Solid advice.<p>I moved to Vancouver shortly before the .com crash. Worked for a number of companies, primarily doing low-level system programming, climbing from 50K to 120K in 5 or so years and periodically trying to do my own thing. One of the attempts worked, got a good exit, at which point started looking at upgrading from our pretty decent Burnaby condo to a house.<p>Being a true nouveau riche, we scouted everything, including most expensive areas like UBC, Point Gray and West Vancouver, talked to the agents, looked at the building lots, spoke with architects - the whole shebang. It became absolutely crystal clear that the Vancouver real estate is just one big parking lot for Chinese money. And they don&#x27;t just park them there, they also bring their gambling habits with them, constantly flipping what they have and perpetually warming up the prices. It is in-your-face obvious once you take a close look at what&#x27;s going on. You don&#x27;t even have to prompt agents to relay the stories of how they guide groups of Chinese government suits through dozens of properties, all of which they end up buying above asking. It is absolutely INSANE. As it is ultimately disgusting.<p>In any case, we looked around once again, said &quot;fuck it&quot; and moved elsewhere. Mountains and good restaurants can&#x27;t offset the fact that you feel like a lower middle class even when you don&#x27;t have to work ever again in your life.<p>It&#x27;s a nice place when you are young, renting and have no attachments, but I would strongly discourage from trying to settle there on a more permanent basis.