Living in North Vancouver / Relocating
Relocating to North Vancouver
Moving to a place you do not know yet is the hard part — which neighbourhood, which school, how the commute really works, what it all costs. We do this with families and professionals moving here from across the country and around the world, and we make it simple. Consider this your starting map.
Welcome to the North Shore
Why people move here, and stay
People come to North Vancouver for the obvious reasons — mountains and ocean at the door, a twelve-minute SeaBus to downtown, a school district with a strong reputation, and walkable villages with a real sense of community. They stay because it delivers on all of it, year after year.
The challenge for anyone moving here is not whether the North Shore is worth it. It is the local knowledge gap: which of the four regions suits you, how catchments are drawn, what the bridges mean for your commute, and how buying works in British Columbia if you are coming from elsewhere. That is exactly what this page, and our team, exist to close.
Get Your Bearings
The lay of the land in two minutes
North Vancouver is two municipalities sharing one mountainside. The City of North Vancouver is the compact, walkable waterfront core around Lonsdale; the District of North Vancouver wraps around it and reaches out to Edgemont, Lynn Valley and Deep Cove. They have separate governments, tax rates and zoning, though for most buyers it changes the address more than the lifestyle.
Locals think in four regions, not compass points. The fastest way to find your fit is to start there, or let our five-question quiz point you to a shortlist.
Not sure where you belong yet?
Take the Neighbourhood Match quiz and we will shortlist the regions that fit your life, then point you to the neighbourhoods and schools worth a look.
The Practical Side
What to work through before you move
The decisions and details that shape a move to the North Shore, with a guide for each.
Choosing your area
Step one
Four regions, each with its own villages and character. Start with the one that sounds like your life, then narrow from there.
Explore the regions →Schools & catchments
For families
How School District 44 catchments work, which neighbourhoods feed which secondary schools, and the boundary quirks to know.
See the catchment guide →Getting around
Commute
The SeaBus, the two bridges, and how where you live changes your daily routine more than almost anything else.
Understand the commute →Costs & taxes
Budgeting
British Columbia charges a Property Transfer Tax, and extra rules can apply to non-residents and foreign buyers. We connect you with the right professionals to confirm what fits your situation.
Get the full guide →Buying from out of town
The process
Financing, deposits, remote showings and video tours — how we help buyers purchase confidently before they have moved.
Talk it through →The market today
Pricing
What homes are actually selling for, by neighbourhood and type, updated every month from current benchmark data.
See the market →Information on taxes, programs and buying requirements is general and changes over time. It is not legal, tax or financial advice. We connect every relocating client with a trusted mortgage broker and a real estate lawyer to confirm what applies to their specific situation before they buy.
A Clear Path
Your first steps, in order
- 1Find your region. Use the quiz or the regions guide to narrow four areas down to one or two that fit your life.
- 2Pin down your priorities. School catchment, commute, walkability, budget — decide which one leads, because it shapes everything after.
- 3Get your financing sorted. Speak with a mortgage broker early, especially if you are moving from outside the province or the country. We can refer one.
- 4Confirm the costs that apply to you. Property Transfer Tax, any exemptions, and rules for non-residents or foreign buyers, with a lawyer who knows BC.
- 5Start a tailored search. We set up a live search to your criteria and run remote showings and video tours so distance is not a barrier.
- 6Lean on a local. The fastest way through all of this is a conversation with someone who lives here. That is where we come in.
Free Download
The North Vancouver Relocation Guide
Everything on this page and more, in one guide you can keep — written by people who live here, for people who are about to.
- The four regions and their villages, side by side
- School catchments and the boundaries that trip families up
- Commute times and the bridge realities
- A relocation budget checklist, including BC taxes to plan for
- How to buy confidently from out of town
Thank you. Your North Vancouver Relocation Guide is on its way to your inbox, and one of our team will reach out to help however you need.
Why Relocating Buyers Work With Us
Locals who do this all the time
We were born and raised on the North Shore and still live here — Scott and Carson in Pemberton Heights, Jamie in Queensbury, Curtis in Lower Lonsdale. When we tell you what a neighbourhood is really like, it is because we are in it.
Scott and Carson also built their early careers as development analysts before founding Wallace Green, so the advice you get is grounded in real market analysis, not optimism. And because we work with relocating buyers constantly, the practical side — remote showings, video walkthroughs, coordinating with brokers and lawyers across time zones — is routine for us, not a special request.
Between us, the team has helped 500+ buyers and sellers across North Vancouver. We would be glad to make you the next.
