Investing in Vancouver

Surrounded by the Coastal Mountains, lush forests and the Pacific Ocean, it's no wonder so many people continue to flock to this beautiful city. With its mild winters and pleasant summers Vancouver offers year-round activities for all lifestyles.

In addition to its panoramic views and easy access to nature, there has been a huge influx of investment in the Vancouver Real Estate Market from all corners of the globe giving Vancouver a leading edge in the Real Estate Market. Since 2000, prices in Vancouver have increased an average of 15% a year with 2006 achieving a 22% increase. This has exceeded all expectations and has been one of the most emendable and secure strategies for creating and preserving wealth. The housing boom in Vancouver has been attributed to a number of factors including a very strong over-all economy in Western Canada and large foreign investment from Asia, the United States and Europe. Compared to other global cities such as San Francisco, Sydney, New York and London, Vancouver has been the cheaper buy and is only now starting to come compete with these large epicenters. In terms of social and economic factors, Vancouver rates among the best in the world and has been ranked Best Place To Live year after year by such reputable organizations as the Economist Intelligence (EIU).

This rain forest city which was once primarily synonymous with fishing and forestry is now home to upscale buildings, designer fashion, a thriving movie industry, and the upcoming 2010 Olympic Games. Vancouver's skyline is bristling with cranes building world-class, high-end hotel and condo complexes such as the Shangri-la, The Ritz-Carlton, the Kor Hotel Group's first Canadian location, the Loden and The Residences On Georgia. The Shangri-La is scheduled for completion in January 2009 and will be the tallest building in the city towering at 61 stories tall.

Along with all the new construction, Vancouver has no shortage of boutique stores including Chanel, Tiffany, Agent Provocateur, Coach, Ferragamo, Hermes, Gucci and Louis Vuitton.

With the arrival of the upcoming Olympics, Vancouver has spent millions on improving the city's infrastructure, most notably the Canada Line that will be an above/below ground subway system stretching from the Airport along Cambie Street and downtown Granville Street to Waterfront Station. The Sea-to-Sky highway from Vancouver to Whistler has also undergone a massive re-construction, which shortens the trip from 2 hours to 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Another massive construction project that has been undertaken is the Olympic Village in False Creek East, which will house the Olympic athletes. This project will complete the False Creek waterfront and the seawall.

Vancouver's idyllic landscape teamed with all the amenities of world-class, cosmopolitan living make it one of the greatest places to live and one of the best places to invest in Real Estate.

For more information about investing in Vancouver contact Peter Raab, Vancouver Real Estate Agent.