01East side or west side: which should I look at?
Start with your budget, because as a rule things on the east side are a little more affordable than on the west side. They also barely behave like the same city right now. A detached house on the east side is the most forgiving market in Vancouver if it’s priced where the buyers already are, and I think a lot of west side sellers priced off a spring that never came. The month-by-month numbers are in the Kyle Mark Report (free account).
Go deeperEast Van vs the West Side
02Where does a buyer have the most room to negotiate?
When I looked in October 2026, the softest ground in the city was the higher-end west side house, the east side duplex already on its second listing, and the downtown condo that’s been sitting a long time. That changes with the market, so read the listing history on anything you’re looking at. Good value comes from a proper strategy, not from hammering every seller on every listing.
Go deeperMotivated Sellers List
03Downtown condo, or across the bridge?
They’re different markets. Downtown is the least forgiving when a seller gets it wrong, and a serious downtown buyer is already reading the depreciation report, the contingency reserve and the listing history. Walk 10 minutes over the bridge into Kitsilano or Fairview and it’s a different story.
Go deeperStrata and levies
04Why is that place near the water almost half the price?
Check the land. When a property is priced very advantageously, it’s likely on city lease land or First Nations lease land, like most of the area along the water from Cambie to Burrard around Lamey’s Mill Road. You don’t actually own the land, you’re essentially renting it, and sometimes there are only 20 or 30 years left on the lease.
05What’s the best part of Fairview?
Personally, I like the little pocket from about 6th to 8th, between Oak and Cambie, and West 7th is my favourite road because it isn’t a through road. You get the cherry blossom streets, the seawall a couple of blocks away and Granville Island. As you go south past Broadway, I feel like you lose the charm of Fairview.
Neighbourhood guidesEvery neighbourhood, on one mapSchools, SkyTrain, what’s there and what I’d watch for, area by area.Browse the neighbourhoods →06Kitsilano or Olympic Village?
I’ve sold in both and lived in Olympic Village with my family, and in 2023 I sold a home in each within $20,000 of each other. Kitsilano is about the beaches and West 4th, and location reigns supreme there: a well-renovated 40-year-old building can still command a big number. In Olympic Village you’re on the seawall, and the sight lines are what carry the price.
Go deeperKitsilano guide
07Why do people like Mount Pleasant so much?
It’s walkable, it’s vibrant and it’s community focused, with all your errands on foot, the brewery scene on Main Street and the seawall a 10 to 15 minute walk away. The low-rise bylaws keep most buildings boutique, up to about six storeys, which keeps the number of units at bay. It’s also on both sides of the line: on the MLS®, Ontario Street divides Mount Pleasant East from Mount Pleasant West.
Go deeperMount Pleasant in 2026
08Does the Broadway subway change where I should buy?
I think it adds to the area over time, because when you add public transit, density goes up. I said that about Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant and Fairview, where the new line and stations mean walkability and future growth. The trade-off today is that Broadway itself is very busy, which is why I’d stay a little north of it.
Go deeperBuying near SkyTrain
09High-rise, or a smaller building?
I strongly prefer mid-rise boutique buildings over massive high-rises, and it comes down to livability, risk and resale. You typically see higher owner occupancy and stronger strata councils, because people know each other and go to the meetings. And on a high point on Cambie or Main, you can still capture North Shore mountain views without paying for a tower.
10Where do Vancouver’s wealthiest buyers actually live?
If Canada has a Beverly Hills, it’s Point Grey, where old money meets new global wealth. The British Properties in West Vancouver give you exclusivity and pedigree, Coal Harbour puts the city at your doorstep, Kitsilano is the west coast lifestyle, and the Southlands is for people who prefer horses to helicopters.
Go deeperNeighbourhood guides
3:08Hear me say it at 3:08Your Future Home is Here: 5 Reasons to Make Mount Pleasant Your New HomeApril 2023 · 8:55 long
1:39Hear me say it at 1:39The Vancouver Housing Situation Is CRAZY | October 2026 Market UpdateOctober 2026 · 18:58 long
