ColinB

I haven't read all of this thread but - it seems to me that most of us emigrated from the UK to avoid ridiculous house prices and overcrowding etc.....why on earth would you move to Vancouver where the same issues exist?
I'm in the boonies in the Cariboo region.....affordable property, fantastic summers, real wilderness, wildlife, scenery, loads of outdoor activities, neighbors are 10 minutes walk away. It's great.

scrubbedexpat091

It's not just Vancouver, a good portion of the lower mainland is high priced now, including the not over crowded area's and surrounding small towns.

I am sure the boonies are great, but unless self employed hard to make a living in the boonies hence why it's generally cheaper, no work for the masses only a small % will be able to live there.

Shard

Cool

I think the problem with Vancouver is that it the only decent sized city in Canada (jobs) where the climate is reasonable.

Alan2005

It's a nice city. The only real problem it has is that a lot of the people that live there are insufferably smug about it.

Former Lancastrian

Im pretty sure none of those would be British Expats

KuroKuro

I think it's downright awful for people in their 20s living in Metro Vancouver. It's difficult to get a leg up. I'm sure other immigrants coming from less fortunate countries love their new Canadian lifestyle, but it's not really the same for somebody from a "Western" country to begin with.

Bah, I'm getting quite bitter about the housing situation at the moment, which is solely created by the fact that my wage is too low to get into the nicer areas/places. The difference between renting a dingy basement suite or a swanky hi-rise apartment is only an extra $200 a month in most cases. Which is all well and good, but when that's out of your reach in your employment industry, it's out of your reach. Doesn't help that my boyfriend works in the same industry too.

Lol, depressing myself, gonna stop typing now.

scrubbedexpat091

The biggest reason I had with Vancouver, I did like living there, but living in a basement suite with other people isn't my idea of a good life, but an apartment of my own was out of the question on 12 per hour let alone one in a decent part of the city.

I worked downtown Vancouver, so living in the burbs made no sense because of poor transit late a night (I started at 11p) and Sunday's and Holidays when transit at 7am is piss poor.


If I made near 6 figures, or we made near 6 figures combined, I'd have no issue returning, but that is never going to happen.... But at 25-30k combined, it would be a miserable lifestyle because of the crap housing we would have to be in.

scrubbedexpat091

90 minutes to sell out.

Condos sold out in 90 minutes

scrubbedexpat091

More overpriced housing.

This town is on a roll at not building rental buildings, guess they wan't the poor folks out.

New townhome complex slated for Government Road

Tootlepootle

We had an open house today. Very average family home in Coquitlam. 72 different groups came through the doors in 2 hours. A very mixed demographic of viewers.
We do it again tomorrow. It will be interesting to see where the offers come from.

bc2015

IMO, $400k for 1400 sq ft in Squamish is not overpriced.

I realised in the last while that a good few people I work with (in Vancouver) are moving to Squamish and the general area. These are people who could probably afford somewhere a bit closer to Vancouver but they are choosing to move to Squamish as a lifestyle choice and to get closer to the mountains. It's about an hour from Squamish to the office, and people seem to be willing to do that as a sacrifice for the weekends.

Vancitybuzz had an article recently

65-unit Squamish condo development sells out in 90 minutes

Most interesting lines for me

scrubbedexpat091

Relative I suppose, but to us it's overpriced, but then our max price to buy is 135,000 which is more or less impossible to find in any decent city in BC with jobs.

They are using local way too loosely for those condos that sold in 90 mins, many were bought by 3 at a time by people in Surrey and other city's, hardly locals and clearly investor properties who will rent them out for high rent only high income people can afford.

Literally nothing to rent in this town now for under 1,100 a month.

Shard

That's crazy !

scrubbedexpat091

Renting is just as bad, nothing in this town in our range, we are literally one rent increase to the street.

2 bedroom 1 bath 1200sq Suite for Rent

2bd 1ba $1900

^^^^ Only pet friendly listed currently.

$1300
2 bedroom basement suite in Valleyciffe Squamish - $1300

$1600

2 bdrm apartment on top floor in downtown Squamish

950

1Br for Rent available

1475

2bdrm above ground suite $1475

1300

2bdrm above ground suite $1475



Type in our price range, and 0 rentals come up. (our range is under 725)

Buying wise this is the only thing listed in our price range

402 40900 TANTALUS ROAD, Squamish, British Columbia V8B0R3 - V1133388 | Realtor.ca

Unfortunately it's a hotel room and you can only use it 70 days per year.


This is the least costly condo on the market, its a 50 year old poorly maintained building, but some owners make the inside look nice.

93 38179 WESTWAY AVENUE, Squamish, British Columbia V0N3G0 - R2011199 | Realtor.ca

Still above our price.


This is what creates frustration for people when there is simply no housing left except for the upper income earners. Wages are not keeping up and people end up homeless.


Here are a few places we could possibly find a job, what are the chances at a job?

Trail 7,000 people, seems Teck is the only real employer.

Grand Forks 8,900 people

Ymir which doesn't seem to be anything anymore.

LiLooet nothing really there.

Texada Island

Hope

Chase


These are not exactly places we can find work. Trail has a boat load of houses for sale at the moment.

Gets really frustrating in the fast there is nearly nowhere that isn't some small town boonies in this province we can move to.

Tootlepootle

Today it was only 40!