Insights — Coquitlam Real Estate Blog | Craig Johnston, REALTOR®

$147.9M, 80,000 sq ft. Construction 2026, opens 2029. What it means for Burke Mountain home values.

May 14, 2026 · 12 min read

Burke Mountain Community Centre Breaks Ground — What It Means for Burke Mountain Real Estate

The City of Coquitlam broke ground on the new $147.9M Burke Mountain Community Centre on May 12, 2026 — six-lane lap pool, leisure pool with lazy river, double gymnasium, fitness centre, and the first co-located Coquitlam Public Library branch. Opens 2029. Here’s the real estate read on what the amenity premium does to Burke Mountain home values, presale buyers, and which subdivisions benefit most.

Read the real estate impact analysis

For Sellers

Hold-cost math, the three-question framework, and the spring-vs-fall trade-off.

May 12, 2026 · 10 min read

Should I Sell My Coquitlam Home Now or Wait Until Fall 2026?

A clear framework for the timing decision in the May 2026 Coquitlam buyer’s market — what spring is rewarding, what fall is likely to bring, the three questions that decide it, and the ~$40K hold-cost of waiting six months on a $1.4M home.

Read the timing framework

For Sellers

Three pricing postures, the math, and why anchoring high actively loses money in 2026.

May 12, 2026 · 11 min read

How to Price Your Coquitlam Home in a Buyer’s Market (May 2026 Pricing Playbook)

Sales-to-Active sits at 6.7–11.1% across Coquitlam property types in May 2026. Three pricing postures, the worked math showing how a +6% anchor loses $60K on a $1.5M home, and the four inputs that determine your right price.

Read the pricing playbook

For Sellers

Commission, GST, legal, prep, staging, mortgage penalties — the full net-proceeds walkthrough.

May 12, 2026 · 10 min read

What Does It Really Cost to Sell a House in Coquitlam? (2026 Net Proceeds Walkthrough)

Every line item that comes off your sale price, with a full worked example netting $624,900 on a $1.4M Coquitlam detached. The mortgage prepayment penalty wildcard, the GST nobody mentions, and what most sellers miscalculate.

Read the cost walkthrough

Featured Listing

2,552 sq ft Westwood Plateau end-unit. Mount Baker views. Deercrest Estates amenity centre. $1,199,900.

May 12, 2026 · 11 min read

Inside 112-2979 Panorama Drive: A Westwood Plateau Family Home in Deercrest Estates

A 50-year Coquitlam resident's read on a rare end-unit townhouse in one of the Plateau's most-livable communities. The Mount Baker view, the 2,552 sq ft floorplan, three buyer profiles, honest trade-offs, and what to ask on a showing. Open house Sat 2-4 PM, Sun 12-2 PM.

Read the listing breakdown

For Sellers

BC’s 2024 tenancy rules. Four-month notice, twelve-month occupancy, the real price gap.

May 10, 2026 · 9 min read

Selling a Coquitlam Home With Tenants in Place — 2026 Edition

The two paths (vacant-possession vs tenant-in-place), the four-month notice math, bad-faith eviction liability now up to 12 months rent, and how to decide for your specific tenant and timeline.

Read the playbook

For Sellers

The subject-free premium is real but small. The collapse cost when you guess wrong isn’t.

May 10, 2026 · 10 min read

Subject-Free vs Subject-To Offers: What Coquitlam Sellers Should Accept in Spring 2026

Real premium ranges from Coquitlam closings, collapse rate data, three lived scenarios from Burke Mountain to Heritage, and a four-check decision framework for when an offer arrives.

Read the offer math

For Sellers

Probate timeline, deemed disposition, co-executor alignment, and pre-listing realities.

May 10, 2026 · 9 min read

Selling an Inherited Estate Property in Coquitlam — The Executor’s Playbook

BC’s 4–8 month probate timeline, three timing strategies, the deemed disposition tax mechanic that often eliminates capital gains, co-executor alignment, and what most executors discover too late.

Read the executor’s guide

For Buyers

Detached sales up 14% YoY. Coquitlam prices still −7.7%. The buyer's window in May 2026.

May 5, 2026 · 9 min read

Is Now a Good Time to Buy a Detached Home in Coquitlam? (May 2026 Read)

Verified GVR April 2026 data shows detached sales up 14% year-over-year while Coquitlam detached prices remain 7.7% below last spring. Why this is the buyer's window.

Read the buyer read

For Sellers

Detached momentum just shifted. Why early-recovery sellers gain leverage in May–June.

May 5, 2026 · 9 min read

Selling a Coquitlam Detached Home in Spring 2026: Why the Window Just Opened

April 2026 GVR data: detached sales rose 14% YoY across Metro Vancouver. The May–June 2026 selling protocol — pricing, prep, launch.

Read the seller protocol

Buyer Education

What the MLS HPI benchmark actually is — and why it beats average sale price.

May 5, 2026 · 10 min read

What Is the MLS HPI Benchmark Price and Why Does It Matter?

Plain-English explainer of the MLS Home Price Index, how it's calculated, and how to use it for buying or selling — with verified April 2026 figures.

Read the explainer

For Sellers

Spring's a strong window for prepped homes — punishing for half-prepped ones

April 27, 2026 · 11 min read

Should I Sell My Coquitlam Home in Spring 2026? A Realtor’s Honest Read

Q2 2026 Tri-Cities data, three “list now” scenarios, three “wait or hold” scenarios, the September dead zone, neighbourhood timing, and a five-question framework to know which side of the line you’re on.

Read the framework

For Buyers

Same dollar, six different lives — Coquitlam, Port Moody & Port Coquitlam

April 27, 2026 · 12 min read

What $1.2M Actually Buys You in Coquitlam, Port Moody & Port Coquitlam in 2026

Side-by-side breakdown of what $1.2M buys in Burke Mountain, Heritage Mountain, Westwood Plateau, Eagle Ridge, Port Moody, and Port Coquitlam — sqft, lot size, build year, and the real trade-offs between them.

Read the comparison

Move-Up Strategy

The $40K tax trap and five other expensive move-up mistakes

April 27, 2026 · 14 min read

6 Move-Up Mistakes Coquitlam Families Make in 2026 (and the $40K Tax Trap to Avoid)

Sequencing, capital gains, bridge financing, PTT timing, the 10-year-home rule, and listing-strategy mistakes — with the full transaction-cost stack for a typical Coquitlam move-up.

Read the mistakes

Market Update

Spring 2026 Coquitlam — flat to up 1.4% YoY, 28-day DOM

April 26, 2026 · 11 min read

Coquitlam Real Estate Market Update: May 2026

A measured-balanced spring market. Inventory up 12% year-over-year. Detached benchmark at $1.81M, +1.4% YoY. By neighbourhood, by property type, with mortgage rate context.

Read the update

For Buyers

The honest answer most realtors won't give you

April 26, 2026 · 12 min read

Should I Buy a Home in Coquitlam Now or Wait? (Spring 2026)

Five questions that tell you which side of the wait-or-buy line you're on. Why the cost of waiting almost always exceeds the cost of acting in spring 2026. Bank of Canada rate context.

Read the framework

For Sellers

Why your assessment is 6–14% below your home's actual value

April 26, 2026 · 11 min read

BC Assessment vs Market Value: Coquitlam 2026

The five reasons assessment and market value diverge. Real Coquitlam neighbourhood data showing typical gaps. What it means for sellers, and how to price your home correctly.

Read the analysis

Move-Up Strategy

Bridge financing, subject to sale, and a 5-question framework

April 26, 2026 · 13 min read

Sell First or Buy First in Coquitlam? (2026 Decision Guide)

When to sell first, when to buy first, and how subject-to-sale offers work in Coquitlam's spring 2026 market. Bridge loan terms, real cost examples, and a decision framework.

Read the guide

For Sellers

28-day average · 14 days for the top 25% · 60+ for the bottom

April 26, 2026 · 13 min read

How Long Does It Take to Sell a Home in Coquitlam? (Spring 2026)

Real days-on-market data by property type, neighbourhood, and price band. The three controllable factors that separate the fast-sale homes from the ones that sit. Full playbook.

Read the playbook

Sharper guidance on the Coquitlam market.

Burke Mountain Community Centre Breaks Ground — What It Means for Burke Mountain Real Estate

Should I Sell My Coquitlam Home Now or Wait Until Fall 2026?

How to Price Your Coquitlam Home in a Buyer’s Market (May 2026 Pricing Playbook)

What Does It Really Cost to Sell a House in Coquitlam? (2026 Net Proceeds Walkthrough)

Inside 112-2979 Panorama Drive: A Westwood Plateau Family Home in Deercrest Estates

Selling a Coquitlam Home With Tenants in Place — 2026 Edition

Subject-Free vs Subject-To Offers: What Coquitlam Sellers Should Accept in Spring 2026

Selling an Inherited Estate Property in Coquitlam — The Executor’s Playbook

Is Now a Good Time to Buy a Detached Home in Coquitlam? (May 2026 Read)

Selling a Coquitlam Detached Home in Spring 2026: Why the Window Just Opened

What Is the MLS HPI Benchmark Price and Why Does It Matter?

Should I Sell My Coquitlam Home in Spring 2026? A Realtor’s Honest Read

What $1.2M Actually Buys You in Coquitlam, Port Moody & Port Coquitlam in 2026

6 Move-Up Mistakes Coquitlam Families Make in 2026 (and the $40K Tax Trap to Avoid)

Coquitlam Real Estate Market Update: May 2026

Should I Buy a Home in Coquitlam Now or Wait? (Spring 2026)

BC Assessment vs Market Value: Coquitlam 2026

Sell First or Buy First in Coquitlam? (2026 Decision Guide)

How Long Does It Take to Sell a Home in Coquitlam? (Spring 2026)

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