Buy your first Vancouver home without overpaying or getting outbid.
A plain English playbook from a top 1% Greater Vancouver REALTOR®. The numbers, the steps, and the moves that win homes. Free, instant download.
- The real Greater Vancouver numbers. Benchmark prices by home type and what today's market is actually telling buyers.
- Every step, start to keys. From "where do I even begin" to possession day, in plain English.
- The financing edge. The approval move that wins homes, plus the RRSP Home Buyers' Plan most first time buyers miss.
- Down payment and closing costs decoded. Property Transfer Tax, deposit, inspection, and appraisal, with a real Vancouver example.
- How to win the offer. The three levers in every offer and the subjects that protect you.
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Download the guide Ready to talk? Book a free 15-minute consult ›How buying with me works
Six stages, start to keys. You know what happens next and what it costs at every stage.
Strategy call
We start with your budget, your must haves, and your timeline. You leave with a realistic price range and a clear list of what it costs to get there.
Financing first
Get pre approved before you start looking. It sets your real budget and makes your offer credible when the right place appears. Run the numbers on my Mortgage Calculator.
The search
You get matching listings as soon as they reach the board feed, plus the ones I hear about before they do. I tell you which are worth your Saturday and which are not.
Due diligence
Strata documents, inspection, title, and comparable sales. I go through all of it with you in plain language, and I tell you where you need a lawyer, a notary, or a specialist rather than my read.
The offer
Price is one lever. Deposit, dates, and subjects are the others. We build the strongest offer you can make while you still understand exactly what risk you are taking on.
Keys in hand
Subject removal, lawyer or notary, lender, completion. I track every document and every deadline on my side, and chase the ones that are not, so nothing surfaces on possession day that we could have caught earlier.
Buyer questions, answered
Do I pay my REALTOR® when I buy a home?
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In most Greater Vancouver sales the commission is set out in the seller’s listing contract, and the buyer’s agent is paid from the sale proceeds, so in most purchases you are not paying me directly out of pocket. That is not universal, and the rules around how buyer agent compensation is offered are currently under federal review, so it may not hold indefinitely. Before we start looking I put our arrangement in writing and walk you through it, so you know exactly what applies to your purchase and what, if anything, you would owe.
What closing costs should I budget for?
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Beyond your down payment, plan for Property Transfer Tax, lawyer or notary fees for the conveyance, home insurance your lender will require before completion, and adjustments for prepaid property tax or strata fees. A home inspection is paid earlier, during the subject period. Under 20% down you also carry mortgage default insurance, which is normally added to the mortgage rather than paid at closing, and it is only available on purchases under $1.5 million. Above that price, 20% down is the minimum. GST applies on new construction, though first time buyers currently pay no GST on a new home valued up to $1 million, with partial relief between $1 million and $1.5 million. Estimate your tax with my BC Property Transfer Tax Calculator, and I will give you a full number for your specific purchase before you write an offer.
Should I sell first or buy first?
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It depends on your equity, your financing, and how much risk you can carry. Selling first gives you a known number and a stronger offer. Buying first saves you from moving twice, but it needs bridge financing or a long completion. There is no universal right answer. I run both timelines against your actual numbers before you commit to either, and a home evaluation is usually the first step.
What are subjects, and which ones should I keep?
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Subjects are the conditions your offer depends on, and they are your protection. The common ones are financing, inspection, and strata document review. Every subject you remove makes your offer stronger and your position riskier. I tell you honestly which ones you can shorten and which you should never drop for the specific property in front of you.
How many homes should I see before I make an offer?
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There is no magic number. Some buyers know on the third showing, others need thirty. What matters more is seeing enough of one property type in one area that you recognize good value the moment it appears. I would rather show you ten of the right homes than fifty of the wrong ones.
What happens if there are competing offers?
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The seller usually sets a time to review all offers together, though they are not obliged to wait for it, and can accept one, counter one, or reject them all. Price is only part of what they weigh. Deposit size, completion date, and how many subjects you carry all matter. Where I can, I find out what the seller actually needs and build your offer around it, so you are not just bidding blind.