2025

Are Local Governments Quietly Killing Rental Housing with Overregulation?

Vancouver needs more rental housing than ever—so why are small-scale landlords and developers saying it’s harder than ever to build or operate it? A closer look at how overregulation may be suffocating the very supply we claim to support. Everyone agrees that Vancouver needs more rental housing. With immigration targets rising, homeownership out of reach for many, and vacancy rates stuck below 1%,...

Real Estate and Organized Crime: Are We Still Ignoring Dirty Money in the Lower Mainland?

Despite inquiries and headlines, is money laundering through real estate still a hidden force in Vancouver’s housing market? A look at the post-Cullen Commission landscape and whether meaningful change has actually happened. For over a decade, whispers about dirty money flowing through Vancouver real estate weren’t just the stuff of headlines—they were a persistent part of industry chatter, an...

The Dark Side of Urban Densification: Are We Gentrifying Ourselves Out of Diversity?

As Vancouver densifies to tackle housing shortages, is it unintentionally displacing the very communities that give the city its character? A deeper look at how rezoning, redevelopment, and rising land values could be eroding cultural and economic diversity. Walk through Mount Pleasant, Commercial Drive, or even parts of East Vancouver today, and it’s impossible not to notice the transformation....

Is Vancouver’s Foreign Buyer Ban Just Political Theatre? A Critical Look at Its Real Impact (or Lack Thereof)

Has Canada’s foreign buyer ban actually cooled Vancouver’s housing market—or is it more political symbolism than substance? We examine the data, the loopholes, and what it really means for affordability in 2025. In January 2023, Canada rolled out the Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act, better known as the foreign buyer ban, with the stated goal of curbing...

Tariffs, Trade Wars, and the Price of a 2×4: How Global Economic Tensions Could Undermine Vancouver’s Construction Pipeline

How do global tariffs, U.S.-China tensions, and disrupted trade routes impact the price of lumber and housing affordability in Vancouver? A look at the hidden costs of geopolitical conflict on local real estate. When people think about housing prices in Greater Vancouver, their minds go straight to demand: foreign buyers, interest rates, immigration, or investor speculation. Rarely do we pause to...

Trump, Populism & Cross-Border Capital: Will U.S. Political Turbulence Drive More American Investment into Vancouver Real Estate?

Trump, Populism & Cross-Border Capital: Will U.S. Political Turbulence Drive More American Investment into Vancouver Real Estate? Politics Doesn’t Stop at the Border In real estate, location is everything—but lately, politics is proving to be just as critical. With the 2024 U.S. election looming large and Donald Trump leading in many Republican polls, investors across North America...

The Never-Ending Hoop Jump: Vancouver’s Building Bylaws Are Driving Developers to the Brink

Vancouver is renowned for its breathtaking skyline and commitment to sustainability, but behind the polished exterior lies a reality that’s frustrating developers to no end. Building new homes in Vancouver has become an uphill battle, thanks to an ever-evolving maze of city bylaws, environmental mandates, and stringent building codes. While these changes are meant to align with progressive goals like...

The Building Permit Bottleneck in Vancouver: How Red Tape is Slowing Development

The city of Vancouver is known for its thriving real estate market and world-class urban design. However, behind the scenes, developers and homeowners alike are grappling with a significant challenge: the building permit process. Long wait times, excessive bureaucracy, and inconsistent regulations are delaying projects, increasing costs, and exacerbating the city’s housing supply crisis. With calls for...

The Case for Mortgage Fraud Reform in BC: Protecting the Integrity of the Housing Market

British Columbia’s real estate market is one of the most dynamic in Canada, but its vibrancy has also made it a target for unethical practices. Among the most concerning issues is mortgage fraud—an under-discussed but pervasive problem that threatens the integrity of the market and places consumers, lenders, and honest professionals at risk. With mounting evidence of fraudulent activity, there is a...

Resale vs. Pre-Sale Value in BC: Why the Math Doesn’t Always Add Up

In British Columbia’s real estate market, the comparison between resale and pre-sale property values has historically been a straightforward equation. Buyers have often turned to pre-sales for the promise of future value appreciation, locking in prices years ahead of project completion. However, in today’s shifting market landscape, the gap between resale and pre-sale prices has narrowed—or even...

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