Have you laboured under the impression, probably for years, that Toronto beaches real estate was the most expensive to be found in Canada? Well, you have obviously never checked out the real estate market here in Vancouver. Homes here have skyrocketed in price over the last decade, and even the current crash in real estate which has been felt all over the world has done little to bring prices in Canada's most beautiful city down.

Part of the reason for this is that the label we mentioned above really is no exaggeration. There is nowhere in the country quite as well situated both scenically and economically as Vancouver is. A lot of central Canadians have to buy a Muskoka cottage for sale in order to really get away from the confines and business that define the corridor from Quebec City to Windsor. In Vancouver, though, one is surrounded by pristine wilderness within a few kilometres of the city, on every side.

Transportation is convenient and varied, making it easier to move around Vancouver than those who own Windsor real estate might be used to. And of course a location on the Pacific Ocean does wonders both scenically and economically. Finally, there is the fact that the 2010 Winter Olympics are to be held in the city, which has meant real estate is in high demand.

All of these factors and a few others have combined to ensure Vancouver has the highest priced real estate anywhere in the country. Equivalent properties on the other side of the nation sell for at least $50,000 less than in Vancouver on average, and that's just taking condos into consideration. College Park condos in Toronto may run buyers anywhere from $750,000-1,001,000. A similar building on Coal Harbour in Vancouver will have single bedroom units starting at over $850,000!

The situation isn't much different when one compares outlying areas. Lindsay Ontario houses have become havens for those seeking reasonable housing prices in Toronto. In Vancouver, outlying cities such as Surrey, Burnaby, and even Langley all have markedly higher home prices than Lindsay. In fact, you have to travel for two hours out of the city centre before finding homes more in line with what one might pay in an area on the outskirts of Toronto!

The bottom line on Vancouver real estate is that compared to all other Canadian markets, real estate is expensive. That's not all bad, though, as housing prices are guaranteed to stay high and go higher here, just what potential investors need to hear!