#BC Real Estate

Young couple measuring a window in a Surrey townhouse they are renting to own.

Rent to Own in BC: Option Fees, Rent Credits and Risks

A rent-to-own deal in BC fixes a price today and lets you buy later. Here is how option fees, rent credits, property transfer tax and tenancy rules really work.

Hamidreza EtebarianNovember 3, 2026

For sale signs on a suburban Metro Vancouver street in October 2026.

BC Housing Market October 2026: Sellers Pull Back, Sales Pick Up

Greater Vancouver closed October 2026 with 14,815 active listings at a $1,130,000 median and 53 days on market. Fraser Valley: 7,447 listings, $949,900. New listings fell 23 percent and sales rose 18 percent on the month, but sale prices are still down year over year and price cuts are back above a quarter of all listings.

Hamidreza EtebarianNovember 1, 2026

Vancouver Special house with brick lower level, stucco upper level and front balcony on an East Vancouver street, BC

Vancouver Special Homes: Problems, Prices and Lot Potential

Vancouver Specials are the boxy 1965 to 1985 houses that fill East Van streets. Here is what they cost now, what inspectors find, and what BC's multiplex rules let you build on the lot.

Hamidreza EtebarianOctober 30, 2026

New side by side half duplex next to a row of townhouses on a tree lined East Vancouver street with mountains behind.

Duplex vs Townhouse in BC: Ownership, Fees and Price Gap

A Metro Vancouver half duplex costs about $651,000 more than a townhouse. Here is what that buys, from ownership and strata fees to GST, warranty and the roof you split two ways.

Hamidreza EtebarianOctober 28, 2026

For sale sign outside a mid-rise condo building in Metro Vancouver with the North Shore mountains behind.

Vancouver Condo Market: How Many Recent Buyers Are Underwater

More than half of the condos bought since 2021 and listed today are asking less than the owner paid. Here is what that number measures, where the gaps are deepest, and what it means for a mortgage.

Hamidreza EtebarianOctober 26, 2026

Farmhouse and barn beside a grassy dike on Sumas Prairie in Abbotsford BC with standing water in the field and mountains behind.

Buying in a Fraser Valley Floodplain: Maps, Insurance, Risk

Sumas Prairie flooded in 2021 and again in 2025. Before you buy in Abbotsford or Chilliwack, check the flood map, the floor elevation rules, the covenants on title and your insurance quote.

Hamidreza EtebarianOctober 22, 2026

New multiplex building with separate front doors on a residential street in East Vancouver BC between two older houses

Buying a Multiplex Unit in Vancouver: What to Check First

Vancouver multiplexes put three to six strata homes on a former single-family lot. Here is what you own, what the small strata changes, and the tax rules for a new unit.

Hamidreza EtebarianOctober 21, 2026

Strata Property Act in Plain English for BC Buyers

BC strata buyers meet the same few Strata Property Act sections before subject removal. Here is what Form B, the bylaws, the rental and age rules, and special levies say.

Hamidreza EtebarianOctober 15, 2026

Strata manager and council member reviewing a maintenance binder outside a Burnaby condo building with mountains behind.

Strata Management Companies in BC: What They Do and Charge

A strata management company runs your building's money and paperwork, but the council still makes the decisions. Here is how BC licenses them, what they charge and how to judge one.

Hamidreza EtebarianOctober 12, 2026

Buyer reading strata documents outside a low rise condo building in Surrey BC on an overcast evening.

Foreclosed Condo in BC: Strata Arrears and Special Levies

132 condos are listed as BC court-ordered sales. Who pays the former owner's strata fees, which special levy instalments become yours, and what the Form B shows before you bid.

Hamidreza EtebarianOctober 7, 2026

Old knob and tube wiring on porcelain knobs along basement joists in an older Vancouver house with an electrician inspecting.

Knob and Tube Wiring in Vancouver: Insurance and Removal

More than a third of the detached houses for sale in Vancouver were built before 1951, when knob and tube wiring was standard. Here is how to spot it and deal with it before you buy.

Hamidreza EtebarianOctober 6, 2026

Grey Poly-B water supply pipes under a bathroom sink in an older BC townhouse lit by a flashlight.

Poly-B Plumbing in BC: Spotting It, Insurance and Repiping

About one in four Metro Vancouver listings was built when Poly-B pipe was standard. Here is how to spot it, why BC insurers ask about it, and what to check before you buy.

Hamidreza EtebarianOctober 3, 2026