Vancouver's Real Estate Market

[GS8]

When my brother bought his place in Chillwack back in 2009, his commute to Port Kells for work was 45min each way.

In 2023, it grew to double that. 1.5 hours each way with the congestion. Much higher if there's a crash (which there always is).

Now he has diabetes because everything snowballed over the years.

And in 2025, he was given the prognosis of having a 90% chance of a heart attack because he still can't keep his condition in check (despite enough Ozempic to make Amy Schumer cry tears of saturated fats).

He paid far less for his home out in Chillwack than he would have in Langley but I think all his savings are going to medications now...

[CivicBlues]

I haven't had a commute in 6 years.
Wife has a walking commute of 10 mins.
I stay ripped and healthy carrying all 10 bags groceries up an elevator every week.

[Gumby]

Originally Posted by pastarocket

Another thing to consider from the perspective of the builder is whether the home owner can even build a laneway house based on the terrain of their neighbourhood.


Some parts of East Van like the Hastings Sunrise area (between Nanaimo street and Boundary road) are full of hills.

One of my uncles living in the Hastings and Sunrise area near Rupert Street wanted to build a laneway house on his property. Unfortunately, a builder explained to him that because his house is on the bottom of a steep hill, a laneway house would run a high risk of being flooded during heavy rain.

Raincouver with our rainy seasons means that home owners that have houses on the bottom of the steep hills in East Van might need to think twice about building a laneway house.

Laneway houses are not every home owner depending on the terrain of their neighbourhood.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Your uncle’s lucky the builder explained this to him! Some builders would just do it for the money and not care whether it works out for the homeowner in the end…

[JDMDreams]

Or just sell your condo like great 69? And buy a house in Calgary and just retire, even drives a Benz now ??? Profit

[dat_steve]

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

I miss Alleluia Cafe. Man, that milk tea was A+.

Alleluia was the GOAT. Algebra meat set plus 2x Milk tea, unbeatable value and quality. Place was always packed at 11PM!

I've been going to Song Cafe (formerly Icafe) on Broadway and heather and it's pretty good/cheap. Huge portions for A+B meat meals and drinks come in the big ass cups. Parking isn't great at all, but baked spaghetti and pork chop are top tier. Gloucester can F right off.

[whitev70r]

If ever planning where to live with a commute, do not ever choose a place that crosses Abbotsford on hwy 1 ... ever!!! Nothing, no matter how big, or cheap is worth that daily commute.

[bcrdukes]

Originally Posted by dat_steve

Alleluia was the GOAT. Algebra meat set plus 2x Milk tea, unbeatable value and quality. Place was always packed at 11PM!

I've been going to Song Cafe (formerly Icafe) on Broadway and heather and it's pretty good/cheap. Huge portions for A+B meat meals and drinks come in the big ass cups. Parking isn't great at all, but baked spaghetti and pork chop are top tier. Gloucester can F right off.

Yes! We went to Song Cafe when they opened up. Not bad for what is. Milk tea could be improved but all things considered, acceptable. Ditto on the parking, but a great option if you are in the area and an alternative to Gloucester.

[Eff-1]

Here's what living on the North Shore is like.

Commuting OFF the North Shore is nowhere near as bad as commuting TO the North Shore.

You learn to avoid driving anywhere near the bridges between 2pm and 6pm. For example, for me to drive from my place to Canadian Tire is 10 mins with no traffic. It could be 20-25 mins after 3pm.

Weekends are more of a pain than weekdays. The Ironworkers gets jammed on Sat/Sun both ways from 1pm until 7pm. Worse on sunny days.

We have 2 cars. My wife commutes 2x per week downtown, 20-30 mins each way.

I commute to Marine Gateway 1x per week. 30 mins in the morning, 45 mins coming home.

Our daycare is walking distance.

Supermarket and liquor store, drug store, etc is a 5 min drive away at all times of day.

Honestly, the worst part is the transit service in my area lacks a bit. So if I want to take transit downtown, a 25 min drive is 60 mins by transit! But for those who live closer to the Seabus, life can be pretty great.

-edit- 7000th post!!

[RabidRat]

They should do a toll bridge running parallel to the Lions Gate.

Basically taxing the rich to pay for the bridge, plus extra revenue to spare. While simultaneously offloading the congestion.

In the Bay Area, HWY 101 has two designated toll lanes. It's free off-peak, and during peak hours the toll dynamically adjusts to the level of congestion. It's priced per segment, and the price shows up on the overhead boards. It's totally opt-in and pay-per-segment. Discounted by number of people you're carpooling with: half-price for 2 people, free for 3+. I thought it was a great system.

[JDMDreams]

I don't recall how bad it was, but wasn't that what everyone did when they tolled hwy 1 or Golden ears and no one used it and just used the free ones.

[Traum]

Originally Posted by JDMDreams

I don't recall how bad it was, but wasn't that what everyone did when they tolled hwy 1 or Golden ears and no one used it and just used the free ones.

You must be thinking about Port Mann vs Pattullo. Time conscious people were willing to pay for the bridge toll, while all the cheapskates went to clog up the freebie Pattullo. IIRC, even (container) trucks were cheaping out by going on the Pattullo when the amount of time they could have saved from paying for the Port Mann would have been far more beneficial.

[bcrdukes]

Man, I love the 407 during weekday rush hour.

[Hondaracer]

Port Mann toll was the best thing that ever happened to traffic

[whitev70r]

yah, then they got rid of it ... which became the worst thing for traffic.

Should have let the poor suckers keep on taking Hwy 17, Patullo and let all the ballers enjoy a decent commute to work. Damn socialist Prov government.

[snowball]

Originally Posted by Traum

You must be thinking about Port Mann vs Pattullo. Time conscious people were willing to pay for the bridge toll, while all the cheapskates went to clog up the freebie Pattullo. IIRC, even (container) trucks were cheaping out by going on the Pattullo when the amount of time they could have saved from paying for the Port Mann would have been far more beneficial.

People made no sense, the amount of gas you'd waste going to Pattullo would exceed the 7 extra dollars you'd spend on the toll, unless you lived really close to the Patullo.

[snowball]

Originally Posted by RabidRat

They should do a toll bridge running parallel to the Lions Gate.

Basically taxing the rich to pay for the bridge, plus extra revenue to spare. While simultaneously offloading the congestion.

In the Bay Area, HWY 101 has two designated toll lanes. It's free off-peak, and during peak hours the toll dynamically adjusts to the level of congestion. It's priced per segment, and the price shows up on the overhead boards. It's totally opt-in and pay-per-segment. Discounted by number of people you're carpooling with: half-price for 2 people, free for 3+. I thought it was a great system.

They should twin the second narrows and toll all the NS bridges going one way.

[EvoFire]

Originally Posted by RabidRat

//

wtf you quoted me lol

[noclue]

I wouldn't mind having tolls into downtown core like London or the airport like Dallas. A nice $3-5 toll will deter all the fuckers doing laps on robson st or the departures/arrival area of the airport.

[bcrdukes]

I feel it should be more than that. $3 - $5 is chump change.

[Badhobz]

id totally support a toll downtown.

Toll it, then use the money and turn up all the free government drugs to 50x their potency. That way they'll all die (in a very epic and still humane high) and thus allowing poor honda to take his grandma for a RAPIDO stroll down to Carnegie Hall library on main and hastings without having to see this sea of human filth.

[PeanutButter]

Originally Posted by GS8

When my brother bought his place in Chillwack back in 2009, his commute to Port Kells for work was 45min each way.

In 2023, it grew to double that. 1.5 hours each way with the congestion. Much higher if there's a crash (which there always is).

Now he has diabetes because everything snowballed over the years.

And in 2025, he was given the prognosis of having a 90% chance of a heart attack because he still can't keep his condition in check (despite enough Ozempic to make Amy Schumer cry tears of saturated fats).

He paid far less for his home out in Chillwack than he would have in Langley but I think all his savings are going to medications now...

Did he lose a bunch of weight? I saw them selling ozempic in Mexico, it was avertised al over the place.

[supafamous]

I want tolls on all bridges and into downtown Vancouver. Eventually we're going to have to do it due to the gas tax not generating enough revenue, our need to manage congestion, and, to fund major transit projects (like a Skytrain line running down 41/49 and one running up Willingdon to North Van).

Make it cheap since it'll be on everywhere - $1 per crossing. Reduce the gas tax by half or something as the tradeoff but still end up increasing revenue collected.

[mikemhg]

Originally Posted by Eff-1

Here's what living on the North Shore is like.

Commuting OFF the North Shore is nowhere near as bad as commuting TO the North Shore.

You learn to avoid driving anywhere near the bridges between 2pm and 6pm. For example, for me to drive from my place to Canadian Tire is 10 mins with no traffic. It could be 20-25 mins after 3pm.

Weekends are more of a pain than weekdays. The Ironworkers gets jammed on Sat/Sun both ways from 1pm until 7pm. Worse on sunny days.

We have 2 cars. My wife commutes 2x per week downtown, 20-30 mins each way.

I commute to Marine Gateway 1x per week. 30 mins in the morning, 45 mins coming home.

Our daycare is walking distance.

Supermarket and liquor store, drug store, etc is a 5 min drive away at all times of day.

Honestly, the worst part is the transit service in my area lacks a bit. So if I want to take transit downtown, a 25 min drive is 60 mins by transit! But for those who live closer to the Seabus, life can be pretty great.

-edit- 7000th post!!

I live by Brentwood Mall and there's a gym I was wanting to join in North Van called Obsidian, it's beside the Auto Mall.

I haven't trial ran this idea enough yet, but I'm usually heading to the gym around 1 or 2 PM, would you say this would be a shite idea?

[noclue]

Bridge tolls are simple into downtown, it's the east side thats a bit more tricky with the roads and the alleys but doable. We have plenty of dismantled TreO plate scanners in storage after the NDP cancelled the patullo/golden ears tolls.

But $1 is not enough to deter anyone and the cover the cost of administration. It's 15GBP + 13GBP more if your car is not a PHEV/EV in London. But that's too extreme for Canadians

[Hondaracer]

Our driver in London said they are doing away with the EV incentive for the city centre after everyone went out and swapped over to EV now