[jbarham]

> And the "wet coast" is really a myth.

Nice try but Vancouver really is wet and miserable most days in winter. I know because I lived there for 5 years. Sure winter is more bearable than Halifax or St John's but that's not saying much.

Now I live in Melbourne and just laugh and point to the banana tree in my backyard when people complain about winter here.

[Jack000]

if we're going with the Chinese investors are inflating real estate prices theory - most Chinese people would probably find the cold winters in the rest of Canada a deal breaker, whereas the rain in Vancouver is a mild inconvenience. If you don't want to go to the US, Vancouver Canada and Australia are at the top of the list - Vancouver doubly so because of the large native Chinese population.

Personally I think the foreign investment segment in the Vancouver real estate market is a bit over-reported. A large part of the demand here comes from East-Asian immigrants (30% of the population) who will buy a home despite renting being a better fiscal option. This is reflected in the gap between ownership and rental prices.