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Your buying power.
The three lender tests (GDS, TDS and the stress test) on a worked $640,000 example, and why buyers get surprised at the bank.
Craig Johnston Personal Real Estate Corporation · Brokerage: Royal LePage Elite West
Craig Johnston Personal Real Estate Corporation · Brokerage: Royal LePage Elite West
What you can really afford, every cost of buying in BC, the first-time buyer programs and how they stack, where to buy in Coquitlam, Port Moody and Port Coquitlam, and how offers, subjects and negotiation actually work. With a worked $640,000 example, the September 2026 numbers, checklists and real buyer reviews.
Get the Starter Kit
Instant delivery. No sales call. After the PDF, monthly Tri-Cities market updates — the same one I send my office.
Sources: Greater Vancouver REALTORS® — Top 1% Team ranking (2023–2025) and Medallion Club Team (2021–2025) · Royal LePage — Top 2% Team ranking nationwide (2023–2025) · Craig's Google Business Profile — review rating and count. Updated November 2026.
Quick answer
What's in the Buyer's Starter Kit?
27 pages for first-time and move-up buyers in the Tri-Cities. Your buying power and the stress test, down payment and mortgage insurance, every closing cost, the first-time buyer programs, buy first or sell first, where to buy, a dream-home worksheet, a 30-day plan before your first offer, a showing scorecard, strata documents, writing and negotiating an offer, presales, and what happens from an accepted offer to the keys.
Built from the questions buyers ask me before they ever write an offer, with real Tri-Cities photos and current numbers.
The three lender tests (GDS, TDS and the stress test) on a worked $640,000 example, and why buyers get surprised at the bank.
Minimum down payments, mortgage insurance premiums, 30-year amortizations, and every closing cost in BC.
The PTT exemption, FHSA, Home Buyers’ Plan, the new GST rebate on new homes, and how they stack.
Buy first, sell first or subject to sale, with bridge financing, matched dates and porting your mortgage.
Burke Mountain, Westwood Plateau, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam and the SkyTrain neighbourhoods, plus the September 2026 market numbers.
A dream-home worksheet, a 30-day plan before your first offer, and a scorecard for every showing, plus a sample of the buyer analysis sheet I prepare for every home we tour.
What goes in a BC offer, common subjects, the 3-day rescission period, strata documents, and how to negotiate more than price.
How buying new construction differs, and every step from an accepted offer to the day you get the keys.
Here's exactly what lands in your inbox — and what doesn't.
An email with the direct download link arrives within minutes, and the download is also on the next page. The PDF is yours, no strings attached.
Reply to the email with anything the kit raised, and I’ll answer personally, within 24 hours, often sooner. There’s no follow-up sequence.
First of each month. Current inventory, pricing by neighbourhood, days-on-market trends, plain-English commentary. Unsubscribe one-click, any time.
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.
4.9 stars across 38+ Google reviews. A few of them are below.
“Craig was patient throughout the entire process. He never pushed us to buy something we weren't sure about, and when we decided to wait six months and save more, he just said ‘good call’ and stayed in touch. When we did finally buy, the math was so much cleaner.”Susie & Hans
“He is a professional who is guided by integrity, honesty, and punctuality. When faced with challenges, Craig has shown his dedication to proactively navigate the issue on hand towards our goal.”Jaeyoung Joo
“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.
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.
4.9 across 38+ Google reviews Earned on a Top 1% Team — Greater Vancouver REALTORS®, 2023–2025 Tri-Cities resident 47+ yearsOr call direct: 604-202-6092
A 27-page guide for first-time and move-up buyers in the Tri-Cities: your buying power and the stress test on a worked $640,000 example; down payment and mortgage insurance; every closing cost; the first-time buyer programs (PTT exemption, FHSA, Home Buyers’ Plan, the GST rebate on new homes); buy first or sell first; where to buy; a dream-home worksheet; a 30-day plan before your first offer; a showing scorecard; strata documents; writing and negotiating an offer; presales; and every step from an accepted offer to the keys.
Yes. No charge, no credit card, no paywall. Enter your email, get the PDF instantly. We also email you the download link right away, then send monthly Tri-Cities market updates. No phone calls unless you ask. Unsubscribe honoured immediately on any email.
First-time buyers and move-up buyers 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 (73 of 82 Coquitlam condo sales in October 2026 were $400,000–$899,999) 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.
On an $800K Coquitlam condo: ~$70-75K all-in ($55K minimum down + ~$15-20K closing). On a $1.2M townhouse: ~$120K all-in. On a $1.5M detached: ~$330-340K all-in (20% required at $1.5M and above). First-time buyers may save up to $8,000 in BC PTT on purchases up to $835K. The kit walks the full math with a worked $640,000 example.
No PTT on the first $500,000 of the price (worth up to $8,000) on homes up to $835,000, with a partial exemption up to $860,000 (thresholds set by the BC government — verify before you buy). 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.
Almost all of it applies. Only the first-time buyer programs page is specific to first-time buyers. If you're upsizing with a home to sell, the buy-first-or-sell-first page is written for you, and the Move-Up Planner goes deeper.