IMO Haiti is lost cause. Things are so bad there that you wouldn't even know where to start fixing. Any money anyone puts towards it would be equivalent to flushing it down the drain, except that some portion of it will probably get funneled to the local corrupt warlords.

It doesn't help that the international community is rather disingenuous about offering any real or helpful support.

How about we give a few billion to China so we can have 5g and get God damn tunnels and bridges built instead of handing out my tax dollars to random refugees, I'm "homeless" and can't afford a detached house to live in either. :troll::troll: I wanna be able to tik tok and we chat Ali pay with 5g :troll::troll::troll:

Ahh I see.. so maybe Taiwan then? Like trillions I’m talking

While I think they're a bit small and the pricing still kinda shocks me I'm really liking how much effort seems to be going into designing attractive looking (or interesting) duplexes in Vancouver (at least some of them).

https://www.zealty.ca/mls-R2770152/2...-Vancouver-BC/

https://cdnparap130.paragonrels.com/.../262791779.JPG

https://www.zealty.ca/mls-R2770366/4...-Vancouver-BC/

https://cdnparap130.paragonrels.com/.../262791993.JPG

https://www.zealty.ca/mls-R2768209/3...-Vancouver-BC/

https://cdnparap130.paragonrels.com/.../262789836.JPG

https://www.zealty.ca/mls-R2769426/5...-Vancouver-BC/

https://cdnparap130.paragonrels.com/.../262791053.JPG

https://www.zealty.ca/mls-R2765642/6...-Vancouver-BC/

https://cdnparap130.paragonrels.com/.../262787269.JPG

I absolutely hate these slanted roof designs because it's not suitable for anyone tall lol. I've checked out open houses of these designs, always hit my head at one of the slanted points.

You walking through laneway homes? Lol.

One of the nicer duplexes in east/south Van...


https://scontent.fcxh2-1.fna.fbcdn.n...vQ&oe=64485632

https://www.google.com/maps/@49.2178...7i16384!8i8192

If you could afford $1.7m do you really want to live in 1xxx sq have only one parking space and have to fight for Street parking?

I don't think simply throwing money at that is ideal. On paper solving Haiti's problems actually makes more sense from a regional stability perspective however.

Haiti is becoming or already is a failed state -- The more that country destabilizes, the more we'll see massive amounts of Haitians looking to flee the country on refugee status to the US and Canada.

Some are saying we could see hundreds of thousands flee that country in the next year if things continue, it would make sense to see some type of established stability there.

Haiti is certainly much more of an in-backyard problem then Ukraine is.

What's the alternative?

If you want brand new construction in Vancouver you’re gonna have to spend another 500-700 on top of that duplex for a completely detached so it’s not really a thing where “why would you pay X for that”

There’s no other option other than an older home

Detached in Surrey? Move further out? Canada's pretty big

There’s enough FOB’s and people who can’t accept changing their address to keep duplexes like these alive.

Fuck like 1.7-1.8 is actually a good deal for sonthing nicer like that, there’s one right around the corner from me in Hastings sunrise that went for 1.8 and it’s just a typical buddy guy build.

It’s easy for me to say but after growing up for 20+ years in Surrey, then living for a year and a half in Burnaby by Lougheed mall, and now east van. Living in Vancouver offers so much it would feel like a hugeeeee step back and change of lifestyle to move to say Fleetwood or Willoughby

I wouldn’t trade my place for a larger house, larger lot in most cases for those situations. My only annoyance right now is I don’t have a garage but other than that I’m pretty happy.

That’s also why my wife and I always have dabbled with perhaps moving to Penticton or somewhere up there but fuck.. even though love the outdoors, love hunting, fishing, snowmobiling etc. I think I’m a city boy :okay:

I know we've discussed re: strata fees and all that, but between a nonstrata duplex and a townhouse for $300-400K less I'd have to think hard about whether it's worth the price difference to have a little more space and that non-strata title. I can't say the outdoor space of these duplexes looks that much better than a townhome.

Some townhouse layouts are pretty efficient and fees tend to be lower than condos. You still have a neighbour you have to deal with in a duplex and if they're not a good neighbour you have less recourse... e.g. one of my trainees rents a duplex unit in Mount Pleasant, his other half duplex neighbour is a hoarder and their side of the garage is full of shit that smells/attracts rats/etc.

I'm not saying I'd definitely pick one over the other but it's not like if I had $1.7M I would definitely pick the duplex over a TH.

You have wayyyy less power in a owner based townhome than you would in a duplex

Not only that but in most cases in townhomes you’re dealing with two neighbours

If you can find an end unit of a row house ... that would be best of all worlds. Like a duplex and maintenance fees generally a lot lower than TH. In the $200's/mth range.

Rowhouse meaning like a townhouse but non-strata? What are some examples in the lower mainland?

I think they are building some in Queensborough ... not a whole lot in Metro area.

2Bd, 2 Bath, 1052 sq ft, $769K, $167 monthly maintenance
https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...ew-westminster

https://cdn.realtor.ca/listing/TS638...R2767877_1.jpg



3Bd, 2 bath, 1187 sq ft, typical TH layout, $749K, $235 monthly maintenance
https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...ew-westminster

https://cdn.realtor.ca/listing/TS638...R2768751_1.jpg

Hopefully those are built above the flood level.....

I honestly find it quite crazy that a townhouse today can go for almost 2M... If I'm spending close to 2M on the house, I ain't sharing no walls with anyone.

For near 2M, you can find very nice SFH in a good neighborhood in South Surrey with double garage and no strata fee and no need *permission* to do anything.

^^ but not hongcouver la, only bang bang car fires

New duplexes I've been checking out. Maybe I'm just fucking blind and can't gauge the height on the top floor where the part it slants LOL.

$2m for a townhouse!! How about $4m! And only 1600sf! And only 36 years old!

https://www.zealty.ca/mls-R2768664/1...-Vancouver-BC/

Ok so that's in Kits, how about something slightly more realistic like North Van?

https://www.zealty.ca/mls-R2756958/7...-Vancouver-BC/

$2.8m for 1900sf brand new. Nuts.

Lots of these $1.75M x 2 duplex lately in East Van and they're selling.

Do the math
SFH 33 x 120 lots are going for $1.4-1.6M.

Build 4200ft at $200/ft (high) = $820K.
Cost of interest at 6% x 70% on $2.4M = $100K / year

Sell x 2 each for $1.7M conservatively = $3.4M
Still profit $3.4 - $0.8 - $1.7M - 200k (2 yr carry) = $700K. take another 200k for realtor fee permit you're still $500K ahead.

33x120 you can only build 2700sq/f. Even better! But who can find someone to build for $200sq/f?