this Osoyoos trip included go-carting with the kids, jet skiing with Andy, morning runs with Cindy, nice dinners, shopping at the Home Hardware, sunshine, and drop in visits by my parents, sister Rita, Adrianna, Jared, Mireya, Nicole, and whoever else rolled in off Highway 3 based on their work/life schedules.

Cindy and I, along with Andy and Mireya, were able to spend a few days in Whistler with friends and Cindy’s sisters Tracy and Pam. We love strolling through the village and exploring new places. I think I set a personal record for most time spent in a hot tub; great hot tub conversations with friends and even solving a few world problems.

The Fall will bring a change back to routine and such, but we’ve really enjoyed the Summer.

Andy and I have had some great late night hot tubs when Cindy is already up in bed. We have a little contest of counting airplanes we see in the sky. 

So, until the next update, take care!

It’s been a busy summer for both business and family. I managed to get away fishing in Tahsis with some friends and was able to reel in several salmon including this 29 pounder. Olive, myself, Devon, and Jen had a relaxing stay at a log cabin in the Cariboo with a couple other families. My friend Mark and I did some fishing & prawning in the San Juan Islands where we camped on Jones Island Marine State Park. It’s a gorgeous island with a calm, protected bay. I’m going to miss the warm weather.

Over the summer, Morgan and I managed to escape to several fun getaways including a weekend of camping in Nakusp and some beach days in Penticton. Couple this with plenty of hikes including Golden Ears Mountain and Illal Meadows, and with local events like watching the Canadian Track & Field Championships in Langley, and I’d say we’ve had enough time outdoors to be content with the upcoming transition to fall weather.

I also had the privilege over the summer to help several clients, who had previously used our team’s services to buy homes as investments, sell those investments and see the financial rewards of their patience and savvy real-estate decisions. It’s always a pleasure to be invited into the planning conversations of clients and friends, and then to see the planning and work come to fruition!

It has been a fulfilling and busy summer again this year! This past month I was able to witness the joy and relief of multiple of my clients as they got possession of their new homes. I also renewed my real estate license for another 2 years and look forward to helping many more clients in the future. Similar to last year, my wife Katelynn and I wrapped up the summer with a relaxing week of camping along the Oregon coast.

Looking back at this past summer, although work did not slow down, I was able to spend some really nice quality time with friends and family. Two of my highlights would be trips to Penticton and Osoyoos. I had never been to Penticton before so it was a new and fun experience floating the channel with some friends. In Osoyoos, we have a tradition where each family member hosts a “happy hour” with some snacks and some drink options (pictured here). It was a fun part of the day where everyone was all together enjoying each other’s company. Definitely grateful to have beautiful places like these only a few hours away!

JUNE 2023 EDITION

Well, a lot has been happening since my last write up. Adrianna’s dog Princess Leia celebrated her 1st birthday on May 4th. Mireya just finished her 2nd year at Trinity Western University and will be working as a youth intern helping with summer camps at Cloverdale Baptist Church, as well as working some part time hours at the café she works at, Blacksmith Bakery at the airport. Andy only has a few weeks left of grade 9, and he’s enjoying playing some golf with his school as well as practicing at the Langley Golf Centre with his junior membership.

Jared just graduated from Trinity Western University with a Bachelor of Science in Computing Science, and Cindy and I are very proud of him. Jared met some great friends at TWU, and really learned a lot not only in his classes, but also in various leadership roles he had. The only regret I have is that I never could understand what he was talking about as he explained to me what he was learning.

Nicole has been keeping us hopping with her soccer schedule. Her club team with Langley United just won a tournament in Kelowna and this weekend her school team, Langley Christian Lightning, are in the BC Provincial Final Tournament as they just won the Eastern Valley Championship. Nicole is a super speedy player, but you’d never guess it if you saw her around the house. I always tease her that I’ve never seen anyone so slow run so fast!

Cindy’s been busy with keeping our family glued together on top of her awesome staging work that she’s doing for my listings that we bring to market. As well, Cindy has enjoyed singing in our Church. I myself never did develop any musical talent other than playing a mean air guitar.

With the great weather this spring I have managed to make it out and enjoy a couple days on my boat, a bit of golf, and a quick road trip to Idaho. The real estate market has also heated up and we have been fortunate to be working with many great clients. I will be taking a week off in June and will going to Vancouver Island for a visit with friends and some fishing in Tahsis.

If you couldn’t get a hold of me in early May, it’s because Morgan and I were enjoying a highspeed trip (no joke, we reached 299 km/h on a train!) around Italy, a country that offers so many experiences from beautiful coastlines to millennia-old architecture. The ruins of Pompeii might be taken as a reminder that the cheapest housing is not always the best idea… 

Since returning to Canada, I’ve also been making it out to more hikes since the weather has been improving. Most recently, I hiked Elk Mountain and made some coffee at the top. Strangely, a difficult hike can even make instant coffee taste good!

It’s hard to believe it’s already June! It’s been an exciting spring real estate season with an active market again. I’ve been enjoying helping clients navigate their 2023 purchase or sale.

One of my favourite parts about this time of year is the longer days that allow for more outdoor evening activities. My wife Katelynn and I recently went camping with friends at Deception Pass in Washington and it officially feels like summer. Looking forward to working hard and making the most of the summer months!

The last few months have been busy! I ran at the Sun Run on our RE/MAX Treeland team, went on a weekend trip to Whistler, and spent lots of time working on building my business!

Princess Leia just celebrated her first birthday on May the 4th! We have been going on some nice sunny walks lately, and enjoyed cherry blossom season as there are a lot of trees in my neighbourhood.

APRIL 2023 EDITION

Some highlights from the past few months:

Medallion Dinner

It’s been a few years since the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board hosted its annual “Medallion Dinner” gala. This awards banquet was held this year at the Vancouver Convention Centre, and Cindy and I enjoyed getting out on the town again. It was fun getting together with the top Realtors in our area, and nice that two of my kids who work with me, Jude and Adrianna, could also attend. It wasn’t too surprising that Jude and Adrianna they tried to distance themselves at the part just so they didn’t have to spend too much time hanging out with Mom and Dad!

A New Treadmill

When our old treadmill broke down, Cindy asked for a new one. She wasn’t too keen on my suggestion that it would be an early birthday present, so I had to go back and check our budget. I found we had plenty of funds set aside in our “Fitness and Sports” budget category, but I knew that if I used up funds for a treadmill, that would deplete the funds I could use for hockey and dirt biking. For a few minutes I shared with Cindy my insights on outdoor winter running, and the benefits of slipping on icy roads and running in sub-zero temperatures. Who needs a treadmill? The joys of conquering the elements like hail, sleet, snow, arctic winds, and driving rain. However, after 5 minutes I had lost the debate, headed out to the fitness store, and bought a new treadmill.

82 and Counting

We had a great family time for my dad’s 82nd birthday. He had the BBQ going and made some of the best steaks our family has ever enjoyed. My kids are all amazed at Opa’s BBQ prowess. My mom prepared all the side dishes, drinks, and desserts. Cindy and I are surely blessed in that all of our parents are healthy and doing well. At 82, my dad is still pretty active. My mom and dad joke that I’m even getting old!

I managed to get away for a short trip to Arizona in February with a few good friends. I got to play pickle ball for the first time, and a lot of it. It was great fun, but apparently there are muscles required to play that I haven’t used in a long time. 😕 February we also attended the FVREB Medallion Banquet as a top selling team. Good job again guys! 

On the home front sadly we had to put our dog, Jake, down. We were blessed to have him for over 14 years. My daughter Jen went to Kenya on a 3 week missions trip where she helped to build a new church. Kim is enjoying her paramedic work locally with BC Ambulance, and Devon is still in Whistler building homes, and thankful for warmer weather.

In terms of business, it felt like the spring market already started several months ago given how busy things were. But even now, I’m seeing more and more potential buyers (especially first-time buyers) work on getting preapproved for mortgages. I would not be surprised if this  translates to a very active market in the coming months.

There’s been more to do than just work though! With some hints of nice weather already, I have been getting out on some local hikes as well to soak up the small amounts of sun we have. My favourite hike so far this year was to the summit of Sumas mountain, which I would definitely recommend trying!

Spring is here! It’s an exciting time of year because many people are trying to figure out their 2023 real estate plans. Each situation is unique, and I’m always happy to help people gather the information they need to make an informed decision.

Another thing I love about Spring is that the days start to get a bit longer, and the sun starts to show up more often! This year we have a group of realtors from RE/MAX Treeland that are running in the Sun Run. It has been many years since I’ve done the Sun Run and it has been a great motivator to get running again!

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to join the team at the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board Medallion Gala. I was shocked at how many realtors were there but thought of it as a great opportunity to meet some of the agents that I had worked with in the past. There was music, a magician, a caricature artist, a fun video booth, and a photographer that took this photo of me and my sister-in-law Morgan who was there with my brother Jude. I want to give a quick shout-out to my mom as she found my dress at the thrift store, otherwise, I would have been eating Chef Boyardee for the next month with how expensive a nice dress can be!

FEBRUARY 2023 EDITION

Some highlights from the past few months:

Soccer

Andy has really been enjoying soccer this year and it’s been fun to watch his team. I’m pretty sure Andy loves my stories of what soccer was like “back in the day”; gravel all-weather fields and picking pebbles out of my thigh post game. And we played with square soccer balls because round ones hadn’t been invented yet...

Mexico

Just before Christmas, our family spent some time in Nuevo Vallarta. It was great to get some consistent sunshine and warmth. I’d say the hightlight for me and Cindy was playing beach volleyball pretty much every day. I think the kids were pretty impressed with their Mom’s on court performances!

One More?

Cindy and I agree that if you can have 6 kids, what’s one more? We’ve been in the process to adopt again from the Philippines, and we now have accepted a proposal for a 12 year old boy. God willing this will work out and the boy will join our family by the end of the year. A lot of things have to happen between now and then, but our family is excited!

The past few months I have been kept busy with work, family, curling, and ball hockey. Christmas was relaxing and we enjoyed time with family and friends. I haven’t been out skiing yet but hope to do so soon. Next week I will be heading to Phoenix for a few days to hit a few golf balls, and enjoy some warm weather. The past week has been doubly busy as I was tasked with renovating our office here at RE/MAX. Out with the 1990 red carpet and burgundy paint! We have gone with a modern white theme with new cabinetry and black built-in desktops. It feels much larger and welcoming.

Sitting here in our newly renovated office, with the sun streaming in, it’s hard not to feel positive about the new year. The market has started strong and our team has been leading the way.

Jude and Morgan had the opportunity to spend the Christmas season in Sparwood, BC. They were thankful the temperatures were closer to zero, not the -30 that is common over the holidays! Most of the week there was spent building their nephews’ Christmas gift: a ball pit fort, which is shown in the picture.

On the business side, Jude recently had several first-time buyer clients successfully purchase and move into their first condo, which is always a pleasure to be part of! He’s also been able to gain experience in some more uncommon property classes like leaseholds and mobile homes.

It’s hard to believe it’s already February! I am excited for another year of real estate and look forward to helping my 2023 clients navigate the buying and selling process. It is good to see the market in a bit more of a balanced state after watching such a sharp increase and decrease over the past year and a half. I am feeling recharged after a week in sunny Mexico with my wife Katelynn, and now it’s time to work hard!

I was lucky enough to get away from the cold for a week in Mexico! After a busy year getting started in the business, I was happy to have some rest time on a warm beach with a piña colada in hand. My favourite part of the trip was definitely the outdoor dinner at sunset that the resort hosted. I now feel recharged and ready to have a great year!