Blog

Modern Richmond BC condo representing Brighouse living and the experience of finding the right neighbourhood and home.

Buying in a New Neighbourhood Starts With Understanding How You Want to Live

When buyers begin searching for a home, the conversation often starts with bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, and budget. Those details matter, but they don’t necessarily tell us where someone will be happiest living.

A better place to start is with everyday life.

Do you want to walk for coffee in the morning? How important is rapid transit? Do you prefer being surrounded by activity or coming home to somewhere quieter? Will you drive most places, or would you rather leave the car parked? Are restaurants and shopping part of your weekly routine? What does a normal Saturday look like?

Those questions reveal far more than a property search ever could.

One of our clients recently shared a five-star review after purchasing a condo in Brighouse, Richmond, and her words captured exactly why we approach buyer consultations this way.

“Jessica Chen is absolutely THE BEST realtor ever. What makes her great? She figured out very quickly what I want, like, and don’t want by asking a few questions about lifestyle, preferences, etc. She then helped me understand the different neighborhoods of BC and how they did or did not meet my goals and preferences.”

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WestCoast Living REALTOR® Jason Ng meeting with a client during a move-up home buying and selling process

Moving Up Without Feeling Rushed: A Client Story with Jason Ng

Buying and selling at the same time can make even confident homeowners feel pulled in two directions.

You are managing the sale of one home while trying to make a smart decision on the next. Timelines overlap. Logistics pile up. There are movers, storage, junk removal, financing questions, showings and dozens of smaller decisions that suddenly matter all at once.

For one of our recent move-up clients, Jason Ng became the steady point through all of it.

After completing both the sale and purchase with WestCoast Living, they shared this five-star Google review:

“Remember to ask for Jason! Fantastic and knowledgeable professional who is available 24/7. Kind and attentive to my needs (There were a lot) and was able to answer any questions I had regardless of time of day. He was patient and did not push any properties on to us and let us choose what we wanted when we wanted. He was very organized and was literally with us every step of the way, from moving, junking, finding temporary storage- everything. He also well connected with all sorts of people in different industries. We used multiple companies that he recommended and they were all just as great as him! 100% will be back with all friends and family.”

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Sold Before It Hit the Market: The Story Behind 4947 Prince Albert St

Some of the most successful real estate stories never begin with a “For Sale” sign.

4947 Prince Albert Street was one of them.

This newly built custom residence in Vancouver’s Fraser neighbourhood offered something distinctive: a luxury main home paired with an additional laneway home. It was the kind of property where design, flexibility and location created a very specific opportunity.

And before it ever reached the open market, the right buyer appeared.

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Sold side-by-side duplex development by Vandwell Homes at 812 E 26th Ave in Vancouver

Sold in Under 10 Days: Vandwell Homes’ Side-by-Side Duplexes at 812 E 26th Ave in Vancouver

There are projects where the sale is the story. Then there are projects where the sale confirms something we already felt while standing inside the homes.

At 812 E 26th Avenue in Vancouver, the details mattered.

Vandwell Homes’ latest Fraserhood development brought two side-by-side duplexes to market with the kind of floor plans that made sense before anyone needed to explain them. Both residences offered approximately 2,078 sq. ft. across three levels, with four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms, yet the layout was designed to feel closer to a traditional house than a typical duplex. Full Public #2-812 E 26th Ave Full Public – #1 – 812 E 26th A…

In less than 10 days on the market in total, both homes had found their buyers.

#1 sold for $2,490,000.
#2 sold for $2,500,000.

For us, those results were not simply about speed. They were about finding buyers who recognized what Vandwell had put into the homes.

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Exterior of the two-level front half-duplex at 1382 E 17th Ave in Cedar Cottage, Vancouver

1382 E 17th Ave: A Two-Level Cedar Cottage Duplex That Lives Like a House

Some homes stand out because of a dramatic feature. Others simply get the fundamentals right.

At 1382 E 17th Avenue in Vancouver’s Cedar Cottage neighbourhood, the appeal starts with a floor plan that feels refreshingly straightforward: two levels, three bedrooms together upstairs, generous living space on the main, a detached garage, and considerably more storage than you might expect from a duplex.

Currently offered at $1,399,000, this front half-duplex provides 1,266 sq. ft., three bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms, with a layout designed around everyday function. Full Public

A Duplex With a Traditional Two-Level Layout

One of the first things we noticed about this home is what it doesn’t ask you to compromise on.

Rather than spreading the bedrooms across multiple floors, all three are located together on the upper level. The primary bedroom includes its own ensuite, while two additional bedrooms and full-size LG laundry complete the floor. Full Public

That leaves the entire main floor for living.

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a black and white line drawing of a home exterior

Sold in Dunbar: When the Right West Side Home Finds You

Sometimes the home search starts with a spreadsheet, a mortgage pre-approval and a carefully defined list of neighbourhoods.

And sometimes it starts because someone walks past the same house every day.

Our client was not actively looking for a new home when this Dunbar property came to market. Her son regularly walked past it, and when the For Sale sign appeared, he had a feeling it was one they needed to see.

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Thinking About Buying or Making Your Next Move? Start With a Plan.

Buying a home can feel like a series of questions you’re somehow supposed to already know the answers to.

How much can I actually afford? How much do I need for a down payment? What other costs should I plan for? If I already own, should I sell first or buy first? And how do I make sure I’m not overlooking something important?

That’s exactly why Michelle Legaspi and Zahra Damjanovic of WestCoast Living are hosting Making Your Move: Home Buying 101, a free, in-person workshop designed to make the home-buying process feel clearer and more manageable.

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Condominium Living and Dining Room with Fireplace in background.

What $549,000 Buys in Vancouver’s River District: A Two-Bedroom Concrete Condo with Views

For buyers trying to keep a Vancouver purchase below the $600,000 mark, the trade-off is often space.

That is what makes this two-bedroom home at River Dance worth a closer look. Priced at $549,000, the northeast corner residence offers 801 sq.ft., two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, two parking stalls and a storage locker in a concrete building in southeast Vancouver.

It is an interesting option for buyers who are carefully balancing purchase price with the amount of home they actually want to live in.

More than just an entry point into Vancouver

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a condominium living room with view

What $549,000 Buys Near Lougheed: A One-Bedroom Condo at Wynwood Green

For buyers trying to enter the Metro Vancouver market without giving up newer construction, transit access or building amenities, the challenge is usually finding a home where the numbers and the lifestyle still make sense.

At $549,000, this one-bedroom residence at Wynwood Green in West Coquitlam offers a useful middle ground: a newer concrete building, air conditioning, concierge service and over 600 sq.ft. of interior space, all within easy reach of Lougheed Town Centre and SkyTrain.

It is particularly relevant for buyers comparing an older, larger condo with a newer home that requires less immediate updating.

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Half Duplex view of living room with sliding patio doors

The Final Residence at MIRA: 1,732 Sq.Ft. of Design-Led Living at Trout Lake

When buyers move beyond simply counting bedrooms, the conversation around value changes.

The details start to matter more. How does the home feel when you walk through it? Is there enough separation between living and sleeping spaces? Does the kitchen feel considered rather than simply expensive? And will the design still feel relevant years from now?

That is where the final remaining residence at MIRA at Trout Lake stands apart.

Built by Cheng Properties, this quiet back duplex offers 1,732 sq.ft. across three levels, four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms, with private outdoor space and a location directly connected to one of East Vancouver’s most established recreational pockets.

Priced at $1,699,000, it works out to approximately $981 per sq.ft. before assigning any additional value to the outdoor space or parking.

For buyers comparing newer duplex and multiplex homes around East Vancouver, that is a useful number to put in context, particularly given the level of interior finishing.

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