Introduction to Vancouver

Introduction to Vancouver 

 

Vancouver is irresistible to the naked eye. Some might describe it as breathtaking. Vancouver offers natural splendor with snow-capped mountains, temperate rainforests, and the ocean. Vancouver offers a vibrant feel with a glassy downtown look. There are dozens of neighborhoods that are just waiting for the slightly curious to explore. It’s a fantastic place to visit or call home if you love the great outdoors. This Vibrant city does experience a lot of rain, but it doesn’t last all year round. June to September life moves from indoors to outside to outdoor dining, breweries, beaches and hiking trails.

City Statistics about Vancouver

Vancouver is Canada third largest city. It is located on the ocean with tons of parks, beaches, and mountains that are waiting for folks to enjoy. Whatever you want to do outside chances are you can find it in Vancouver.  The city of Vancouver offers 230 parks, in 20 minutes from the city you can get to Goose Moutain. If Mountains are not your thing then maybe the beaches are.  Vancouver beaches are easy to access and include Kitsilano, Jericho, Second Beach which is on Stanley Park. 

Activities Vancouver is Known For

If you’re looking to enjoy time on the beach, and get some culture in June to Sept is the best time to visit.  English Bay hots Bard on the Beach which is Vancouver longest running Shakespeare Festival.  If your inspired to have your mind expanded then check out Museums like the Vancouver Art Gallery where you can see works by Emily Carr, Seven and Marc Chagall.  Other places worth checking out are the Japanese Tea Garden or the Botanical Garden where a suspended bridge leads over a canopy of Douglas Furs, cedars and grand firs.   

Dining in the Area

The culinary scene is not something to miss either. You can find a variety of different types of food all made fresh and using local ingredients.  There are many great and very distinctive downtown neighborhoods Vancouver offers 

Breakdown of Vancouver Neighborhoods 

Gastown which is a historical area that has gone through a lot of change. It went from being a very undesirable area to call home to become a top attraction.  The Neighborhood Offers cobblestone steam clock, along with boutiques, coffee shops, and cocktail bars. 

Strathcona is Vancouver oldest residential neighborhoods that offer great places to grab a bite or a pint. There are a ton of microbreweries. If you are a craft beer lover its like you died and went to beer Heaven. 

Olympic Village was created in 2010. It offers sleek and trendy apartments that were fit for an Olympic Athlete at one point. These trendy apartments now are available for anyone looking to call Vancouver home. This neighborhood offers an extensive nightlife with great dining.   The Olympic Village offers a vast amount of options when out in the area.  The Olympic village is home to the Craft Beer Market.  A visitor who comes by the area can find more than 100 beers on tap and some of the best burgers in the city. 

Kitsilano is a beachside neighborhood just outside of downtown proper. Kitsilano offers a very relaxed vibe but has plenty of outdoor patio spaces. If you want to grab a bite to eat and enjoy the water. 

Getting around Vancouver

Since Vancouver is extremely walkable it allows getting around to be a breeze. However, if you want to use mass transit there are buses you can take or skytrain to get around. The Skytrain is not only convenient but also very scenic. There is also a water shuttle that allows you to get to Granville Island, downtown and around False Creek. 

Winter Fun

Vancouver is often on people’s radar in the warmer months.  However, there are some who love to visit the area in the winter.  This eye-pleasing city is home to Whistler Mountain perfect for skiers and snowboarders. 

Housing Information and Change on Horizon

What isn’t to love about Vancouver? Over the years if you wanted to buy in Vancouver buyers were finding the prices were very high. Forecasters are starting to see change on the horizon. In the early part of 2019, the housing forecasters are predicting the market is going thru a correction. This might be a great time for buyers to get a break. The United States Real Estate market is showing signs of slowing. Rising rates and impending china housing crash a correction is on the horizon. China and US Free trade will affect Canada since there is less container traffic relating to importing.

Canada is also seeing rental pricing holding which is lowering the demand of buyers. Like the United States has more inventory on market then demand which is driving prices down. Canada economy is underperforming will continue to play a role, and the foreign buyer might have cooled its interest.

Here are some stats

Detached homes sales fell by 32%

13,000 homes for sale which is 42% more than last fall 

4900 new listings on the market which is a 7% gain from the prior year 

Townhomes sales fell by 37%

Sales of apartments dropped by 36%

Vancouver resale market sales were 26.8% below the 10 years October average 

Even though a seller could look at this and go this is terrible it really isn’t. The Real Estate market we were in wasn’t something anyone could sustain. Vancouver is an area that is always in high demand. The city has a lower unemployment rate than the rest of Canada.  If you have always wanted to buy a home in Canada especially Vancouver during the correction might be ideal, but many forecasters say this correction will not be a long term thing to get in front of your real estate agent now vs waiting till April or May when the market is back to heating back up. 

If you are thinking about buying, renting in Vancouver or anywhere in Canada please contact me. My office is part of the Sotheby’s International Realty Network which means I can find out what your needs are and get the search going in the right direction.