Finding a rental that works for your family can be a big challenge. Really, anything regarding finding a suitable home in Vancouver is over the top difficult. As a real estate agent, you might be surprised to hear that I don't push buying a home on to all of my friends and clients. Owning a home isn't for everyone, there are many good reasons that people stay out of the real estate purchase market. I have close friends who rent a home in East Vancouver for $850 a month! It's a whole house with a garage and yard. $850 a month! Why would you move, you couldn't get a home that cheap.

So if you are looking for a new rental, how can you keep ahead of the game, or give you a leg up? Here are...

When moving into a new neighbourhood, family heads can't help but wonder where they can find a community best suited for their family needs. Today, some communities set themselves apart but their new regulations set by the city council.

New Westminster can be considered ahead of the game; they know how important families are to a community and they want families to move in and stay in New West. How?

The city of New Westminster set a precident on making sure there are enough homes for families in the City. With detached homes rizing in purchase and rental prices, Jonathan Cote passed new regulations making it a must that all new buildings in the city, must contain a certain number...

There are a large number of young professionals and young families moving out of Downtown Vancouver, and it is not because they have the desire to move from the city. The major reason for the move is price of course, but the two types of buyers are; (1) first-time home buyers; and (2) growing families needing the larger space of a single family house.

As mentioned, they are not moving because they do not love the city life. In fact they've grown to love it. And now they have to decide what suburb outside of the city meets their requirements. Many of the buyers I deal with enjoy the variety of cafes, restaurants, pubs, and shops. The mama and pop stores rule, while the major chain restaurants and...

How do you sum up a real estate market that is so inconsistent?

• Homes not selling for months
• Homes recieving multiple offers 
• Little inventory in some areas
• Too much inventory in others. 

What is the consistent part of the market? Answer. The Buyers

Put yourself in the buyers position. You've heard your friend/family member paid "X" amount of money below the asking price for a home.  What do you now expect when you go to buy? The same thing? Of course! You don't want to over pay when buying in the same market.   

The problem is, one street/neighbourhood/complex/builing in one area can greatly differ from another. Even a unit in the same building...