First-Time Home Buyer White Rock Guide for 2026

What do White Rock condos and townhouses cost right now?

The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB) reports prices for White Rock. Its tables combine South Surrey and White Rock into one area, so every benchmark on this page covers both places. The board's separate City of Surrey figure covers North Surrey, Central Surrey, Cloverdale and South Surrey, and leaves White Rock out. If you want the Surrey side in detail, read our Surrey first-time buyer guide.

A benchmark price is the estimated sale price of a typical home in an area, from the MLS® Home Price Index. These are the September 2026 figures from FVREB's report, released October 5, 2026. The change is the change in each benchmark from September 2025.

The townhouse benchmark fell $100,800 in a year, and its 11.2% drop was the largest one-year townhouse drop among the eight areas in FVREB's price table. The apartment benchmark fell $45,400. The townhouse benchmark is $252,700 above the apartment benchmark, which means a bigger down payment and a bigger mortgage, but both still sit under the $835,000 limit that matters for the first-time buyer tax exemption.

In September 2026, FVREB recorded 43 apartment sales in South Surrey and White Rock, against 49 in September 2025, and 47 townhouse sales, against 29. The median price, the middle price of the homes that sold, was $510,500 for apartments and $800,000 for townhouses. Across the whole Fraser Valley board area, condos took 46 days to sell on average and townhomes 38 days. A benchmark and a median measure different things, so we suggest asking for recent sold prices in the exact building or complex before you set an offer price.

How much does the first-time buyer tax exemption save in White Rock?

In BC you pay property transfer tax (PTT) when a home is registered in your name. The rate is 1% on the first $200,000 of the price and 2% on the part from $200,000 to $2,000,000. First-time buyers who qualify pay no tax on the first $500,000 of the price. From $500,000 to $835,000, that is a saving of $8,000.

The full exemption applies when the fair market value, the price a willing buyer would pay a willing seller on the open market, is $835,000 or less. Between $835,000 and $860,000 the Province gives a smaller, partial exemption, and at $860,000 it ends. To qualify, you must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, have lived in BC for the 12 months before you register the home or filed at least 2 BC income tax returns in the last 6 years, and never have owned a principal residence anywhere in the world. You must also move in within 92 days of registration. Read our PTT exemption guide for the full rules.

Here is what the exemption does at each September 2026 benchmark:

At both the condo and the townhouse benchmark, a qualifying buyer keeps the full $8,000. The townhouse benchmark is $37,900 under $835,000, so a townhouse priced up to $37,900 above the benchmark still gets the full exemption. Once a price goes over $835,000 the saving shrinks, so check the price against the limit before you write an offer.

One other BC rule can help with a new home. The newly built home exemption removes the tax on a newly built home with a fair market value up to $1,100,000, and phases out by $1,150,000. It applies only to the first registration of a newly built home, and you must be a citizen or permanent resident who uses the home as your principal residence. Ask your lawyer or notary whether a home counts as newly built before you rely on it.

What does a $545,000 White Rock condo cost to buy?

This example uses a price of $545,000, close to the South Surrey and White Rock apartment benchmark of $544,400 in September 2026. It is an illustration based on the benchmark, and real prices vary by building, size and age. The mortgage rate is an example rate of 4.50%. Confirm current rates with a mortgage broker before you rely on any of these figures.

With less than 20% down you need mortgage loan insurance. First-time buyers can take a 30-year amortization, meaning the loan is paid off over 30 years. CMHC's premium for a 30-year loan of more than 90% and up to 95% of the price is 4.20%, and in this example the loan is 94.59% of the price. The premium is added to the mortgage. The monthly payments use interest compounded twice a year.

Lenders also check that you could make the payment at a higher rate, called the stress test. The test rate is the higher of your rate plus 2% or 5.25%. At a 4.50% example rate that is 6.50%, and the test payment is $3,365 a month. Read our stress test guide, then ask a mortgage broker what it means for your income and debts.

The townhouse version uses $795,000, close to the $797,100 townhouse benchmark, at the same example rate. It is also an illustration, and it assumes a resale home, so the newly built home exemption does not apply.

Compared with the condo, the townhouse needs $25,000 more in down payment and $5,000 more in transfer tax, before legal fees and moving costs. The monthly payment at the example rate is $1,183 higher. In this example the loan is 93.14% of the price, so the same 4.20% premium applies. We suggest pricing both home types with your mortgage broker before you start touring.

Two federal accounts can help with the down payment. A First Home Savings Account (FHSA) gives you $8,000 of contribution room a year, up to a lifetime limit of $40,000. The Home Buyers' Plan lets you withdraw up to $60,000 from your RRSP. The Canada Revenue Agency says you can use both for the same home if you meet the conditions for each.

Which part of White Rock fits your day?

We suggest choosing in this order: your daily trip, then your budget, then the building. The City describes White Rock as a seaside city beside the beach of Semiahmoo Bay, and names three areas with restaurants, shops and services: the Waterfront, the Five Corners area and Uptown. The Waterfront has the 470-metre White Rock Pier and a 2.19-kilometre promenade. The City's rail page names two parts of the beach, West Beach and East Beach. The Town Centre, which the City calls its commercial centre, has a mix of shops, offices and homes, and the City says new apartments, stores and offices are being added there.

The City's eight hillside walkways connect the waterfront to uptown, with 1.5 kilometres of paths and 777 stairs in total. If you plan to walk between a waterfront condo and uptown shops, walk the route yourself before you buy.

Buses link White Rock to SkyTrain. TransLink's route data, from the feed published October 9, 2026, shows these routes:

• Route 351 runs from Vine Avenue and Anderson Street, through the White Rock Centre bus bays, to Bridgeport Station on the Canada Line. TransLink's chart of train times lists 20 minutes from Bridgeport to Waterfront in downtown Vancouver. Routes 352 and 354 also run to Bridgeport Station, with fewer trips.
• Route 321 runs along King George Boulevard from Thrift Avenue and Johnston Road to Surrey Central Station on the Expo Line, and some trips run to Scott Road Station instead. The chart lists 39 minutes from Surrey Central to Waterfront.
• Route 345 runs along 152 Street to King George Station, 40 minutes from Waterfront on the chart.
• Route 362 runs between Marine Drive at Martin Street and White Rock Centre, and routes 360 and 363 run to Peace Arch Hospital, ending at Russell Avenue and Hospital Street. Route 531 runs from White Rock Centre to Willowbrook.

Time spent walking to the stop, waiting, riding the bus and changing to the train is extra, so travel time varies. Check TransLink's trip planner for the exact address at the hours you would travel.

The MLS® system files almost all White Rock listings under the sub-area name White Rock, and a few under sub-area names it also uses for Surrey listings. Each card opens the live listings:

If you have children or plan to, check schools before you choose a street. White Rock is served by Surrey Schools, School District 36, which serves the cities of Surrey and White Rock and the rural area of Barnston Island. The district says it has the largest student enrolment in BC. All students begin by registering at their catchment school, the school assigned to your home address, and the district's School Locator shows it for any address. Registration is open online all year. The district says some schools may close registration because of high enrolment, and those students are placed at a nearby school, so ask the school before you count on a place.

What should you check in a White Rock condo or townhouse?

In the 2021 census White Rock had 21,939 residents, against 19,952 in 2016, and 10,735 occupied homes. Apartments made up most of them: 4,455 in buildings under five storeys (41.5%) and 1,575 in buildings of five or more storeys (14.7%). There were 2,575 single-detached houses (24.0%) and only 150 row houses (1.4%). Condominiums made up 43.3% of homes, renters lived in 35.2%, and the median age of residents was 58.0.

So inside the city most of the choice is condos. With 150 row houses counted in 2021, the townhouse choice inside White Rock's borders is small, so if you want a townhouse, plan to look in South Surrey as well. Before you compare, check which city a home is in on the property tax notice.

A condo or townhouse is usually a strata home. You own your unit and share the costs of the building with the other owners through the strata corporation. Before you make your offer firm, we suggest reading the minutes, the budget, the depreciation report (a study of the repairs the building will need and what they may cost) and the Form B information certificate, a form from the strata that lists its fees, rules and other details. Since July 1, 2024, BC strata corporations with five or more lots must get a depreciation report every five years and can no longer vote to put it off. Since April 1, 2023, the Form B must include a summary of the strata's insurance. Our strata documents guide lists what to ask for.

Since November 24, 2022, no BC strata corporation can have a bylaw that restricts renting out units. Bylaws that limit or ban short-term rentals are still allowed. The only age restriction a strata can set is 55 and older, so ask whether a building has a 55+ bylaw before you book a showing. If you drive an electric car, BC rules let an owner ask the strata to install a charger, and the strata must respond within 3 months.

Two local checks are the rail line and parking. First, the rail line: a single track runs along the waterfront 24 hours a day, used by BNSF freight trains and Amtrak passenger trains. Since January 29, 2020, crews no longer sound their horns at the eight promenade crossings, but they still do if they see people or animals on the tracks. If a unit faces the water, visit at different times of day. Second, parking: in streets marked Permit Parking Only, residents need a City permit. For 2026, permits cost $16 each for the first two and $35 each for the third and fourth, plus GST, with up to four for each condo or apartment unit. Ask how many parking stalls come with the unit.

More homes are coming. On June 27, 2024, Council adopted a new zoning bylaw that allows 3 to 6 homes on most single-family and duplex lots, depending on lot size and distance to a bus stop. The Province set White Rock a target of 1,067 net new homes by June 30, 2029, and the City recorded 174 net new homes in the year to June 30, 2026, against a target of 198 for that year. The City's 2024 interim housing needs report estimates that White Rock will need 8,816 new homes over the next 20 years. If you buy near a construction site, ask the seller and the strata what is planned next door.

How does White Rock compare with nearby cities on price?

Many buyers price White Rock against Surrey, Langley and other Fraser Valley cities. These are September 2026 benchmark prices from the same FVREB report. The Lower Mainland figure combines the Fraser Valley and Greater Vancouver board areas.

For condos, the South Surrey and White Rock apartment benchmark is $86,200 below the Lower Mainland figure. It is $18,500 above Langley, $37,700 above Cloverdale, $65,400 above North Delta, $96,800 above the City of Surrey and $145,500 above North Surrey. Of the areas in the table, only the Lower Mainland figure is higher for condos.

Townhouses are closer. The South Surrey and White Rock townhouse benchmark is $5,500 below Langley and $48,500 below North Delta, and $38,500 above the City of Surrey. North Delta's benchmark is above $835,000, where the tax saving starts to shrink, while the others in the table, apart from the Lower Mainland figure, are under it. Read our Langley guide and Delta guide to compare. Which one fits depends on where you work, your budget and how you will travel each day.

What are your next steps?

FRIVE is a BC-licensed team based in the Fraser Valley. We help first-time buyers compare cities on the same numbers, and the order below is the one we suggest:

• Check whether you qualify for the first-time buyer PTT exemption, and remember the saving shrinks from $835,000 and ends at $860,000.
• Open an FHSA early, because your first $8,000 of contribution room starts in the year you open it, and read how the Home Buyers' Plan works with it.
• Get a pre-approval from a mortgage broker and run the stress test on your own numbers.
• Read the strata documents for any building you like before you make an offer firm, and ask about parking and the rail line near the water.
• Browse current White Rock listings by sub-area.

If you want to talk it through, book a chat with the FRIVE team. We can set White Rock beside South Surrey, Langley and the other Fraser Valley cities for your budget, and we never push you to write an offer before you are ready.