Squamish presales, analyzed like a developer would

A presale is the purchase of a home before construction is complete, directly from the developer. In BC, presales are governed by the Real Estate Development Marketing Act, which requires developers to provide a disclosure statement and gives buyers a seven day rescission period after signing. You pay a deposit in staged installments and complete the purchase when the home is finished, which can be one to four years later depending on the project.

Squamish presales offer access to brand new product in master-planned communities that simply do not exist in the resale market, along with the BC new home warranty and the ability to choose your own finishes in many projects. The staged deposit structure also gives buyers time to continue saving during the build period. The trade-off is completion risk, the wait, and the need to qualify for a mortgage at completion rather than today. Whether a presale or a resale home fits better depends on your timeline, savings, and what you are actually looking for in Squamish.

It costs you nothing: the developer pays buyer agent compensation, and pricing at the sales centre is the same either way. The difference is representation. The sales centre team works for the developer. An independent agent reviews the disclosure statement, deposit structure, and unit pricing on your behalf, and can compare the project against every other option in Squamish and across the Sea to Sky corridor rather than selling one building.

Deposit structures vary by project, typically ranging from 5 percent to 20 percent of the purchase price paid in installments over the construction period. The structure is set by the developer and outlined in the disclosure statement. We review it with you before you commit so there are no surprises about what is required of your capital during the build.

Yes. New homes in BC are subject to 5 percent GST on the purchase price. A partial GST rebate may be available depending on the purchase price and whether the home will be your primary residence. GST treatment should be confirmed with your accountant or lawyer, as the rules and thresholds can change. This applies equally to Squamish projects as to any other BC new home purchase.

This is called an assignment, and it depends on your specific contract. Most developer agreements in Squamish require written consent and charge an assignment fee. Some restrict assignments until the project is substantially sold. Assignment profits also carry specific tax treatment in BC. If assignment flexibility matters to you, it is a term we examine before you sign, not after.

Disclosure statements include estimated completion dates and outside dates by which the developer must complete. If a project is cancelled, deposits held in trust are returned to buyers. Delays within the permitted window are common in any major development and do not entitle a buyer to walk away. Understanding the completion window and outside date in your specific contract is part of our review before you sign.

Squamish generally offers lower entry prices than North Vancouver for comparable new product, with townhomes and condos in master-planned communities accessible at price points that are increasingly difficult to find on the North Shore. The trade-off is commute time: Squamish sits roughly an hour from Vancouver via Highway 99, which makes it more appealing for remote workers, outdoor lifestyle buyers, and investors than for daily commuters to downtown Vancouver.

Register with our team once and you receive priority updates across every active and upcoming Squamish project: preview invitations, floorplan releases, pricing, and incentive announcements. We track projects from the rezoning application stage, so our registrants typically hear about new opportunities months before public marketing begins at the sales centre.