Buying a home in White Rock or South Surrey
From a realistic budget to the day you get your keys, here is what working with me looks like.
Three things to check before an offer.
Is the asking price fair?
Reference value from comparable sales, cash to close in BC, monthly carrying and the due-diligence list for strata or detached.
Run the check MortgageWhat can you carry?
Payment, minimum down payment, default insurance and the stress test, with the assumptions written out.
Open the calculator Closing costsWhat else do you pay?
Property Transfer Tax with the first-time buyer exemption, legal, inspection, title insurance and adjustments.
Estimate closing costsOr go straight to every current White Rock and South Surrey listing, updated daily from the MLS®.
A search built around your life
We start with how you live, not with listings. Then I set up a search that fits, flag the pre-market homes I hear about, and tour with you so you see the street at 8am on a school day, not just the photos.
- A search set up around your actual criteria
- Pre-market and pocket listings through my network
- Neighbourhood tours before you commit
- First-time buyer programs, exemptions and guidance
- Investment property evaluation
Know what it’s worth before you write
Every offer I write comes with a comparable sales analysis from the immediate area, so you know what the home is worth and what the seller is likely to accept.
- Comparable sales analysis on every home you consider
- Trends for the specific pockets you are looking in
- What sold, for how much, and how long it took
- Inventory and buyer competition right now
- A straight answer when something is overpriced
Offer, subjects and completion
A clean offer with the right subjects, dates and deposit. Then I walk each subject through to removal and coordinate the lawyer, lender and inspector so completion day is uneventful.
- Offer strategy, including multiple-offer situations
- Subject removal guidance and timelines
- Home inspection coordination and review
- Strata document and depreciation report review
- Mortgage broker and lawyer referrals
- Completion coordination
The people I’ll introduce you to
A purchase touches a dozen other trades. These are the ones I’ve vetted over seven years and still use.
Who’s in the network
I’ll make the introductions and stay in the loop so nothing falls between the cracks.
- Mortgage broker introductions
- Home inspector referrals
- Legal & notary coordination
- Moving & storage coordination
- Contractor & renovation referrals
- Insurance setup assistance
- Interior design connections
- Utility transfers & setup guidance
- Post-purchase ongoing support
How it usually goes
A call
Thirty minutes on budget, timing and what you want. No cost, no obligation.
The shortlist
Must-haves, nice-to-haves and the neighbourhoods that fit, then listing alerts set up for exactly that.
Showings
Tours, neighbourhood drives and a pricing read on anything you like.
Offer to keys
Offer strategy, negotiation, inspection and subject removal, then completion.
Buying questions, answered plainly.
How much do I need for a down payment in BC?
Five percent on the first $500,000 of the price and ten percent on the portion between $500,000 and $1.5 million. Above $1.5 million the minimum is twenty percent. With less than twenty percent down, mortgage default insurance is added to the loan; the offer check and mortgage calculator on this site show the effect.
What is the BC property transfer tax?
A provincial tax paid on completion: one percent on the first $200,000, two percent up to $2 million, three percent above that, and a further two percent on the residential portion above $3 million. First-time buyers can be exempt on the first $500,000 of a home priced up to $835,000, with the exemption phasing out by $860,000.
Should I get pre-approved before we look at homes?
Yes. A written pre-approval holds a rate, usually for 90 to 120 days, tells us the real ceiling after the federal stress test, and lets you write a competitive offer with a short financing subject. Rose works with a few local mortgage brokers and can introduce you if you do not have one.
What are subjects, and should I remove them?
Subjects are the conditions in an offer, usually financing, inspection, title and insurance, with a short period to satisfy them. Removing them makes an offer stronger but moves the risk onto you. Rose advises which subjects a given situation can carry and sequences the work so you can remove them with confidence.
Can Rose help if I need to sell my current home first?
Yes. Buying and selling together is common in White Rock and South Surrey. The order, the completion dates and any bridge financing are planned as one move rather than two. The sell-first-or-buy-first tool on this site gives you a starting point before we talk.