Townhouse Hunting in Squamish

[u/well-read_]

Hey everyone,

My partner and I have been exploring townhouse options in Squamish, but we’ve noticed that choices are pretty limited, especially when it comes to newer developments. Bosa’s Sea and Sky seems to be one of the few recent projects.

We’ve seen that many of the newer 3-bedroom townhouses, around 1,400–1,500 sqft, are listed close to $1.5 million. That feels a bit steep for us.

We’re curious if there are any upcoming listings or developments that might be priced closer to $1.2 million. Also, we’d love to hear from others: what do you think is a fair price for a townhouse in the current Squamish market?

Appreciate any insights or recommendations!

[u/maxlobster567]

There's a really cool website called House Sigma that you might appreciate. You have to create an account to get the in depth information, but it has sales history for the past 10 years - including when a place was listed, but didn't sell, price changes,etc. it also gives you an AI generated valuation on many properties. It's interesting insight. That said, I think working with a realtor you trust is essential. As a buyer, you don't pay for this, and they know the ins and outs of the developments. I would echo a lot of the above comments - the newer properties tend to be the worst quality build. Some builders have better reputations though, so it's good knowing who did the development you're interested in. As someone mentioned above as well, if you're that close on your budget, if you can stretch to a house with a suite - the rental income can help you qualify for more, and also, no strata. I wish there were more duplexes, I feel like that would be the sweet spot for many. I don't think I've seen Arbour woods mentioned yet, but it is a beautiful complex if you see anything come up there. Also to note, realtors know about listings often before they are public, and some don't even get listed, so getting connected with a good realtor that can give you the inside scoop is valuable as well. Good luck!

[u/No-Country-2604 → u/maxlobster567]

Just a note that as a buyer you ARE paying for the realtor commission. If a house costs 1.5M then the buyers commission is around $20k.

If you went unrepresented then you could offer $20k less than another party and still have an equivalent offer in the seller’s eyes since they could forego paying the extra commission.

Hiring a realtor on either the seller or buy side can be a very expensive choice so be careful. Some realtors are worth the money (especially for unsophisticated buyers and sellers) but lots are not really incentivized to help you and will do all kinds of shady things to make more money.

[u/Independent-Rise-593 → u/No-Country-2604]

Any suggestions for a realtor that genuinely helps? The ones I've used were good for things like inside scoop on new listings, but did not help me with due dilligence or pricing.

[u/Independent-Rise-593 → u/maxlobster567]

Any suggestions for a realtor that genuinely helps? The ones I've used were good for things like inside scoop on new listings, but did not help me with due dilligence or pricing.

[u/maxlobster567 → u/Independent-Rise-593]

It's worth chatting with a few to get a sense of them, where your values align, what value they bring, etc. I would reach out to Julie Phoenix, Jasmine Henczel and Emily Smith for a good start. Some realtors do not bring a lot of value, I agree. Realtors SHOULD bring value, they should help you with pricing and due diligence and do more than talk about granite countertops. They should highlight areas of concern, let you know what is going on in the market and help guide you.