Question 1

Is Vancouver real estate still a good investment?

Accepted Answer

Your own home is, for most people. Your mortgage forces you to save, it builds equity automatically, and the gain on your principal residence is tax-free. Renting and investing the difference can win on paper, but only if you invest that surplus every single month for decades, and most people don’t: the math works, the behavior doesn’t.

Question 2

Is it better to rent and invest the difference?

Accepted Answer

Sometimes, on paper. In my December 2025 example, you buy a $2 million detached home with $400,000 down at about $10,700 a month all in, while renting a similar home is about $5,500, and the renter invests the down payment plus the $5,200 difference every month for 25 years. After tax, the renter comes out ahead, but only by about $1.1 million, and only if they never miss a single contribution. Most people spend the surplus instead.

Question 3

Why does the tax-free home matter so much?

Accepted Answer

Because when I made the comparison in December 2025, the growth on your principal residence was tax-free in Canada, while half of a stock market gain was taxable when you sell. There are almost no tax shelters left in this country, and over 25 years on a detached home that difference is massive. Confirm how it applies to you with your accountant.

Question 4

Has Vancouver housing really gotten that much more expensive?

Accepted Answer

In dollars, yes, but measure it in gold and the story changes. When I ran it in February 2026, a detached home took fewer ounces of gold to buy than it did in 2000, and fewer than in the early 1970s. Housing didn’t become exponentially more valuable in real terms, the currency used to measure it lost purchasing power. That doesn’t make Vancouver cheap, but it’s why I see buying as stepping out of that slow erosion.

Question 5

Should I wait until prices feel safe?

Accepted Answer

By the time prices feel stable or safe, a large part of the move has usually happened. In the 2008 correction, nobody rang a bell at the bottom: the buyers who moved while the headlines were negative caught the recovery, and the ones who waited for confirmation bought back in higher. I’m not predicting a bottom, but waiting for comfort has a cost.

Question 6

How long should I plan to own?

Accepted Answer

At least five to seven years. In May 2026, my view was that the market could stay soft for years, not months, so if you can’t see yourself living in the home that long, I wouldn’t recommend buying right now. And leave yourself a buffer instead of going to the top of your pre-approval.

Question 7

Should I buy a rental property before my own home?

Accepted Answer

I’d focus on your own principal residence first, because that’s your tax shelter. In June 2025, with rents dropping and costs rising, I told people who are still renting themselves to really pause before buying a rental, and that they may get a better return in the stock market, with a financial advisor in the loop. It may not be what you expect a REALTOR® to say, but it’s honest.

Question 8

What kind of property holds its value best?

Accepted Answer

Quality ownership product that’s scarce and hard to replicate: a good floor plan, lots of natural light and no question marks. Detached homes in particular sit on fixed land supply with high replacement costs, and long-term demand doesn’t disappear just because prices fluctuate.

Is Vancouver real estate a good investment?