“Why should I stay here and pay exorbitant RE prices when I can move to Oregon, make more money with my qualifications, enjoy a better climate, pay less taxes and buy a beautiful home for 500K?”

As markets reach extremes, more and more people become aware of the resultant disparities. Even though most of us prefer to stay put, the benefits of making a move start crossing thresholds that cause some people to take action. This from Peter Pan at greaterfool.ca on 21 Nov 2009 at 1:41 am -

“I’m looking to get the hell out of Vancouver and move to the US… Why should I stay here and pay exorbitant RE prices when I can move to Oregon, make more money with my qualifications, enjoy a better climate, pay less taxes and buy a beautiful home for 500K?”

“It’s Raincouver on the Wet Coast. Just admit it and get over it already.”

Clement weather is often used as an argument in support of higher Vancouver RE prices. This downpour of realism from betamax at greaterfool.ca 21 Nov 2009 2:04 am -

“I live in Van, and it rains often. This last 12 mths has been a dry exception, not the rule. I don’t mind the rain and prefer it to snow, but I don’t know why locals here pretend that it doesn’t rain often and get defensive when others point it out. Does the blind jingoistic patriotism really run that deep? Are we Vancouverites becoming as unthinkingly defensive of our little backwater as inbred hillbillies? It’s like the Emperor’s New Clothes and no one wants to admit the obvious: it’s Raincouver on the Wet Coast; just admit it and get over it already.”

“This well heeled Asian investor’s belief was that there were better opportunities in the U.S. real estate market over the long term.”

This from Ziggy at robchipman.net on 18 Nov 2009 11:36 pm -

“I had an interesting discussion with a well heeled Asian real estate investor (tens of millions invested) a few months back. His belief was that as an investor, there were better opportunities in the U.S. real estate market over the long term. His views on Vancouver was that a correction would eventually occur and could be partly triggered by the exodus of large scale Asian investors to American markets that have retrenched and now offer better prospects for longer term returns than Canada. While Vancouver has a large Asian population, many large scale Asian investors have bought properties throughout the country over the last ten to twenty years. Rebalancing their portfolio is largely a business rather than an emotional decision.”

Krazy Kanuck & his Vancouver RE Kalkulations

As home prices inflate to stratospheric levels, the utility of the sale price of many homes would cause a percentage of owners to ‘cash in’ – sell, move/rent, and live comfortably on the proceeds. (As one owner planning on selling and leaving Vancouver told vreaa, “I’ll never have to work another winter”.) The flip side of this is that many potential buyers are now sitting on their hands, as they are aware of the utility of the money that they save by doing so. This position is expressed here by Krazy Kanuck at greaterfool.ca 17 Nov 2009 11:05 pm, who has the added advantage of “living temporarily” in Vancouver, which probably gives him useful perspective. -

“I’m living temporarily in Vancouver (the epicenter of delusion), and I can’t wrap my head around the fact that if someone gave me $1 million, I could either: 1) buy a house here…and not a great one, only a good one, OR 2) buy $1 million worth of dividend stock funds, rent the house, put food on the table, and probably run a car. (I’m assuming a 3.6% yield…or $3k a month….for doing NOTHING!!) And my friends call me Krazy.”

“My dreams of buying cheap real estate are over. I don’t need to own, and current buyers are far crazier than I would have *ever* expected.”

This from rp at vancouvercondo.info 17th Nov 2009 10:31 am -

“My dreams of buying cheap real estate are over. I don’t need to own, and current buyers are far crazier than I would have *ever* expected. We just witnessed a worldwide financial crisis – the biggest in 80 years – and they are lining up to mortgage their lives away for a dream. Casting themselves onto the rocks is more like how I see it, because I don’t see how this could possibly be over. I save enough money to provide decent financial security for my family and will continue to do so. I’m 30 years old. It would feel good to settle down, but instead I’m going to remain flexible about where I live and what job I take.”

“Even though I don’t believe it logically, it seems like the ‘best place on earth’-hype has actually gotten to me subconsciously.”

A Vancouverite becomes aware of the fact that they’ve been unduly influenced by the herd, and decides they’re better off elsewhere. This striking story from Rust at vancouvercondo.info 10th Nov 2009 at 8:56 am -

“I’ve been doing more travel for work, and the thing that always surprised me is how nice other cities are. Even though I don’t believe it logically, it seems like the ‘best place on earth’-hype has actually gotten to me subconsciously. I find myself almost surprised when I notice things that are far more appealing about other cities with lower cost of living. It’s been an eye opener. Right now family and work keeps me here, but prices would have to drop DRAMATICALLY for me to even consider buying here. It’s become clear to me lately that I’m just not interested in living in Vancouver long term.”

“The real story is how many jobs in hi-tech did this real estate boom kill? How many startups never bothered?”

Home owners have experienced paper and emotional gains from rising RE prices, and the construction industry has obviously experienced a period of boom. What is less obvious is that, for many, real estate prices have made Vancouver a less attractive city in which to live and work. Business have left Vancouver, or avoided it in the first place. Recent job cuts have people talking about this effect -

This from other ted at vancouvercondo.info 9th Nov 2009 11:11 pm -

“Let’s face it Kodak Canada is what is left of Creo. The [major] job cuts were in 2002 and 2003. There is almost nothing left there now. I don’t think I know anyone left working there, maybe a few. It won’t make a difference. The real story is how many jobs in hi-tech did this real estate boom kill? How many startups never bothered? How many real jobs vanished or were never created? The damage is done. Seriously, crash or no crash I can’t see myself moving back to Vancouver.”

This from patriotzed at vancouvercondo.info 10th Nov 2009 4:49 am -

“I took a high-tech management program from SFU back in the late 80’s when it looked like Vancouver had a real future in high tech. Our focus companies were Glenayre and Creo. For a metro to be a growth centre for high tech, it must be attractive to professional families. Vancouver was in the 80’s and 90’s and that’s the major reason why capital and workers were attracted here for the many startups. Make the metro unattractive, and you kill high tech. Housing in Seattle is a good deal cheaper than in Vancouver, and it is and has always been a major high tech hub – why on earth would anyone locate here instead of there, except to employ a few peons who couldn’t get H1B’s? Inside Canada look at Ottawa, or Waterloo, which are even cheaper. If housing gets down to and stays at 80’s real prices, high tech may get going again, but it looks like we’ve slipped back 20 years or more.”

“Leaving Vancouver was one the best things I ever did. I do not miss any of the things people believe to be so essential as to require living in the most expensive real estate in the country.”

This advice was directed at the prior ’sardine family’ poster, but it’s applicable in a broader sense too, so it is posted separately. Here’s Kurt at greaterfool.ca on 29th October at 11:37 pm -

“I don’t know how portable your job(s} are, but leaving Vancouver was one the best things I ever did. Think carefully, and if you do, make damn sure you’ve got a job waiting for you, but you really should consider going elsewhere. I do not miss any of the things people believe to be so essential as to require living in the most expensive real estate in the country.”