The blog · 160 articles

Vancouver real estate, on the record.

Straight answers on Vancouver and Burnaby real estate: what is actually selling, what it costs, and what to check before you buy or list. By Kyle Mark *PREC.

Hand writing on a blackboard in chalk the words What You Need to Know, beside a stick figure pushing a gold letter W.

May 10, 2024 · 3 min

Peat Bogs and Property: What Every Vancouver Home Seller Should Know

What Vancouver sellers need to know about peat bog land: disclosure, foundations, insurance questions, and how engineers can reassure buyers.

Close-up of rain running off wet terracotta roof shingles and spilling over the edge into a gutter.

May 7, 2024 · 3 min

Understanding Vancouver's Rain Screen System: A Seller's Perspective

What a rain screen system is, why Vancouver buyers care, and how sellers can use maintenance records and the right agent to show its value.

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May 3, 2024 · 4 min

10 Essential FAQs for Selling Your Home in Vancouver: Your Ultimate Guide

Ten straight answers for Vancouver sellers on prepping your home, pricing, renovations, showings, paperwork, timing and what closing will cost you.

Woman looking up at a chalk light bulb and two question marks drawn on a blackboard.

April 30, 2024 · 3 min

Vancouver and Its Olympic Village: Should I Live Here?

Is Olympic Village a good place to live? The green space, seawall and community on False Creek, weighed against the cost, the buzz and the space.

Waterlogged green peat bog with moss hummocks, dark standing water and fallen branches below a line of trees.

April 26, 2024 · 3 min

Vancouver and the Peat Bogs: Properties on Vancouver’s Peat Bog

What it means to own a home on peat in Vancouver: ground instability, foundation options such as pilings and rafts, moisture control and upkeep.

Row of large white cylindrical storage tanks lit up at dusk at an industrial waterfront site, with a pink sky behind.

April 23, 2024 · 3 min

Oil Tanks and Oil Tank Scans in Vancouver: What Homeowners Need to Know

Why buried oil tanks are a real risk for Vancouver homes, how an oil tank scan works, what scans and removal cost, and when to deal with it.

YouTube thumbnail of Kyle Mark, hand on his cheek, beside a large condo price headline and a sales-to-active ratio chart.

April 22, 2024 · 3 min

Vancouver Real Estate Update: April 2024 - Market Dynamics and Opportunities

A look back at Vancouver's April 2024 market: how detached, townhouse and condo segments moved on the East and West Sides, plus tips for buyers and sellers.

Person in a blue hoodie seen from behind, looking out at brown brick high-rise apartment towers and a glass skyline.

April 19, 2024 · 3 min

Vancouver Wood Frame vs Concrete Buildings

Wood frame or concrete in Vancouver? How the two compare on cost, noise, durability, fire and upkeep, and how to decide which one suits you.

Red VACANT sign hanging by a chain from a suction cup in a shop window, with a blurred street behind it.

April 16, 2024 · 3 min

The Empty Homes Tax: Vancouver's Approach to Tackling Vacant Properties

What Vancouver's Empty Homes Tax is, which homes it applies to, where the money goes, and how owners stay clear of it by living in the home or renting it.

Architectural floor plan on a wooden desk with pencils arranged in the shape of a house, surrounded by rulers, glasses and keys.

April 12, 2024 · 3 min

Adaptive Reuse Projects: Transforming old buildings for new uses.

What adaptive reuse means, how Vancouver's warehouses, schools and churches get new lives, and what makes converting an old building hard and worth it.

Two paper arrows on a turquoise background, a yellow one marked Pros pointing left and a pink one marked Cons pointing right.

April 9, 2024 · 3 min

What is a Leasehold Property in Vancouver: What Are the Pros and Cons?

What leasehold means in Vancouver, why it can cost less up front, how the countdown affects value, and what happens when the lease runs out.

Modern house clad in horizontal wood siding with tall dark-framed windows, behind a wood rail fence under a blue sky.

April 5, 2024 · 3 min

Vancouver - What is Rain Screening and Why Are Rain Screened Buildings Important?

What rain screening is, how it keeps water out of Vancouver walls, why the leaky condo crisis made it standard, and what it means for owners.

A hand holding a magnifying glass over torn newspaper headlines, with the words Affordable Housing Crisis enlarged in red.

April 2, 2024 · 4 min

Vancouver Housing Affordability Crisis: Causes and Potential Solutions

What's behind Vancouver's housing affordability crisis, from supply and speculation to wages, and the solutions on the table for buyers and renters.

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March 28, 2024 · 4 min

The Rise of Telecommuting: How it's changing Vancouver’s housing needs.

How telecommuting changed what Vancouver buyers want: real home offices, flexible spaces, and a fresh look at Coquitlam, Port Moody and the suburbs.

Elevated SkyTrain guideway at night with a streak of light from a passing train, in front of two lit condo towers.

March 26, 2024 · 3 min

Riding the Value Wave: How Vancouver's SkyTrain Influences Property Values

Why homes near Vancouver SkyTrain stations hold their appeal: value, renters, neighbourhood growth and what buyers and sellers should do about it.

A hand holding a red and gold feng shui compass in front of tall glass office towers.

March 21, 2024 · 4 min

Feng Shui in Vancouver Real Estate: Its influence on property design and sales.

How feng shui affects Vancouver real estate: why buyers care, what the front door, natural elements and layout do, and how to apply it to your home.

A person in a beige knit sweater holding a small white model house with a red roof between both hands.

March 19, 2024 · 4 min

Housing Co-operatives in Vancouver: An Alternative to Traditional Home Ownership

How housing co-ops work in Vancouver, who owns them, why people choose them, and the waitlists and shared duties you should expect before you apply.

Kyle Mark grimacing beside the words Development Unleashed, over a night view of houses with glowing green dollar signs.

March 16, 2024 · 4 min

BC's New Land Use Changes Explained: A Comprehensive Guide for Vancouver Real Estate

What BC's land use changes mean for Vancouver: multiplexes on single-family lots, what homeowners and developers face, and how to plan your next step.

The Gastown steam clock and a red brick building on a wet Vancouver street, with parked cars and green trees on a rainy day.

March 15, 2024 · 3 min

Embracing the Rain: Vancouver's Blueprint for a Greener Tomorrow

How Vancouver turns rain into a resource with green roofs, permeable paving, rainwater harvesting and rain gardens, and what homeowners can do themselves.

Two people shaking hands over a desk with a model house, a contract on a clipboard, a key, a calculator and a stack of cash.

March 13, 2024 · 4 min

The Strata Property Act in Vancouver: Navigating the Waters for Condo Owners and Buyers

What the BC Strata Property Act means for Vancouver condo buyers and owners: strata documents, fees, special levies, bylaws, governance and disputes.

Leather tool belt with screwdrivers, pliers and a wrench, and yellow-striped work gloves, resting against a white brick wall.

February 5, 2024 · 2 min

The Essentials of Home Maintenance for Vancouver's Weather

What Vancouver's rain and humidity demand from your home: roof and gutter upkeep, insulation, heating service, and windows, doors and foundation checks.

Cedar-shingled house with dark trim at dusk, with a stone patio, outdoor fireplace, wood bench and green lawn under tall evergreens.

February 2, 2024 · 2 min

Vancouver's Outdoor Appeal: Designing the Perfect Patio Space

How to design a Vancouver patio that handles the rain: weather-resistant materials, small-space ideas, native plants, lighting and sustainable choices.

Kyle Mark with a finger to his lips beside the words When Will Rates Drop, a Canadian flag and a rising green bar chart over Vancouver.

February 1, 2024 · 4 min

Surprise Inflation Surge: Unpacking Vancouver's New Real Estate Reality

How inflation and the Bank of Canada's rate moves hit Vancouver buyers and sellers in early 2024, and the moves that made sense at the time.

Kyle Mark looking surprised beside a rising benchmark price chart and large text reading Vancouver West with a price and a percentage.

January 29, 2024 · 2 min

Unpacking Vancouver West's Real Estate: Prices, Trends, and Surprises

How Vancouver West detached homes, townhouses and condos were moving in early 2024, which areas led, and where to find today's numbers.