New year. New goals. New places.

This January first, we all rang in the New Year with uncertainty, some even calling out “JUMANJI!” to get out of the not-so-fun times of 2020. Despite all this, many did their best to make the best of a less-than-enjoyable ‘lock down,’ and discovered that though they could do some things within Canada and BC, the space and/or neighbourhood they reside in was closing in on them. This led to a surprisingly strong and active real estate market across British Columbia.

Many people living downtown realized that, since they were working from home more, there was no real need to live in the heart of Vancouver’s metropolis in small quarters. So, they started looking out to the suburbs of the Tri-cities and the Fraser Valley in search of more space, perhaps a den, or even a second bedroom to act as a home office.

What does this mean for 2021? While we await further instructions from provincial expert Dr. Henry, and as a vaccine is rolling out, we don’t see this “buying frenzy” ending, but rather continuing to grow. With BC’s case numbers seen as relatively safe on a global scale we may even become busier in the real estate market as more doors open and make it easier for people to enter our province looking to set down their new roots.

As a result of this activity, new urban neighbourhoods are blooming, as many look for that perfect space in the perfect neighbourhood for them across the Tri-Cities and the Fraser Valley. A great example of this is the new area of ‘Uptown’ located in the City of Surrey between Surrey City Centre and Guildford Town Centre. This new neighbourhood offers an eclectic mix of shops and services and is just minutes away to Surrey City Centre and three skytrain stations as well as Guildford Town Centre Mall, and Highway One. Many new opportunities to enter this emerging community hub are in the approval process now, and one of the first, by Grandview Construction, is called Unison, coming to market for pre-sale this February. Being one of the first to purchase in a new area has historically been a good move to enter at lower prices and benefit from the highest equity gains over time. More about Unison and the Uptown neighbourhood can be found at www.unisonliving.ca. We encourage you to register to be among the first to view this exciting new opportunity.