I Love VanCoast

Sam Juergens Personal Real Estate Corporation
Oakwyn Realty Ltd.

Free relocation guide · 2026 edition

Moving to Vancouver, BC? Start Here.

A guide to Vancouver's Westside and Richmond's waterfront villages.

The honest guide to where to live, what your money really gets you, and what nobody tells you before you move. From a German-born Vancouverite of nearly 40 years, not a listings site.

Free. Instant download. For anyone moving from Toronto, Calgary, the US, Europe or overseas.

Moving to Vancouver, BC? Start Here. — the guide cover

Spanish Banks · Photo by Sam

21 five-star Google reviews Full time since 2013 Associate Broker · REALTOR® Oakwyn Realty Ltd.

The problem

You're choosing a neighbourhood in a city you barely know, from a listing site, a map and a few photos. Everything looks close together, and the prices look nothing like home.

Neighbourhoods a few kilometres apart live completely differently here. Pick off a map and you can find out after possession that the commute is twice what you planned, the strata has surprises in the fine print, or the street that looked quiet on a Sunday isn't on a Tuesday. That's not a weekend mistake. It's years.

There's a better way: Start with the life you want, then let the money follow. This guide shows you how, one neighbourhood at a time.

Same budget, different life

The prices look nothing like home. Here's by how much.

$0.5M $1.0M $1.5M $2.0M Calgary, Detached: $739,400 $739,400 CALGARY Toronto, Detached: $1,562,966 $1,562,966 TORONTO Greater Vancouver, Detached: $1,784,700 $1,784,700 VANCOUVER Detached Calgary, Apartment / condo: $291,400 $291,400 CALGARY Toronto, Apartment / condo: $640,248 $640,248 TORONTO Greater Vancouver, Apartment / condo: $682,500 $682,500 VANCOUVER Apartment / condo
Detached Calgary, Detached: $739,400 Calgary $739,400 Toronto, Detached: $1,562,966 Toronto $1,562,966 Greater Vancouver, Detached: $1,784,700 Vancouver $1,784,700 Apartment / condo Calgary, Apartment / condo: $291,400 Calgary $291,400 Toronto, Apartment / condo: $640,248 Toronto $640,248 Greater Vancouver, Apartment / condo: $682,500 Vancouver $682,500

Calgary: CREB benchmark · Toronto: City of Toronto average (TRREB) · Greater Vancouver: Greater Vancouver REALTORS® benchmark. All September 2026. Benchmarks and averages are different measures, so treat this as a rough sense, not a match.

From the US West Coast · houses, in Canadian dollars

C$0.8M C$1.6M C$2.4M C$3.2M Portland metro: C$765,000 (US$545,000) Portland metro C$765,000 US$545,000 Seattle: C$1,298,000 (US$924,950) Seattle C$1,298,000 US$924,950 Los Angeles County: C$1,396,000 (US$994,670) Los Angeles County C$1,396,000 US$994,670 San Francisco County: C$2,883,000 (US$2,054,000) San Francisco County C$2,883,000 US$2,054,000 Greater Vancouver: C$1,784,700 (detached benchmark) Greater Vancouver C$1,784,700 detached benchmark
C$1.6M C$3.2M Portland metro: C$765,000 (US$545,000) Portland metro C$765,000 US$545,000 Seattle: C$1,298,000 (US$924,950) Seattle C$1,298,000 US$924,950 Los Angeles County: C$1,396,000 (US$994,670) Los Angeles County C$1,396,000 US$994,670 San Francisco County: C$2,883,000 (US$2,054,000) San Francisco County C$2,883,000 US$2,054,000 Greater Vancouver: C$1,784,700 (detached benchmark) Greater Vancouver C$1,784,700 detached benchmark

US figures are September 2026 median sale prices: Portland metro, all home types (RMLS); Seattle, houses and townhomes (NWMLS); Los Angeles and San Francisco counties, existing single-family homes (California Association of REALTORS®). Converted at 1 US$ = C$1.4038, Bank of Canada daily average, 27 October 2026. Greater Vancouver is the detached benchmark (Greater Vancouver REALTORS®, September 2026). Medians and benchmarks are different measures.

From Hamburg, Berlin and Kiel · in Canadian dollars

C$0.5M C$1.0M C$1.5M C$2.0M APARTMENT · 100 M² AT THE CITY'S AVERAGE €/M² Kiel: C$585,000 (€373,900) Kiel C$585,000 €373,900 Berlin: C$783,000 (€500,700) Berlin C$783,000 €500,700 Hamburg: C$940,000 (€601,000) Hamburg C$940,000 €601,000 Greater Vancouver: C$682,500 (apartment benchmark) Greater Vancouver C$682,500 apartment benchmark HOUSE · 150 M² AT THE CITY'S AVERAGE €/M² Kiel: C$832,000 (€531,900) Kiel C$832,000 €531,900 Berlin: C$1,132,000 (€723,900) Berlin C$1,132,000 €723,900 Hamburg: C$1,270,000 (€811,650) Hamburg C$1,270,000 €811,650 Greater Vancouver: C$1,784,700 (detached benchmark) Greater Vancouver C$1,784,700 detached benchmark
C$1.0M C$2.0M APARTMENT · 100 M² Kiel: C$585,000 (€373,900) Kiel C$585,000 €373,900 Berlin: C$783,000 (€500,700) Berlin C$783,000 €500,700 Hamburg: C$940,000 (€601,000) Hamburg C$940,000 €601,000 Greater Vancouver: C$682,500 (apartment benchmark) Greater Vancouver C$682,500 apartment benchmark HOUSE · 150 M² Kiel: C$832,000 (€531,900) Kiel C$832,000 €531,900 Berlin: C$1,132,000 (€723,900) Berlin C$1,132,000 €723,900 Hamburg: C$1,270,000 (€811,650) Hamburg C$1,270,000 €811,650 Greater Vancouver: C$1,784,700 (detached benchmark) Greater Vancouver C$1,784,700 detached benchmark

German figures are immowelt's average asking prices per square metre, updated 1 October 2026: Kiel €3,739 (apartments) and €3,546 (houses); Berlin €5,007 and €4,826; Hamburg €6,010 and €5,411. The bars multiply those rates by 100 m² for an apartment and 150 m² for a house, then convert at €1 = C$1.5643 (Bank of Canada, 27 October 2026). Greater Vancouver bars are the apartment and detached benchmarks (Greater Vancouver REALTORS®, September 2026), which are not size-matched. Treat this as a rough sense, not a match.

What's inside

Nineteen pages. Everything I'd tell you over coffee.

What you'll get

  • The real answer to "which neighbourhood is best for me," and why it starts with how you want your weekdays and weekends to feel.
  • Same budget, different life: how Vancouver, BC prices compare with Toronto, Calgary, the US West Coast (Portland to Los Angeles) and Germany (Hamburg, Berlin, Kiel), charted in Canadian dollars with sourced numbers.
  • Five ways to live here, ten neighbourhoods side by side: False Creek, Fairview, South Granville, Kitsilano, Point Grey, Dunbar, Kerrisdale, Arbutus, Steveston and Seafair. Prices, schools, transit, and the one honest trade-off of each, with all ten on one price chart.
  • What surprises people once they actually live here.
  • The seven mistakes relocating buyers make, and how to avoid every one.
  • "Can I buy if I'm not a permanent resident yet?" Where the rules stand going into 2027.
  • A simple timeline from 12 months out to the week you get the keys.
  • A one-page relocation checklist to print and tick off as you go.

Why it's worth more than free: Listing sites show you homes. This shows you how each neighbourhood actually lives, written by someone who has lived in three of them and sold across all of Metro Vancouver.

The guide's cover A page from inside the guide: the neighbourhoods, photographed by Sam
Sam Juergens Sam Juergens · Associate Broker · REALTOR®

About Sam

Hi, I'm Sam.

What makes me different

I was born in Germany, moved a lot as a kid, and my family finally put down roots in Vancouver in 1989. Since then I've lived in Kitsilano, Downtown, Bowen Island, Kits Point, Steveston and now Seafair. I know what starting over feels like, and I know how differently each part of this city lives, which means you get honest comparisons instead of a sales pitch for one area.

Why I'm qualified

Full-time REALTOR® and Associate Broker since 2013, and a former Managing Broker who trained other agents in contracts, compliance and risk.

1

We start with life. How you want your weekdays and weekends to feel, then the neighbourhoods that fit.

2

I compare them side by side, honestly, and do the market research on the spot when the right home appears.

3

Your offer is written to protect you, and every document is explained in plain language until it makes sense.

Why work with Sam

An expert friend who reads the paperwork like a regulator.

Why me

Most agents defend one territory. I've sold across Metro Vancouver, so I can hold two neighbourhoods side by side and tell you the honest trade-off of each. And as a former Managing Broker who taught other agents contracts and risk, I read every document with a regulator's eye and explain it like an expert friend. For someone buying in a city they don't know yet, that's the protection that matters most.

The transformation

From scrolling listings in another city, unsure what's normal here, to standing in a neighbourhood that fits your life, with every step understood and every line of the contract working for you.

No pressure, ever. I advise, and the decision is always yours.

Photographed by Sam · October 2026

Ocean, mountains, city. One day, four neighbourhoods.

Granville Island, Kitsilano, Spanish Banks and Kerrisdale, all taken by me on one grey autumn weekday. No stock photos and no sunny-day filters. This is what it actually looks like here.

The red Granville Island sign under the Granville Street BridgeGranville Island
A cheese counter in the Granville Island Public MarketPublic Market
The Kits Corner neon sign with arrows to Jericho Beach and Wreck BeachKitsilano
The ferry dock at Granville Island with the Burrard Bridge behindFalse Creek
Trays of olives at a market counterPublic Market
A bench and driftwood logs at Spanish Banks looking out to the islands and mountainsSpanish Banks
Sam Juergens at Spanish Banks pointing toward downtown VancouverDowntown's that way
West Boulevard in Kerrisdale Village with a yellow autumn treeKerrisdale

That's the part photos can't fully show: how close it all is, and how differently each place lives.

The local market

Five ways to live. Ten neighbourhoods I know inside out.

Communities this guide covers: False Creek, Fairview and South Granville · Kitsilano · Point Grey and Dunbar · Kerrisdale and Arbutus · Steveston and Seafair, Richmond. Looking elsewhere in Metro Vancouver? I've sold across the region and I'm happy to compare those too.

$0.8M $1.6M $2.4M $3.2M DETACHED · BENCHMARK, AUGUST 2026 Kitsilano: $2,514,100 Kitsilano $2,514,100 Point Grey: $2,615,900 Point Grey $2,615,900 Kerrisdale: $2,931,100 Kerrisdale $2,931,100 Dunbar: $2,965,600 Dunbar $2,965,600 Arbutus Ridge: $3,094,900 Arbutus Ridge $3,094,900 TOWNHOME · BENCHMARK, AUGUST 2026 Kitsilano: $1,206,700 Kitsilano $1,206,700 Kerrisdale: $1,550,300 Kerrisdale $1,550,300 CONDO · BENCHMARK, AUGUST 2026 (VANCOUVER WEST, ALL APARTMENTS: SEPTEMBER 2026) Point Grey: $709,000 Point Grey $709,000 Kitsilano: $709,600 Kitsilano $709,600 Vancouver West: $761,800 Vancouver West $761,800 Kerrisdale: $947,500 Kerrisdale $947,500 South Granville: $1,082,000 South Granville $1,082,000 RICHMOND · MEDIAN SALE PRICE, SEPTEMBER 2026 (ZEALTY) · A DIFFERENT MEASURE Steveston Village: $1,664,000 Steveston Village $1,664,000 Seafair: $2,237,900 Seafair $2,237,900
$0.8M $1.6M $2.4M $3.2M DETACHED · BENCHMARK, AUG 2026 Kitsilano: $2,514,100 Kitsilano $2,514,100 Point Grey: $2,615,900 Point Grey $2,615,900 Kerrisdale: $2,931,100 Kerrisdale $2,931,100 Dunbar: $2,965,600 Dunbar $2,965,600 Arbutus Ridge: $3,094,900 Arbutus Ridge $3,094,900 TOWNHOME · BENCHMARK, AUG 2026 Kitsilano: $1,206,700 Kitsilano $1,206,700 Kerrisdale: $1,550,300 Kerrisdale $1,550,300 CONDO · BENCHMARK, AUG 2026 (VAN. WEST: SEPT) Point Grey: $709,000 Point Grey $709,000 Kitsilano: $709,600 Kitsilano $709,600 Vancouver West: $761,800 Vancouver West $761,800 Kerrisdale: $947,500 Kerrisdale $947,500 South Granville: $1,082,000 South Granville $1,082,000 RICHMOND · MEDIAN SALE PRICE, SEPT 2026 Steveston Village: $1,664,000 Steveston Village $1,664,000 Seafair: $2,237,900 Seafair $2,237,900

Benchmarks: Greater Vancouver REALTORS®, August 2026 (Vancouver West apartment: September 2026). Medians: Zealty, September 2026. Benchmarks and medians are different measures; the Richmond bars are shown hatched for that reason.

A small False Creek ferry with the downtown towers behind

False Creek · Fairview · South Granville

City and seawall living

Mostly condos and townhomes, the seawall and Granville Island at the door, Broadway Subway stations at Oak and VGH and South Granville scheduled for late 2027.

The honest trade-off: much of False Creek sits on City-leased land.

Kits Beach with driftwood logs and the West End across the water

Kitsilano

Beach and walkable

Condo benchmark $709,600 (Greater Vancouver REALTORS®, August 2026), Kits Beach, Kitsilano Pool, West 4th.

The honest trade-off: a yard means looking hard and paying a premium.

Spanish Banks beach with snow on the North Shore mountains

Point Grey · Dunbar

Forest and ocean edge

Larger detached homes near Spanish Banks, Pacific Spirit Park and UBC. Dunbar's detached benchmark was the only one on the Westside that rose on the year (August 2026).

The honest trade-off: no SkyTrain out here yet.

Kerrisdale Village shopfronts and banners on West Boulevard

Kerrisdale · Arbutus

Village and Greenway

The brick-paved village on West 41st, Elm Park, the car-free Arbutus Greenway, Magee and Prince of Wales Secondary.

The honest trade-off: multiplex zoning means streets may change over time.

Seafair is home for me. Ask, and I'll show you around in person.

Steveston · Seafair

Waterfront village

Fisherman's Wharf, Garry Point Park, the 6 km West Dyke Trail, half an hour from the airport. Steveston Village median sale price $1,664,000 (Zealty, September 2026).

The honest trade-off: downtown means a bridge or the tunnel.

Inside the guide

All ten, side by side.

Prices, schools, transit, and the one honest trade-off of each. Free, instant download.

Why my local depth matters to you

From 2,000 kilometres away every neighbourhood looks good in photos. I can tell you how each one feels on a rainy Tuesday morning, so you don't learn it after possession.

Proof

What it's like to work with me from a distance.

"...would even take the time to help us observe the neighborhood. Sam would point out things to look for and provide professional comments on each property."

Tee I., sold and bought with Sam to move up to a larger house

"My husband and I never have to go to Vancouver for any emergency or solve any issues last minute."

Cindy L., sold her Richmond home while living in another city

"We recently bought a house in the Fraser Valley, which is not a close drive for Sam. However, he showed up to every showing he could."

Travis B., repeat client

"When we found the place we loved he was spot on with the current market research in the area and helped us finalize everything within hours."

Klara B., first home

21five-star Google reviews
2013full time since
10neighbourhoods across Vancouver's Westside and Richmond

Every one of these clients trusted me to be their eyes, ears and judgment on the ground. That's exactly what you need when you're buying from somewhere else.

Follow along

Follow for more free value: I make videos about how Vancouver's neighbourhoods actually live, the real numbers, and the paperwork explained plainly. If the guide helps, the channel is the rest of the conversation.

YouTube @sam_juergens @samjuergens1 Facebook

Your free guide

Your free guide: Moving to Vancouver, BC? Start Here.

Top 3 you'll get

  • Ten neighbourhoods side by side, with prices, schools, transit and the honest trade-off of each.
  • How your budget compares with Toronto, Calgary, the US West Coast and Germany.
  • A step-by-step timeline from 12 months out to keys in hand.

Free. Instant download. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Quick answers

Is this a sales pitch?

No. It's the guide. If you ever want help, you know where to find me.

Will I get spammed?

No. It's an instant download, and you can unsubscribe from anything, anytime.

I haven't even decided if I'm moving. Is this for me?

Then this is the thing to read before you decide. No commitment, just the honest picture.