Where to Buy a Townhouse on the North Shore in 2019 – Full Ranking

Last year’s sales activity on the North Shore was certainly anaemic, particularly when compared to the sales activity (and price appreciation) of previous years. It’s not too surprising. The North Shore is known for its more expensive price-point — and homes in higher price brackets have taken the brunt of the real estate market slowdown that started in January 2018 and continued right up until the 2019 spring selling market.

For the North Shore, this slow down meant that about half of all neighbourhoods didn’t report sales of townhomes (or reported too few for statistical comparisons). That means this year’s list ranking was certainly cut down — dropping from a potential 70 competing communities to about 35 neighbourhoods that registered townhouse sales in 2018.

North Vancouver dominates this year’s ranking

While a slow down like this can prompt concerns, it should also be a signal to buyers to really look for those neighbourhoods that may be under-valued in this uncertain market. What do I mean? In the end, you want a neighbourhood that offers good value — great amenities, but with more affordable average housing costs — has strong momentum (price appreciation is strong and steady) and good economic prospects (high Realtor scores, along with good transit access and walking options).

This year, North Vancouver seems to dominate all three of these categories, when it comes to townhomes. This city has quickly grown up in the last decade due, in part, to the massive real estate bubble West Vancouver experienced. Buyers who wanted to stay close to the mountains found solace in North Vancouver neighbourhoods, which offered properties at a better price-point then West Vancouver communities. Developers took notice, as well. In the last five years, builders have bought, torn down and built a variety of developments — many, of which, offered first-time buyers access to the North Shore through more affordably priced condos and townhouses.

This year, the top 10 neighbourhoods were all located in North Vancouver (on the flipside, only 2 of the 10 “worst” ‘hoods to buy this year were located in North Vancouver).

To get a complete picture, see the full ranking below, where each community in West Vancouver and North Vancouver were scored based on value, momentum and economic desirability.

You can narrow down your townhome search by using the search function to display neighbourhoods only within a certain area (city) or district (larger municipality area).

10 Best Neighbourhoods to Buy a Townhouse on the North Shore in 2019

1. Lynnmour, North Vancouver – $953,451
2. Westlynn Terrace, North Vancouver – $974,625
3. Pemberton Heights, North Vancouver – $796,500
4. Norgate, North Vancouver – $857,500
5. Upper Lonsdale, North Vancouver – $720,621
6. Lynn Valley, North Vancouver – $1,004,518
7. Hamilton, North Vancouver – $862,986
8. Deep Cove, North Vancouver – $1,181,917
9. Delbrook, North Vancouver – $599,894
10. Pemberton, North Vancouver – $554,000

10 Worst Neighbourhoods to Buy a Townhouse on the North Shore in 2019

1. Indian River, North Vancouver – $978,889
2. Panorama Village, West Vancouver – $1,847,500
3. Furry Creek, West Vancouver – $1,354,750
4. British Properties, West Vancouver – $1,700,000
5. Horseshoe Bay, West Vancouver – $1,488,900
6. Dollarton, North Vancouver – $1,656,000
7. Queensbury, North Vancouver – $1,297,250
8. Chelsea Park, West Vancouver – $1,883,500
9. Dundarave, West Vancouver – $1,870,000
10. Ambleside, West Vancouver – $1,267,900

Romana King

Romana King is an award-winning personal finance writer, real estate expert, Contributing Editor at Zolo Homebase, and a best-selling Amazon author of House Poor No More: 9 Steps that Grow the Value of Your Home and Net Worth. Romana has contributed to various business and lifestyle publications including CBC.ca, Toronto Sun, Maclean’s, MoneySense, Globe & Mail Custom Content Team, among others.

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