British Expats - Back to UK then returned to Canada... how was it for you?

British Expats (https://britishexpats.com/forum/)

- Canada (https://britishexpats.com/forum/canada-56/)

- - Back to UK then returned to Canada... how was it for you? (https://britishexpats.com/forum/canada-56/back-uk-then-returned-canada-how-you-861981/)

Re: Back to UK then returned to Canada... how was it for you?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve_ (Post 11729881)

Mmm, if you're talking Vancouver proper where all the silly priced apartments are then no. Downtown Vancouver has a higher population density than the City of London. Wrap your head around that statistic.

The scenery is very lovely to look at when you're stuck in a traffic jam that isn't moving because someone got a flat tire in a tunnel or on a bridge. Unless of course you're in the tunnel.

Oh I totally agree. When people talk in terms of beautiful cities, I think of cities like Paris - not Vancouver. There is Stanley Park and some nice bits near the water but I found the rest of Vancouver to be ugly and bland. I wasn't that impressed with the city itself but the surroundings are definitely spectacular.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve_ (Post 11729881)

Anyway that's not entirely relevant to real estate investment because lots of people buy realty who aren't going to be living there. What the attraction is of Vancouver as a pure investment is beyond me, it's a port at the end of the day.

Well, even if they don't live there, they don't invest in real estate unless someone is going to be making use of it. So there must be a big demand.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve_ (Post 11729881)

They're all going to be in for a big bloody surprise when the earthquake hits. This is the other thing that gets me about it, it's seismically active!

No argument there. We keep hearing the big one is overdue. But, then again, we might all be dead by then anyway.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve_ (Post 11729881)

Forget about London, why not buy up Kelowna? Why is Vancouver so fantastically more desirable than Kelowna? It makes no sense.

Much bigger economy in Vancouver obviously. I suspect most people who have ever heard of Vancouver have never heard of Kelowna.

Re: Back to UK then returned to Canada... how was it for you?

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarylandNed (Post 11730350)

When people talk in terms of beautiful cities, I think of cities like Paris - not Vancouver. There is Stanley Park and some nice bits near the water but I found the rest of Vancouver to be ugly and bland.

That's the point I was trying to make in another thread where someone wanted to leave misery in Belgium for possibly similar misery but better scenery in Canada.

Does a nice view in the distance make up for the loss of attractiveness in the immediate area?

Re: Back to UK then returned to Canada... how was it for you?

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarylandNed (Post 11730350)

Much bigger economy in Vancouver obviously. I suspect most people who have ever heard of Vancouver have never heard of Kelowna.

But this is the point - the economy of Vancouver isn't of any real consequence, buy real estate in London, Manhattan and Vancouver? What is wrong with these people?

Vancouver is a port where a lot of TV shows and movies get made. Wow.

Live there maybe but invest in real estate there? Pourquoi?

At least in Kelowna it doesn't rain all the time (the corollary being that it catches fire quite often.) And the traffic moves.

And now everyone is like ooooh the Canadian dollar has fallen, let's buy up yet more overpriced condos in Vancouver and Toronto.

Re: Back to UK then returned to Canada... how was it for you?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stinkypup (Post 11730038)

Oh no, another beer drinker- no Burrowing Owl/ Dirty Laundry/ multiple winery crawl then? Glad you had fun! Hope you slapped on the sun screen!

Plenty of wine as well. None of it from Okanagan though :)

Re: Back to UK then returned to Canada... how was it for you?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Londonuck (Post 11741015)

Plenty of wine as well. None of it from Okanagan though :)

Me neither this week- have been sampling what wine, cheese and beer made on our trip to Saltspring Island and it is all very tasty!!