A high strata fee on a condo doesn't always mean there's a problem with the strata. You need to dig a bit deeper to see what’s going on in the building and what those strata fees are covering.

As expected I’m seeing the main stream media push the idea that COVID-19 is going to have people re-consider living in large urban cities and we're seeing a flight out to detached homes in the suburbs. Working remotely is here to stay so why own a condo in the downtown core? I saw these same types of articles back in Sept 2001 in NYC a few weeks after 911. The predictions of the demise of the NYC residential and commercial RE markets never materialized.

It’s Saturday so time for one of my motivational blogs on staying positive on your 30-40 year journey to success.

I just finished uploading this Apartment/Condo for sale, 726 5311 CEDARBRIDGE WAY, Richmond, BCRarely available Penthouse level 1 bedroom & den with 10 ft ceilings and spacious balcony, make this 657 sqft home a joy to live in. RIVA 2 by ONNI GROUP features AIR CONDITIONING, open concept living with contemporary finishings including flat panel cabinetry, premium stainless steel appliances, gas cooktop & engineered oak hardwood flooring. 12,000 sq ft of amenity space includes a fitness centre, yoga room, indoor pool with hot tub & sauna & more. Close by are Lansdowne Canada Line Station - only an 8-minute walk away, Richmond & Lansdowne Centre and T&T Supermarket. Waterfront trails and the Richmond Oval are also just steps from Riva’s ...

The Vancouver condo market remains quite strong with an active sales to listings ratio over 25 (sellers market). Prices are slowly rising again and inventory remains low. Especially in the quality 1 & 2 bedroom units I like to get my clients into. Buyers need to remember.. They are two worlds of Vancouver condos. The good stuff in quality well run strata’s that are priced right, in good locations that will maximize your long term appreciation.... and then everything else. In my opinion the good quality units make up less than 10% of the total inventory.

I just finished uploading this Apartment/Condo for sale, 502 1028 BARCLAY STREET, Vancouver West, BC"The Patina" by Concert, is a luxury 42 storey building located in the heart of Downtown, near Burrard & Robson. This SPACIOUS STUDIO is thoughtfully laid out and includes a solarium, den and covered balcony. Features Italian ceramic tiles, soft close cabinets, Granite countertops, European appliances, AIR CONDITIONING, over-height ceilings, and soaker tub with rain shower. MIELE appliances, in-suite laundry and plenty of storage make this a perfect home or investment unit. Enjoy the great amenities such as a roof garden, gym, party room, lounge & bike rooms. A friendly and safe building with a full-time resident building manager, 24 hr ...

A comment that I see quite often is that long time Vancouver home owners got lucky! They bought that detached home in the 90’s or early 2000’s and are now sitting on $100’s of thousands or even millions in capital gains. I’m here to tell you that luck had very little to do with it. The secret is to buy the right home, move in, enjoy it and keep it for 25-50 years. This will guarantee to make you lucky!

One of the main drivers of our current strong Vancouver Real Estate market is record low interest rates. Looks like we're going to be in a low interest rate environment for the foreseeable future. Take a look at what these record low rates are doing to your principal vs interest payment on a 25 yr mortgage. A great site to use is calculator.com and their mortgage calculator.

I continue to see people focus on the short term predictions of what the Vancouver Real Estate market and the stock markets may or may not do. They look at amateur scenarios of buying a home today and what might happen if the price drops 5% to 10% in a few years… What are you going to do??? My answer is nothing, just hold and enjoy the home. Short term price volatility should be expected, its par for the course. Never let the possibility of a short term loss on paper (not a realized loss unless you’re forced to sell) keep you frozen on the sidelines paying rent. Buying your principal residence is a long term need, you should have little concern over what the price does in the short term.

In this video I discuss frequent questions I get. Where should I buy? And what area or city has the best long term potential as an investor?