Okay you west coast members,

Got a few questions about the Greater Vancouver Area.

Got a job offer in Burnaby but I haven't accepted yet. Still a lot things to go over...

I'm trying to figure out good locations for school and family.

I already know house prices are ridiculous (even more so than Toronto). I already know traffic sucks as well (why you have traffic lights on highways, I have no idea and single lane bridges???). Cost of living is also higher. I gathered this information from what I've been able to research so far so let me know if it isn't accurate.

Some people say Surrey, Langley, and Maple Ridge are good places but exactly where in those regions, Surrey is a pretty big place. These areas are the more affordable places but new housing in Maple Ridge is about $569,000 for a 2,200 square feet home (plus GST).

Maybe I should rent for a few years and see how the economy does.

Also not sure how much car insurance premiums would be for a 2004G35C.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

yes, surrey is a large city. a good way to start when looking for housing is to assess what commute you can live with. burnaby is quite large so depending on where your office is the commute could be ugly. that being said, there are many areas of burnaby that are similar in pricing to those that you mentioned. there are some great areas to burnaby (which is directly adjacent to vancouver, only boundary road separates the two) itself.
this must be difficult to determine from 5000kms away so maybe a scouting trip would be in order?
as far as insurance premiums, my 04 6mt sedan costs less than $1300/year. that's with full coverage w/optionals and lowest deductibles. and i'm a late 20's male.

 

Thanks for your input.

I will be planning a trip soon but there's a lot of territory to cover. I'll probably have to look at Burnaby first. I also need to try out a commute during rush hours to see how bad it really is...can't imagine it can be any worse than Toronto.

Insurance seems reasonable.

Any bad areas or areas I should stay away from in Burnaby and Surrey?

 

Surrey - yes, many. as i am from vancouver proper i don't go out there too often. the area called "whalley" is a particularly bad one, but there are quite a few more. of course there are good areas too. you'd have to look at a city map and ask about a few specifics.

burnaby - for the most part better than surrey, but like everywhere has its less desirable spots. i'd say there are some great areas north of hwy 1 between boundary and the coquitlam border. also the deer lake area is nice.

if your job was in northeast burnaby i'd suggest having a look at northern coquitlam as well.

 

I cannot suggest specific areas of Greater Vancouver but I can tell you from years of experience in owning Vancouver real estate. Now is the best time to buy. If you rent for a couple of years the market can get away from you. There may be downward blips in Vancouver property values but the trend is always up if you are at all patient. Buy a house if you can at all afford it.

 

I live in North Burnaby. Absolutely love it here. 15 mins to just about anywhere.

If you work in Burnaby and drive a G, then stay away from Surrey.

I worked downtown for many years with my G - no problems. Changed jobs and worked in Surrey, car got keyed for no reason other than I have a nice car.