What is in the Coquitlam First-Time Buyer Starter Kit?

A 17-page guide covering eight parts: 1) Affordability — the three qualifying tests (GDS, TDS, stress test) and what they mean on a real $575K Burquitlam condo example. 2) Closing costs — the full BC stack, every line item, including the often-forgotten post-possession month. 3) BC programs — first-time buyer exemptions, FHSA, RRSP HBP, and what actually applies. 4) Zones — the Coquitlam pockets that work for first-time buyers. 5) The 30-day plan — week-by-week from pre-approval to offer. 6) Red flags — buildings, contracts, and circumstances to walk away from. 7) Offers — what BC offer mechanics actually look like. 8) Next steps.

Is the First-Time Buyer Starter Kit free?

Yes. No charge, no credit card, no paywall. Enter your email, get the PDF instantly. After download, you receive one short follow-up email a few days later asking if anything raised a question, then monthly Tri-Cities market updates. No phone calls unless you ask. Unsubscribe honoured immediately on any email.

Any first-time buyer planning to purchase in Coquitlam, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, or the wider Tri-Cities. It is especially useful for buyers in the $500K-$900K price band — the condo and entry-townhouse market where the affordability math and BC program eligibility decisions matter most. The kit is written for honest math, not marketing — it will tell you when waiting six months is the right answer.

How much do I really need saved up to buy in Coquitlam?

On an $800K Coquitlam condo: ~$55-60K all-in (5% down + ~$15-20K closing). On a $1.2M townhouse: ~$120K all-in. On a $1.5M detached: ~$330-340K all-in (20% required, no CMHC over $1M). First-time buyers may qualify for BC PTT exemption up to $835K purchase. The kit walks the full math with a real $575K Burquitlam example.

What is the BC First-Time Home Buyer PTT exemption?

Full exemption up to a price ceiling (set by the BC government and updated periodically — verify current threshold) and partial exemption above it. Eligibility requires Canadian citizenship or permanent residency, residency in BC for the prior year, never having owned a principal residence anywhere, and a commitment to occupy the home as your principal residence. Your lawyer or notary confirms eligibility at close. The kit walks the math on what the exemption actually saves.

Coquitlam First-Time Buyer Starter Kit — Free 17-Page PDF

The Coquitlam First-Time Buyer Starter Kit — honest math, BC-specific, written by a REALTOR® who'd rather you wait six months than overpay by $80K.

Most first-time buyer guides in Metro Vancouver read like brochures. This one reads like a conversation. Real $575K Burquitlam-condo math. The three qualifying tests, with actual numbers. Every BC closing-cost line. The right Coquitlam zones for a first-time buyer. The 30-day plan from pre-approval to offer. Red flags. Offer mechanics. Next steps.

✓The three qualifying tests (GDS, TDS, stress test) explained on a real $575K condo.

✓The full BC closing-cost stack — every line, plus the forgotten post-possession month.

✓BC FTB programs (PTT exemption, FHSA, RRSP HBP) — what actually applies.

✓The Coquitlam zones that work for first-time buyers — and the ones that don't.

Where should I send the PDF?

Instant delivery. No sales call. After the PDF, monthly Tri-Cities market updates — the same one I send my office.

Every part of the kit — written from real Coquitlam buyer conversations.

No filler. Every page from the questions first-time buyers ask Craig before they ever write an offer.

Affordability.

The three qualifying tests (GDS, TDS, stress test). Real $575K Burquitlam 1-bed numbers. What your bank's calculator won't tell you.

Closing costs.

The full BC closing-cost stack, every line, with $575K worked example. Plus the forgotten post-possession month most buyers blow.

BC programs.

BC FTB PTT exemption thresholds, FHSA contribution math, RRSP Home Buyers' Plan, and which programs stack vs. don't.

The right zones.

Which Coquitlam pockets work for first-time buyers at $500K–$900K. Burquitlam, Coquitlam Centre, Maillardville — honest read on each.

The 30-day plan.

Week-by-week from pre-approval to written offer. What happens each week, who you talk to, what gets done.

Red flags.

Buildings, contracts, and circumstances to walk away from. The poly-B paragraph alone has saved buyers from $40K renos.

Offer mechanics.

What a BC offer actually contains. Price, deposit, completion date, subject conditions. The 6-step path from offer to keys.

Next steps.

Where to go from here. Strategy Call structure, the Affordability Calculator, the Buyer Resource Hub. No upsell — just the path.

No pressure, no spam, no surprise calls.

Here's exactly what lands in your inbox — and what doesn't.

Minute 1

You get the PDF.

Confirmation email arrives within a minute with a direct download link. The PDF is yours, no strings attached.

Day 3

One short follow-up.

A brief email asking if anything in the guide raised a question. Reply if it did. Ignore if it didn't. That's the entire sequence.

Monthly

Tri-Cities market update.

First of each month. Current inventory, pricing by neighbourhood, days-on-market trends, plain-English commentary. Unsubscribe one-click, any time.

What you will not get.

No phone calls unless you ask. No 30-day drip with urgency tactics. No list-rental. No "are you ready to buy?" emails every week. This is a signup, not a sales funnel.

The Tri-Cities Move-Up Specialist.

Craig Johnston, REALTOR®

47+ year Tri-Cities resident · Top 1% Team Member — Greater Vancouver REALTORS® · Medallion Club Team Member since 2021 · Top 2% Team Member — Royal LePage nationwide · The MACNABs Team, Royal LePage Elite West · BCFSA #V99960

More about Craig →

5.0 stars across 35+ verified Google reviews. The first review below is from a real first-time-buyer client.

★★★★★

“Craig was an absolute pleasure to work with. He is extremely friendly, highly knowledgeable, and constantly monitors trends and data so we could make informed decisions. The more time we spent interacting with other agents during our home-buying process, the more pleased we were with choosing Craig.”

Ashley K.

Buyer · Google Review

★★★★★

“As first-time home buyers, we had a myriad of concerns. Craig immediately put us at ease by taking the time to address each of our questions thoroughly and patiently. At no point did I feel pressured or rushed into making a decision. Instead, Craig empowered us with all the facts and options.”

Jeff Kwok

First-time Buyer · Google Review

★★★★★

“Craig sold my property in just 6 days, which is an incredible feat. After receiving one offer, he quickly reconnected with all the other realtors who had viewed the property, and before I knew it, we had multiple offers—all over asking price!”

Heather Fox

Sold over asking in 6 days · August 2024 · Google Review

Want the kit plus a conversation about your specific numbers?

The PDF answers the questions every first-time buyer has in common. A 20-minute Strategy Call answers the questions specific to your income, savings, target zone, and timeline. You leave with a written one-page plan. No pitch, no pressure.

5.0 across 35+ Google reviews Top 1% Team — Greater Vancouver REALTORS® 47+ years in the Tri-Cities

The Coquitlam First-Time Buyer Starter Kit — honest math, BC-specific, written by a REALTOR® who'd rather you wait six months than overpay by $80K.

Where should I send the PDF?

Every part of the kit — written from real Coquitlam buyer conversations.

Affordability.

Closing costs.

BC programs.

The right zones.

The 30-day plan.

Red flags.

Offer mechanics.

Next steps.

No pressure, no spam, no surprise calls.

You get the PDF.

One short follow-up.

Tri-Cities market update.

What you will not get.

The Tri-Cities Move-Up Specialist.

Want the kit plus a conversation about your specific numbers?

Related Coquitlam first-time buyer resources

A specialist for your specific Tri-Cities city or neighbourhood.