“Some buyers acquire multiple homes, one to live in and others for investment. They made their money in a variety of businesses, including mining, stainless steel manufacturing and real estate. About 10 percent of them speak English.”

Anecdote extracted from ‘Chinese Spreading Wealth Make Vancouver Homes Pricier Than NYC’, by Hui-yong Yu and Christopher Donville, 17 May 2011, at bloomberg.com : “Winnie Chung, a Royal Pacific agent represented buyers or sellers in C$285 million of home sales in 2009 and 2010 combined. Chung employs eight full-time assistants and travels to China twice a year to meet potential clients. Some buyers acquire multiple homes, one to live in and others for investment, said Chung, the broker. Her clients made their money in a variety of businesses, she said, including mining, stainless steel manufacturing and real estate. About 10 percent of them speak English, she said.”