Vancouver's Real Estate Market

[Gerbs]

Originally Posted by EvoFire

I track and autox my M3. gtfo. BIC BAWS does as well, and donk got in the game with the vette

I am poor and I can not risk totalling a car 😂

[JDMDreams]

Just remember you can sleep in a car but can't race a house

[EvoFire]

Originally Posted by JDMDreams

Just remember you can sleep in a car but can't race a house

I almost got stuck in some soft dirt like that on my M3 because a Tesla was stopped on the hard packed road and wouldn't move.

[68style]

I was reading the previous page and thinking fuck $9k a month on mortgage RS ballers... then I realized that at current rates that's only a $1M mortgage... which is pretty much a given on a shitty house in Van even if you plop down 30% as a downpayment.

Yowza.

[mikemhg]

Speaking to TELUS, what has made them so shitty over the last few years?

My router crapped out on me today and apparently they need to send a tech to replace it, which they now charge $150 for the visit, and will only credit me back once the tech has confirmed that my router has indeed kicked the bucket?

Really?

I don't understand the decline in service and quality with these Canadian telecoms, where is their competition, they have a monopoly on the entire Canadian market, they should be swimming in cash.

[sonick]

Originally Posted by mikemhg

Speaking to TELUS, what has made them so shitty over the last few years?

My router crapped out on me today and apparently they need to send a tech to replace it, which they now charge $150 for the visit, and will only credit me back once the tech has confirmed that my router has indeed kicked the bucket?

Really?

I don't understand the decline in service and quality with these Canadian telecoms, where is their competition, they have a monopoly on the entire Canadian market, they should be swimming in cash.

Major outsourcing. Not just about revenues, need to maximize and squeeze all profits and margin to keep shareholders happy fuck customers.

[mikemhg]

Originally Posted by sonick

Major outsourcing. Not just about revenues, need to maximize and squeeze all profits and margin to keep shareholders happy fuck customers.

Ah so just more of this late stage capitalism crap, and the infinite growth paradigm?

Continue to squeeze more and more water out of the rock to show growth and further returns each year, meanwhile watering down the product/service even further?

They've already outsourced every conceivable portion of the company. Where does it end, what more can you diminish?

What a wonderful world we've made.

[GS8]

Originally Posted by 6793026

Great post on setting goals. Huge props to you on getting the car apartment and making 100k goal. I had that before too.

3 things I realized.
1) i had a goal of making 100K too = had to give up a lot & rather not be in management dealing with personalities. Stay low, make dough.

2) I planned to get married by 32 and didn't get married until 42. I also didn't plan on getting laid off twice, huge illness, which really made me realize to stop chasing after monetary goals & toys as the universe / God really throws you a curve ball at times. *It all came out for the better looking back.
Work friends are not your friends. Customers are not your friends when your corp card stops flowing as I remind young professtionals.

3) When you lost it all, you realize all you got didn't mean much. Sold my bike, sold my car, got 10+ watches stolen in a break in twice... made me realize a watch is just a watch, a bike (crotch rocket & road bike) is just a bike. I was lucky to get married and have a high performing / income wife (or whoever someone mentioned above) - you have to realize you going to have HIGH PERFORMING ISSUES (she's frugal as F but still have her "visions" on her wants.

It's been hard to learn or to educate to CURB your spending. Mortgage is 5 k and now it's 7500, that's 2500 more a month = 3k a year.

We don't freaking save 30k more a year - so cut cut cuts is really really hard for those who have had been ubering food - fancy dinner - posting Paris pics.

I only live within my means since I was a poor kid so I'm thankful. it's a very very tough lesson right now to learn to adjust and adapt.

"Oh I want to reno this" *yo, where you going to pull budget to reno
"I have so much memories on this _____ *insert purchase" *yo, you get memories when you got money. You ain't no rich no more.. gotta sell ur toys.
"i want to eat out" you know we are budgeting 600 for groceries and 2 fine dining is already 400 bucks.
"i can't wait to go on vacation" what vacation.
"I want to order uber" * go learn how to cook.

I'm starting to get into the selling phase. Basically selling items I haven't touched in years. In my mind, If I'm not thinking about it, then it can go. I've just been building savings. Not so much for future RE purchases but now prioritizing rainy day funds because I'm getting older and this city is only getting more expensive (and less fun). Being off a week of work really impacts my bottom line even though my wage anywhere else in the country would provide a very comfortable life. When I started to micro-analyze the differences, it started to get pretty depressing how little your money travels when you're here unless you're 'already in' but even then, the ceiling is just a little taller.

I've always been a cheap fuck after growing up poor. My brother however went the other route and always bought big and flashy. I remember him buying a brand new plasma TV back in the day when the tech was still new. Between the TV and the 5.1 speakers, he spent about $4000 (in 2009 dollars). He didn't make much at that time (and the TV died after only 5 years). Well, 1 townhouse, 4 cars, 2 kids and 3 cats later, he still didn't learn.

He leased a Kia Forte GT Line last year for $620 / month. Keep in mind this is non-turbo. I remember mentioning here that he was able to pass the lease onto someone. Well, that person is my 72 year old dad who didn't want it but went through with it to help out. I had already given my dad a car to get him through until he can't drive anymore. Now he's stuck in this newly acquired lease contract for 4 years.

Since my brother happily signed the lease 1 year ago:

He was diagnosed with Type II diabetes
His wife was diagnosed with Stage II cervical cancer (and her surgery was botched, requiring much more time off work)
Their 12 year old daughter has gallstones and will have her gall bladder removed

I don't ask too many questions but I can tell their debt now is substantial. All this happened in the span of less than a year. He's always had that invincible feeling and that he can overcome anything but now reality has set in. This reality of my brother is one of many out there who are feeling the Vancouver crunch with no way to overcome but they damn sure try. With kids, homes, and careers on the line, you'll fight to stay off the streets but it's hard with the costs of everything here.

All I can do is look after myself since I'm fiercely independent. Truth is, I don't know what's going to happen in the next year, two, five but I've very much dialed in my spending over the last couple of years. I do travel within Canada but am considering dialing that back to only because, like I said, he seems like missing work is a dicey roll in the Lower Mainland.

On the subject of Telus, I've usually defended them but not anymore. One time, we had a tech come to my work to run a line to another part of the office. While doing so, he mentioned that we have 2 networks and we've been using the slower one. So I switched to the network he said would be faster and downloading a simple file took SIX TIMES AS LONG. Like, really? You're telling me the network that has 5G in its name is worse than the one you told us to switch to? Have you considered bagging groceries instead?

[GS8]

Originally Posted by MarkyMark

Vancouverites: Vancouver is the best it's the only place you can surf and ski in the same day I wouldn't want to live anywhere else in the world.

Vancouverites every October: Fuck this place all it does is rain half the fucking year I'm so depressed.

Summer: WE NEED RAIN TO FIGHT THESE FOREST FIRES

Fall: WE NEED SUN, MY VEGAN POODLE BABY IS SCARED OF WATER

[Gerbs]

Originally Posted by 68style

I was reading the previous page and thinking fuck $9k a month on mortgage RS ballers... then I realized that at current rates that's only a $1M mortgage... which is pretty much a given on a shitty house in Van even if you plop down 30% as a downpayment.

Yowza.

To make it even more crazy, the Van Specials in East / South Van 2023 sold prices in the area for $2.5 - 2.8M.

Mom's new neighbours are potentially paying $10-15K/month for their shack. $600K cash down too!

Originally Posted by GS8

He was diagnosed with Type II diabetes
His wife was diagnosed with Stage II cervical cancer (and her surgery was botched, requiring much more time off work)
Their 12 year old daughter has gallstones and will have her gall bladder removed

On a side track, what's the most common symptoms for people around you that get diagnose with cancer? I sometimes get random spikes in sharp pain, I see a doctor and it turns to be nothing. But I always get sus when I hear distance relative get diagnosed out of nowhere / no pain then die a few years later.

In our family it was black line in your nail, google it! I have one growing the last 2 months lol

[RabidRat]

Originally Posted by Badhobz

So i got back yesterday afternoon, came into work this morning at 6:30am and realized VANCOUVER WEATHER SUCKS.

The weather is so damn gloomy and depressing im surprised that ya'll arent impacted by seasonality disorders. Its probably also why everyone in HK are like super energetic and high strung. The heat and constant sunlight makes everyone mad.

Originally Posted by Hondaracer

I think “SAD” effects people who come here from elsewhere far more than the lifers lol

I’ve never felt my mood change or have any adverse reaction to the weather as someone born and raised here, just kinda look out the window at the pouring rain and figure eh fuck it.

With that said my phone memories popped up the other day and when it was a torrential downpour and exactly a year earlier I was swimming in the ocean at Positano drinking wine on the beach in 28 degree sunshine.. would I rather be there? Well yea lol

Honestly, after living 8 years somewhere that it is cloudlessly sunny nearly every day of the year, it gets kinda old.

When every day is sunny, it's not special anymore. Every day is the same as the last, and seasons don't exist. When things don't drastically change, your brain compresses your memories of the days, and life flies by like a continuous blur.

Whenever I visit home to Vancouver, the rainfall is what makes me smile. The look of it, the smell of it, the morning after of sunshine, birds chirping, I'm like a Mary fucking Poppins.

The grass is literally greener in Vancouver. You ever look around where the sun is out everyday? It's brown with drought.

Originally Posted by sonick

As for inheritance, my brother and I have told our parents outright that we are ok and self sufficient, and that neither of us want or expect any inheritance left behind for us. And that we simply just want to see them blow it out on themselves now to travel and live comfortably that they've retired.

Just curious, how receptive are your parents to this? We've been saying it to our parents for years but they keep insisting on living a totally barebones lifestyle. We even send them money for surplus and it just sits, uninvested, in a cash account because "ohhh but what if you'd need this baaaack!! we keep this safe for you ok." :/

It's like for them there's no such thing as compromise. It's "the world could go to shit literally any second now" when they could at least be like "ok let's just be rational, prudent, and responsible, GS8 style".

And then there's the in-laws, who can't seem to let us pay for a meal because "you're kids, you don't pay! wait til you make some money!" what the f, we're in our 30s! Pull a "brb washroom", and then everybody's genuinely pissed off. 2 years later: "remember that time you paid? don't you freakin do that again, we're watching the washroom doors."

[Gerbs]

Originally Posted by RabidRat

Just curious, how receptive are your parents to this? We've been saying it to our parents for years but they keep insisting on living a totally barebones lifestyle. We even send them money for surplus and it just sits, uninvested, in a cash account because "ohhh but what if you'd need this baaaack!! we keep this safe for you ok." :/

^

I haven't met any immigrant asian family that can spend after grinding so far. My brother and I tried to tell my mom
that we're okay after graduating highschool so she can start spending on herself now that we are in the workforce / in school.

Flash forward 8 years. The CPA in me took over all her finances to find out she is consistently saving $20-25K a year on OAS/CPP income. That makes me go !??!!?.

We tend to forget that our parents were able to buy a house with min wage by being extremely frugal and cheap and those value stick forever. They aren't going to magically spend $10 on a BBT or $25 at sushi garden when they used to walk 1-2hours to the grocery store to save $1.25. Telling your parents to live it up is as useful as telling someone to make more money.

Best solution so far is to buy everything for them even if it means your savings rate suffers! Aka book the flights, cruises, tech upgrades, nicer groceries, take them on that boring roadtrip etc.

Originally Posted by RabidRat

We even send them money for surplus and it just sits, uninvested, in a cash account because "ohhh but what if you'd need this baaaack!! we keep this safe for you ok." :/
"

^
My brother sends my mom $500 - 1,000 every month for fun and I had to tell him that he's retarded. My mom tells me in a sad face that she doesn't know why my brother sends her that money when she has nothing to spend it on, so she puts it under the bed to let it rot at 5% inflation. Her plan is to give it back when he gets married. She can't travel because she has no one to take her, she has no desire to do anything fun because it's a waste of money, she believes you should have 0 hobbies and save for the next disaster because she grew up during famine.

I think throwing cash at elderly parents that are like this is the worst solution. You gotta buy them item that you want them to spend it on. Then lie and say it was free or $10 lol

[JDMDreams]

Have van specials gone for that much? Most assessments I've seen are still way under $2m. Around $1.8 ish. I think some newer ones have asked for $2.2 with no laneway. Not sure what they really sell at.

[Gerbs]

Originally Posted by RabidRat

And then there's the in-laws, who can't seem to let us pay for a meal because "you're kids, you don't pay! wait til you make some money!" what the f, we're in our 30s! Pull a "brb washroom", and then everybody's genuinely pissed off. 2 years later: "remember that time you paid? don't you freakin do that again, we're watching the washroom doors."

God I wish that were me, those big family dinners i try to avoid nowadays cause it's so expensive to eat out. At a cheap meal or dimsum $35 after tax and tip @ 12 people = $420. A seafood dinner is like $800-1K if you get seafood. I'll do pay for max 1-3 a year. I don't see myself affording this at 30 or 35.

Originally Posted by JDMDreams

Have van specials gone for that much? Most assessments I've seen are still way under $2m. Around $1.8 ish. I think some newer ones have asked for $2.2 with no laneway. Not sure what they really sell at.

https://www.rew.ca/map?lat=49.222046...on=desc&page=1

You're right Van specials that are teardowns are still $2M! Depends on lot size but a majority of the homes in the Southvan / Fraserview area are $2.25 - 2.6M. Anything over $2M imo is crazy. The condition of the homes near my mom are whack, none of the old folks maintain the buildings.

[PeanutButter]

LOL at the guys trying to give your parents money.

First, realize that you are a special demographic of the population. I've only seen this in Asian immigrant families.

The only way for your parents to enjoy the finer things in life is if you provide it. You can't give them money because they're cheap AF. They're not going to spend it.

You have to buy them nice shit. I remember buying my dad a three pack of lululemon underwear, he thought it was the dumbest gift someone could get and people don't buy people underwear. My mom said he loves that shit and wears them all the time.

Now, I just buy my dad lululemon clothing and he absolutely loves it, he doesn't say it, but every time we go out, guess what he's wearing, all the lululemon stuff I buy him. Because he's not stupid, he knows the quality of the product, he would rather wear the lulu gear vs his other cheap ass shit. He knows it's better stuff.

I was booking my parents flights to Toronto and I just said fuck it, I booked them business class. They were talking about that shit for the entire year.

If you can afford to spoil your parents you have to spoil them, if not, buy them some nice underwear and I think they would appreciate the quality difference.

[68style]

Yah my dad is sitting on like $6M of assets while I live in a 1BR condo, I don't think I'm going to be buying him LuLu Lemon or flights to Tdot lol

[6793026]

Originally Posted by PeanutButter

LOL at the guys trying to give your parents money.

You have to buy them nice shit. I remember buying my dad a three pack of lululemon underwear, he thought it was the dumbest gift someone could get and people don't buy people underwear. My mom said he loves that shit and wears them all the time.

Now, I just buy my dad lululemon clothing and he absolutely loves it, he doesn't say it, but every time we go out, guess what he's wearing, all the lululemon stuff I buy him. Because he's not stupid, he knows the quality of the product, he would rather wear the lulu gear vs his other cheap ass shit. He knows it's better stuff.

I was booking my parents flights to Toronto and I just said fuck it, I booked them business class. They were talking about that shit for the entire year.

If you can afford to spoil your parents you have to spoil them, if not, buy them some nice underwear and I think they would appreciate the quality difference.

Thanks for this. I still give my parents money, yes i made more but I haven't changed the amount (totally guilty *more on this below). I try to buy them stuff and sometimes it works... it comes to a point they just and still dont' wear them.

But yhea, as you said.. just gotta force it down their throat. I gotta find things ot buy my mom.

I did the math, i've gave my dad ~102k over the course of 17 years. Fast forward to now, they have helped me out in other ways and financially when i got married and buying my first house.

On-going cultural conversation "why you asian don't move out when you're 16 and chase after freedom" 2) "i wish my parents give me money" * yeah... cause you never took care of your mom and dad the moment you left. They reverse mortgaged the house and lived a great life traveling along with paying for their health care at their final years.

[Gerbs]

Originally Posted by PeanutButter

Now, I just buy my dad lululemon clothing and he absolutely loves it, he doesn't say it, but every time we go out, guess what he's wearing, all the lululemon stuff I buy him. Because he's not stupid, he knows the quality of the product, he would rather wear the lulu gear vs his other cheap ass shit. He knows it's better stuff.

I was booking my parents flights to Toronto and I just said fuck it, I booked them business class. They were talking about that shit for the entire year.

If you can afford to spoil your parents you have to spoil them, if not, buy them some nice underwear and I think they would appreciate the quality difference.

That's the way to do it. Glad we figured it out 20 years before the average person. If they ever do!

I don't think I've ever gotten so much enjoyment from tossing a few hundred or thousands every couple weeks. I'm looking at iphone 14 pro maxes to buy atm. Which is funny because I'm on iphone 10 lol.

Buying it for my mom is 10x more fun, even if it results in me getting annoyed helping her set it up.

Originally Posted by 68style

Yah my dad is sitting on like $6M of assets while I live in a 1BR condo, I don't think I'm going to be buying him LuLu Lemon or flights to Tdot lol

Hence why getting the inheritance figured out earlier is goat. The moment I had it figured it out, just started yolo spending my retire early money on family.

Originally Posted by 6793026

They reverse mortgaged the house and lived a great life traveling along with paying for their health care at their final years.

Asians don't reverse mortage, that's haram.

[BIC_BAWS]

Originally Posted by Gerbs

I am poor and I can not risk totalling a car 😂

Just don't go full retard... IYKYK lol

[PeanutButter]

my buddy asked his dad for an early inheritance to help him buy a place, it was a pretty scary conversation for him at the time, but he said his dad was pretty receptive. He agreed and told him he could get about $350k in cash towards a down payment after he liquidated some stocks.

Dad has a house in Vancouver worth about $2M and a good pension. Mom also has a pension, so they're sitting pretty.

[RabidRat]

Originally Posted by PeanutButter

LOL at the guys trying to give your parents money.

First, realize that you are a special demographic of the population. I've only seen this in Asian immigrant families.

The only way for your parents to enjoy the finer things in life is if you provide it. You can't give them money because they're cheap AF. They're not going to spend it.

You have to buy them nice shit. I remember buying my dad a three pack of lululemon underwear, he thought it was the dumbest gift someone could get and people don't buy people underwear. My mom said he loves that shit and wears them all the time.

Now, I just buy my dad lululemon clothing and he absolutely loves it, he doesn't say it, but every time we go out, guess what he's wearing, all the lululemon stuff I buy him. Because he's not stupid, he knows the quality of the product, he would rather wear the lulu gear vs his other cheap ass shit. He knows it's better stuff.

I was booking my parents flights to Toronto and I just said fuck it, I booked them business class. They were talking about that shit for the entire year.

If you can afford to spoil your parents you have to spoil them, if not, buy them some nice underwear and I think they would appreciate the quality difference.

The really wack part of this is that growing up, we used to hear my parents proudly tell stories of them sending money home to their own parents.

So it's like ok, that's the thing to do, yeah? Send home whatever you can. Give it if you have it, don't if you don't. Got it. Cool.

Then it was their turn and they lost their minds.

[supafamous]

Originally Posted by RabidRat

The really wack part of this is that growing up, we used to hear my parents proudly tell stories of them sending money home to their own parents.

So it's like ok, that's the thing to do, yeah? Send home whatever you can. Give it if you have it, don't if you don't. Got it. Cool.

Then it was their turn and they lost their minds.

My wife and I both used to give money to our parents up until we got our first house at which point it became "No no, you have a mortgage and you need to focus on your family, don't give us anything". Today our HHI is 10x my in-laws and my MIL (who never got paid more than minimum wage) insists on slipping us money ($50-100) for stuff like birthdays or milestones or even when we go on vacation (cause you know, we need spending money for these trips). We go along with it now cause it makes her feel good - not worth the fight of trying to give it back.

[PeanutButter]

My aunt in toronto bought three houses while working minimum wage jobs and cutting hair on the side (which was quite a bit of money since it was all cash). She set her two daughters up for life. Frugal AF on herself, but so loving and generous.

One of her daughters is such a smart ass though. Treats her mom like shit and is so entitled.

[JDMDreams]

You can be the new Bic baws, don't worry bro icbc got you

Originally Posted by Gerbs

I am poor and I can not risk totalling a car 😂

[EvoFire]

Originally Posted by JDMDreams

You can be the new Bic baws, don't worry bro icbc got you

He needs to total a few cars first before he can be baws