Buying a home in Greater Vancouver
First condo, family home, presale or a new multiplex unit: I review every home the way a builder would. I check the roof, drainage, electrical, plumbing and permit history before you commit.
Book a 20-minute buyer consultation
How buying works here
- Pre-approval. A lender looks at your income and debts and tells you the most you can borrow at the stress-test rate or specific bank policies. Do this first, because it sets your price range.
- Search. We narrow the areas and homes against your list, compare sold prices, and view only the ones worth your time.
- Offer. You make an offer with a price, a deposit, conditions (“subjects”) and dates. Before we write it, I find out what the seller cares about.
- Subjects. After acceptance you have the agreed number of days to arrange financing, inspect and review documents. There's also a 3-day rescission period, which costs 0.25% of the price to use. Once you remove subjects, the deal is firm.
- Completion and possession. Your lawyer or notary transfers the funds and the title on completion day. You usually get the keys the next day.
First-time home buyer benefits in BC
| Property transfer tax | 1% on the first $200K, 2% to $2M, 3% above, plus 2% on residential value over $3M |
|---|---|
| First-time buyer PTT exemption | Up to $8,000 off on homes up to $835K, phasing out by $860K |
| Newly built home PTT exemption | Full exemption up to $1.1M, phasing out by $1.15M. Only one exemption applies per purchase. |
| First-time buyer GST rebate | Up to $50K on new homes; full rebate up to $1M, phasing out by $1.5M |
| Savings plans | FHSA and the RRSP Home Buyers' Plan |
| Minimum down payment | 5% on the first $500K, 10% on the rest up to $1.5M, 20% at $1.5M and above |
Figures checked November 3, 2026. Your lawyer, notary and lender confirm the final numbers.
Property transfer tax calculator · Mortgage stress test calculator
Buyer tips
Before you start looking
- Get pre-approved for the rate you'll qualify at, not the rate you'll pay. The stress test sets your ceiling, and a pre-approval holds your rate for 90 to 120 days, depending on the lender.
- Budget for the year, not the purchase. Add strata fees, property tax and insurance. For a detached home, set aside about 1% of the price each year for maintenance.
- Settle deal-breakers as a couple before the first showing. Couples who haven't agreed lose houses on offer night.
While you search
- Compare sold prices, not list prices. In Vancouver the list price is a marketing decision.
- Days on market tells you your leverage. At 30+ days you can negotiate and write subjects. Under a week with an offer date, plan to go in clean.
- Visit twice: rush hour and at night. Traffic, rail noise and school drop-off won't show up at a Sunday open house.
- Check what's planned nearby. The lot across the lane could become a multiplex or a 6-storey rental.
Viewing the way a builder sees it
- Detached homes have four big-ticket items: roof, drainage, electrical, plumbing. Flag poly-B, Kitec and galvanized pipes, and get an oil tank scan on homes before 1960.
- Hunt for water. White chalky deposits on basement walls, stains under windows, fresh paint in one spot, a sump pump nobody mentioned.
- Unpermitted work becomes your problem. Check permit history on suites and renovations. It affects insurance, financing and resale.
- For condos, read the minutes before you fall in love. Search the last 2 years for leak, envelope, levy, deductible and legal. A six-figure strata deductible means your own policy has to cover it.
- Confirm parking and storage on the strata plan. Assigned on the plan is very different from rented month to month.
Buying a new build, presale or duplex
- Ask for the builder's licence and the home warranty certificate. No licence is a hard stop.
- Never complete without an occupancy permit.
- Small multiplex stratas run lean. Four to six owners often means no depreciation report and a thin contingency fund. Check the budget, insurance and who handles maintenance.
- Confirm whether GST is included in the price. First-time buyers may qualify for a rebate of up to $50K on new homes.
- Presales have their own risks. A 7-day cooling-off period, the deposit schedule, assignment rules, and the appraisal at completion coming in low.
Writing the offer
- Price is only one lever. Clean subjects, a strong deposit and dates that suit the seller win houses. I always ask the listing agent what the seller needs.
- In multiple offers, inspect before offer night. A few hundred dollars can let you drop the inspection subject.
- Have the deposit ready early. Bank drafts and large transfers can take a day or more.
- Don't treat the 3-day rescission period as due diligence. It costs 0.25% of the price to use.
After acceptance and beyond
- Get an insurance quote right away. Knob-and-tube wiring, oil tanks or poly-B can make a home hard to insure, and that can sink financing.
- Walk the home again before possession. Appliances working, agreed items still there.
- Claim the Home Owner Grant every year with your property taxes.
- Keep every renovation receipt. They matter if the home later becomes a rental.
- New build? Log deficiencies from day one. I'll remind you before your 1-year and 2-year warranty windows close.
Book a 20-minute buyer consultation
By phone or WeChat. I'll tell you what your budget buys in the areas you're considering.