It varies building to building. In the Seattle area anyways, this varies wildly. My HOA dues include sewage, water, gas, and garbage.

 

My cousin (the one that I hug the most ) did this in his house a few years back. It looked good and he said it was pretty straight-forward.

 

Thanks for that very helpful piece of information related to the thread. I'm sure Mikey saw that and was like "boy, that info has greatly assisted me in my quest for more knowledge on home buying and interest rates. Now that someone has informed me on average housing costs in Vancouver, these other people that are actually trying to help can stop posting."

Back on topic... I'm actually in the same boat as you mikey, except I'm attempting it on my own and from what I've gathered from the few professionals I've spoken to is that a fixed rate is a good idea given the current market in Canada right now even though your payments will be higher. Personally myself, I like to know what I'm paying consistently every month so I can prepare my budget accordingly which is why I'm leaning towards a fixed rate. It's definitely tempting to get a variable rate and pay a few less hundred a month right now though...

Good luck though! The place looks killer.