Alex Chen
Verified WriterSenior Editor, North American PropTech
Vancouver-based market analyst covering the intersection of housing, capital, and software for over a decade.
Biography
Alex Chen is the Senior Editor for North American PropTech coverage at Vanhub News. Before joining Vanhub, Alex spent eight years on the data desk of a Toronto-based real estate research firm, where he led models on cross-border housing capital flows between Vancouver, Seattle, and the Bay Area. His reporting tracks how proptech startups, mortgage policy, and remote-work behaviour reshape urban housing supply.
Alex holds a B.Comm. (Real Estate) from UBC Sauder and is a CFA Level III candidate. He believes that market intelligence should be accountable: every chart he publishes links back to a primary source, and every forecast carries an explicit probability range. When he is not writing, Alex is usually reviewing CMHC quarterly disclosures or walking the Stanley Park seawall.
Latest stories by Alex Chen
Surrey Condos Down 8%, Richmond Off 8%: Where the 10% Floor Broke
BC Assessment's 2026 roll and GVR transaction data pinpoint exactly which Metro Vancouver neighbourhoods crossed the 10% decline threshold — and why the composite number hides the real damage.
Burnaby Holds 18% of Metro Vancouver's Unsold Condos — and Is Still Approving Towers
CMHC's own data shows Burnaby leading Metro Vancouver's unsold condo glut, yet a $43.4M federal deal and provincial law keep the approvals flowing. Here's the structural trap.
BC Investors Face Unlimited CRA Audit Window Under New 2026 Rules
Bill C-31 and section 67.7 stack three overlapping tax regimes on BC property investors — including a reassessment window that never closes. Here's what's already in CRA's hands.
$82,500 Per Suite — and Most BC Landlords Filed Nothing
BC landlords who converted secondary suites between 2023 and 2025 could stack federal and provincial incentives worth over $180K. Most never filed a single claim. Here's the exact math — and the trap buried in the tax code.
$0 Tax on a $1.2M Gain — But Only If You File This Form
Vancouver homeowners can legally owe zero capital gains tax on seven-figure profits, but one missed CRA form voids the exemption entirely. Here's exactly how the rules stack.
BC's PTT Exemptions: $8,000 on the Table and Thousands Missing It
BC expanded its property transfer tax exemptions in April 2024, but thousands of eligible buyers still miss out. Here's exactly what changed, who qualifies, and why 2026 is the window.
$420K Condos, 25 Minutes Out: East Van's Buyer Window Is Real but Narrow
Metro Vancouver's composite benchmark has dropped 6.9% to $1,098,000. The cheapest SkyTrain-adjacent neighbourhoods are genuinely open — but the upzoning clock is already ticking.
$20,000 PTT Exemption, and BC Buyers Keep Missing It
BC raised the newly built home PTT exemption to $1.1M in April 2024 — worth up to $20,000 at closing — yet most Metro Vancouver buyers never claim it. Here's the gap nobody's closing.
99% of BC Owners Never Appeal — Here's What That Costs Them
BC Assessment controls $2.75 trillion in property values, yet fewer than 1% of owners challenge their notices. The process is real, the deadlines are tight, and the money is recoverable.
5,458 Unsold Units: Why Vancouver Pre-Sale Buyers Are Forfeiting Deposits
Vancouver's completed condo inventory is near a 30-year record high. Pre-sale buyers from 2021–2022 are doing the math — and walking away. Here's what the numbers actually mean.
Surrey and Langley's $209K Gap: The SkyTrain Window Closing Fast
Fraser Valley's buyer's market won't last. With a 16-km SkyTrain extension due by late 2028-2029 and Langley condos at $653K versus Vancouver's $1.1M benchmark, the entry window is measurable in months.
CRA's $849M Audit Machine Is Already Running — BC Investors Are Next
Three overlapping tax regimes with no statute-of-limitations escape now target BC property investors. What changed in 2026 and what exposure looks like before the letter arrives.