Real Estate

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    Can’t Buy Alone: Why Today’s Homebuyers Are Leaning on Family to Enter the Market

    In today’s Canadian housing market, the dream of homeownership remains alive—but for a growing number of first-time buyers, that dream is only possible with a family safety net. According to the 2025 CMHC Mortgage Consumer Survey, more Canadians are entering the market for the first time, but they’re not doing it alone. From gifted down payments…

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    The 5 Essential Steps to Building Wealth (That Most Investors Ignore)

    Want to Build Real Wealth? Stop Guessing and Follow This Blueprint Most investors try to build wealth without a real plan. They chase hot stocks, jump in and out of markets, and hope for the best. That’s how you stay broke.  The wealthiest investors don’t guess—they follow a system. This guide breaks down the five essential financial…

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    BRRRR Math. The Formulas Every Investor Needs to Know Before Buying

    BRRRR isn’t driven by emotion—it’s powered by math. From acquisition to refinance, your success hinges on a few essential formulas. Mastering these numbers helps you evaluate deals confidently, avoid overpaying, and stay on track to hit your returns. Let’s break down the BRRRR math that separates good investors from lucky ones. 1. The 70% Rule (Buy…

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    The BRRRR Trap — 7 Costly Mistakes New Investors Make and How to Avoid Them

    The BRRRR method—Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat—is one of the most powerful strategies for building a real estate portfolio without constantly injecting new capital. But it’s not foolproof. For first-time investors, a few wrong moves can derail the entire cycle—leading to missed refinance windows, disappointing returns, or deals that flat-out don’t work. Here are seven…

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    14-Storey Condo Building Pitched for Oak & King Edward

    Westbank has submitted a rezoning application for the Esso Station at the Southwest corner of Oak Street and West King Edward Street in Vancouver. The 11,328 SF site at 1010 West King Edward is currently zoned C-2, which allows up to 6-storeys for rental, or 4-storeys for condo. The Cambie Corridor Plan allows up to 6-storeys for condo and 3.0 FSR. The proposal is to allow for a 14-storey condo building that includes: 85 condo units; 34 one-bedrooms, 36 two-bedrooms & 15 three-bedrooms; 800 SF of retail space on the ground floor; a total density of 8.0 FSR; A building height of 143 ft. 106 underground parking stalls. This application is being considered under the  Cambie Corridor Plan. The architect for the project is Olson Kundig, who also designed Wesgroup’s condo project “W16” at West 16th and Cambie Street. The full rezoning application can be viewed here: https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/1010-w-king-edward

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    West Vancouver Finalizes Ambleside Centre Local Area Plan

    The District of West Vancouver has given first reading to a final draft of the Ambleside Centre Local Area Plan (LAP). The Ambleside LAP has been in the works since early 2022, and has gone through multiple rounds of public engagement and refinement by planning staff. The affected area is generally along Marine Drive from 13th to 18th Streets. Here are the recommended land use policies: Zoning updates to allow 3-4 storeys on most lots in the LAP, including on small lots Five sites designated ‘Waterfront’ along Bellevue West of 15th allowing taller forms through rezoning Four sites along parts of Clyde and Duchess allowing taller forms through rezoning The LAP will go for public hearing in June and if approved, would form part of the OCP shortly thereafter. A presentation on the Ambleside LAP can be viewed here: https://westvancouver.ca/media/6103

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    Latest Broadway Plan Tower Application is for 127 Units at East 14th & Prince Edward

    The latest Broadway Plan rezoning application is for an 18-storey tower at 360 East 14th Avenue in the Mount Pleasant area of East Vancouver. The site is located just West of Mount Saint Joseph Hospital. The plan for the site includes: 137 units with 20% of the floor area for below-market rental units; a total density of 6.50 FSR; A building height of 186 ft. This application is being considered under the  Broadway Plan . The architect for the project is Stuart Howard. The full application can be viewed here: https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/360-e-14-ave Comments are closed.

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    Infill Condo Tower Proposed for West Vancouver Apartment Property

    Wall Financial has submitted a preliminary development proposal for a property they own, known as ‘Peter Wall Ambleside’ at 1552 Esquimalt Avenue in the Ambleside area of West Vancouver. The proposal is the latest iteration of several proposals to densify the 1.90 acre site over the years, beginning as far back as 2016. Previous plans included new rental infill but the most recent version was placed on hold pending the outcome of the Ambleside Local Area Plan. The existing 20-storey apartment building was constructed in 1969 and contains 185 rental units. It is located on the east portion of the site. The new application envisions a 19-storey condo building (secured as rental units for the first 6 years). Details include: 139 condo units (secured as rental for a 6-year term) 68 one bedrooms 68 two-bedrooms 3 townhouse units a total density of 3.0 FSR across the entire site. The architects for the project are JOG Architecture and Chris Doray.

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    Two rental housing towers up to 29 storeys, featuring a grocery store, approved for Robson Street

    The 1500 block of Robson Street in downtown Vancouver’s West End neighbourhood will see a substantial uplift through a new mixed-use rental housing project with substantial commercial retail uses. The City of Vancouver’s Development Permit Board recently approved GWL Realty Advisors’ (GWLRA) application to redevelop 1525-1555 Robson St. — nearly the entirely city block at the northeast corner of the intersection of Robson and Cardero streets. Building Permit Applications were subsequently submitted in May 2025 to demolish the 1949-built, two-storey commercial building on the west side (1525 Robson St.) of the development site — formerly home to Jang Mo Jib Restaurant. The development site also includes the 1965-built, six-storey office and retail building mid-block, on the east side (1555 Robson St.) of the site. Designed by architectural firm Arcadis, there will be two high-rise towers reaching 324 ft. with 28 storeys and 318 ft. with 29 storeys, generating 393 secured purpose-built market rental homes — including 100 studio units, 179 one-bedroom units, 101 two-bedroom units, and 13 three-bedroom units. The two-storey base podium would be dedicated to commercial uses totalling about 41,000 sq. ft. including a 24,400 sq. ft. grocery store — largely located on the second level, with entrance located at the intersection corner — and about 16,600 sq. ft. of smaller commercial retail/restaurant units, which would activate the building’s ground level with Robson Street. Site of 1525-1555 Robson St., Vancouver. (Google Maps) Site of 1525-1555 Robson St., Vancouver. (Arcadis/GWL Realty Advisors) October 2024 artistic rendering of 1525-1555 Robson St., Vancouver. (Arcadis/GWL Realty Advisors) During the Development Permit Board meeting, Matt Shillito, the City of Vancouver’s director of special projects, called this project “much needed” for its significant infusion of rental housing, and highlighted the new major retail uses “along a stretch of Robson that’s looking pretty tired.” “I think it achieves a lot on a relatively tight site. In terms of the architectural approach, I think it’s very thoughtful. I like the nice kind of compact tower floor plates. I like the way the podium has been kept low profile, nice clean lines, and it manages the slope very efficiently, very effectively,” said Shillito. “I like the way the podium has been kept low profile, nice clean lines, and it manages the slope very efficiently, very effectively. With the CRUs at the ground level and then the grocery store above, it’s all neatly housed.” Lon LaClaire, general manager of engineering services for the City of Vancouver, added, “These services are going to be welcome in the area, and I think that the new building is going to be a really great addition to the area.” But Shillito, while also acknowledging that this is a subjective matter, suggested that the development team should consider the possibility of providing the facade design with a lighter tone, as opposed to the current concept using “very dark” materials, which creates a look that is “a little heavier than it otherwise could be.” The development permit application was the project’s first and primary approval, as a rezoning application was not necessary, given that the project aligns with existing policies for the site. October 2024 artistic rendering of 1525-1555 Robson St., Vancouver. (Arcadis/GWL Realty Advisors) October 2024 artistic rendering of 1525-1555 Robson St., Vancouver. (Arcadis/GWL Realty Advisors) October 2024 artistic rendering of 1525-1555 Robson St., Vancouver. (Arcadis/GWL Realty Advisors) Most of the discussion over this application during the meeting focused on the dedicated freight/truck loading space required for the commercial uses, particularly the grocery store. The panel ultimately agreed that the larger and more intensive requirement of Class C loading — creating designated loading space for a large semi-trailer — would not only be unnecessary for a mid-size grocery store, but also challenging given the tight urban environment. Furthermore, similarly-sized grocery stores integrated into high-density, mixed-use developments in and around downtown Vancouver only have Class B loading spaces, which accommodate smaller single-unit trucks and other medium-sized vehicles. For this reason, the panel agreed to only require a small increase in Class B loading capacity. With the existing Safeway and Whole Foods Market situated on the city blocks just to the west, this would be the third grocery store in Lower Robson. Four underground levels would contain over 250 vehicle parking stalls, including 198 stalls for rental housing residents, 20 stalls for residential visitors, and 33 stalls for commercial uses. This is in addition to over 600 secured bike parking spaces. The total building floor area is pegged at about 324,000 sq. ft., establishing a floor area ratio density of a floor area that is 9.6 times larger than the size of the 33,600 sq. ft. development site. This project falls under the City’s West End Community Plan. 2024 preliminary conceptual artistic rendering of the redevelopment with two towers at the combined site of 1525-1555 Robson St., Vancouver. (GWL Realty Advisors) October 2024 artistic rendering of 1525-1555 Robson St., Vancouver. (Arcadis/GWL Realty Advisors) October 2024 artistic rendering of 1525-1555 Robson St., Vancouver. (Arcadis/GWL Realty Advisors) GWLRA is the real estate investment subsidiary of the Great-West Life Assurance Company, which is one of Canada’s largest private insurance firms. In March 2024, GWLRA acquired the 16,400 sq. ft. site of 1555 Robson Street from VivaGrand Developments in a deal worth $58 million, according to records. This purchase enabled GWLRA to form a land assembly with its September 2022 acquisition of the similarly sized adjacent site at 1525 Robson St.

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    Two rental housing towers eyed for Kingsway near Fraser Street in Vancouver

    Nearly four years ago, a rezoning application was approved to redevelop the southeast corner of the intersection of Kingsway and Carolina Street — situated on the southernmost border of the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood of Vancouver — into a six-storey, mixed-use building with 80 secured purpose-built market rental homes. But the project — which was one of the larger rental housing proposals in Metro Vancouver at the time, prior to the current wave of proposals — did not proceed as planned. As it turns out, this is because the project was being redesigned for a much larger mixed-use rental housing concept under the prescriptions and stipulations of the City’s Broadway Plan. A new rezoning application has been submitted to redevelop 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., which entails a larger development site than the original concept — growing the available footprint by 50 per cent to over 30,000 sq. ft. The project is just west of the prominent intersection of Kingsway and Fraser Street. The original north site entails old low-rise commercial buildings, including a former funeral home building, while the addition of a south site includes a surface vehicle parking lot and low-rise residential and commercial buildings. Site of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) Site of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Google Maps) Site of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) Cancelled 2020/2021 concept: Current condition (top) and 2020/2021 cancelled concept (bottom) of 602-644 Kingsway, Vancouver. (Studio One Architecture) 2025 revised concept: 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) Under the new application, local developer Bonnis Properties has partnered with architectural firm Perkins&Will to pursue a 167-ft-tall, 14-storey north tower and a 276-ft-tall, 25-storey south tower. The proponents are pursuing a new concept with two high-rise towers, after determining that a project with three towers would not meet the minimum tower separation requirements from an adjacent lot on Kingsway. There will be a total of 327 secured purpose-built rental homes, including 120 units in the north tower and 207 units in the south tower. Based on the Broadway Plan’s requirement of setting aside at least 20 per cent of the residential rental floor area for below-market units, there will be 66 below-market rental homes and 261 market rental homes. The unit size mix is established as 152 studios, 47 one-bedroom units, 105 two-bedroom units, and 23 three-bedroom units. 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) The north and south towers will be physically connected on the second level by a pedestrian bridge over the laneway that separates the two sites, enabling continuous shared amenity spaces between both buildings. Expansive indoor and outdoor amenity spaces will be found on the second level — including landscaped outdoor areas on the base podium rooftops — along with outdoor amenity spaces on the rooftops of both towers. The rooftop of the north tower’s podium also features a 2,900 sq. ft. childcare facility for up to 20 kids, plus outdoor play space. Down below, about 19,400 sq. ft. of retail/restaurant space spread across the ground levels of both buildings will activate the street frontages and a new public plaza. This triangular-shaped plaza space — a public space element passed down from the original concept — will be achieved by repurposing a 70-ft-long segment of East 15th Avenue and median that parallels Kingsway. 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) The floor plates of both towers rising above the podium are curved to strategically place the structural columns along the perimeter of the floor plates, which serves to optimize the views from the residential units and enable a more efficient unit layout. The exterior design is defined by a 40-60 window-to-wall ratio, with protruding balconies protected by steel picket guard railings. Four underground levels at the north tower site will accommodate 141 vehicle parking stalls, while two underground levels at the south tower site will provide over 600 secured bike parking spaces. Altogether, the project will generate a total floor building floor area of over 257,000 sq. ft., establishing a floor area ratio density of a floor area that is 8.5 times larger than the size of the lot. The site is well served by frequent bus routes along Kingsway, Fraser Street, and Main Street, and about a 15-minute walk from SkyTrain’s future Mount Pleasant Station (intersection of Main Street and East Broadway). Under the Broadway Plan, high-rise tower developments are generally