It can be endlessly fascinating to watch, discuss, dissect and analyze real estate market activity. In Canada, most of us of a certain age were raised to anticipate, almost expect, that home ownership would be well within our grasp almost as soon as we graduated from university and collected our first year's salary.  Those of us living in Canada's most expensive cities of Vancouver and Toronto are learning that home ownership (or condo ownership) isn't quite the foregone conclusion we once thought.

In fact, especially in Vancouver, increasing property values are swiftly outpacing income growth and regular, hardworking, middle class folk are being shut out, forever relegated to tenant status.

One of the best articles we've seen written on this Vancouver phenomenon is from the president of Vancouver-based Sokanu. Have a read, and let us know what you think, and whether you've been affected by this "Decline of Vancouver."