Vancouver, BC Condo Reviews : 2250 SE Marine Drive

2250 SE Marine Drive, Vancouver, BC - Waterside

Waterside
2250 SE Marine Drive
Vancouver, BC

Year Built:
1989

Storeys:
3

Add to Favorites Upload Photos Upload Video Map this Building Bird's eye View Street View

This building has been reviewed 8 times.

Waterside at 2250 SE Marine Drive. The building has been rainscreened. New roof, new vinyl siding, new walk-out balcony and window. Some units feature views of the river

Report Inaccuracy

Reviews of 2250 SE Marine Drive, Waterside:

Unregistered User

Owned a unit in this building

Overall Rating:
Conditions:
Maintenance:
Security:
Location:

"HAPPY OWNER"

Have lived at Waterside for quite a number of years and are very happy. The suite is the perfect size and well designed. Love the view from the south facing windows and sitting out on the deck is a perfect way to relax after a long day. Hesitated initially and didn't want to look at it due to the Marine Drive address. Glad the Realtor insisted as once you walk through your front door -it is quiet. Building is well taken care of with maintenance and any issues are dealt with. The strata team is really good and all the hard work they do is totally appreciated.

Unregistered User recommends this building for:
Retirees, Professionals, First Time Buyers, Young Couples

Was this review helpful for you? Yes No

Comment on this Review:

Enter image text:

Unregistered User

Owned a unit in this building

Overall Rating:
Conditions:
Maintenance:
Security:
Location:

"Great place to own"

Impressive Condo Really spacious suites, not like the new buildings where you have limited room. These units have the feel of a house and furniture fits well. Very well maintained building. Didn't want to leave.

Unregistered User recommends this building for:
Retirees, Professionals, First Time Buyers, Young Couples

Was this review helpful for you? Yes No

Comment on this Review:

Enter image text:

Unregistered User

Owned a unit in this building

Overall Rating:
Conditions:
Maintenance:
Security:
Location:

"VERY GOOD AND WELL
MAINTAINED BUILDING"

Purchased a spacious suite here almost 8 years ago. Building is very well maintained with updates around the building being routinely done. Annual operating budgets well planned and expenditures well managed. Not a low budget building and thankfully the owners vote to spend $$ to ensure good maintenance standards and improvement projects that add to the overall value and assets of the building. Pleasant and friendly environment. Recent annual meeting well attended and very civil with hosted social gathering afterwards. No hesitation to recommend to anyone thinking of purchasing.

Unregistered User recommends this building for:
Retirees, Professionals, First Time Buyers, Young Couples

Was this review helpful for you? Yes No

Comment on this Review:

Enter image text:

Unregistered User

Owned a unit in this building

Overall Rating:
Conditions:
Maintenance:
Security:
Location:

"Great place to own"

Could not be happier living and owning here. It is so well run and maintained by the Council. The majority of owners are really nice. Feels like a true neighborhood.

Unregistered User recommends this building for:
Retirees, Professionals

Was this review helpful for you? Yes No

Comment on this Review:

unregistered user on April 13 2016:
I agree with this poster. It is a wonderful building and place to live. The tenants are great and council is doing a great job. The units are huge - nothing like most units in Vancouver!

unregistered user on May 18 2016:
Just ask some of the long-time owners for the real scoop. Most would move out at the first opportunity.

unregistered user on June 12 2016:
I have to disagree. Long term owners stay because we really like it here. Such a shame that one reoccurring poster is so bitter. All she is doing is being negative about her own home.One must question why anyone in their right mind would stay in a place they are so negative about.We all have choices and we stay because we are very happy here.If we weren't, we would be sensible and move. Our thanks to all the great people in the building. You truly make living here a pleasure.

Enter image text:

Unregistered User

Visited a unit in this building

Overall Rating:
N/A
Conditions: N/A
Maintenance: N/A
Security: N/A
Location: N/A

"Really nice"

Large spacious units that are hard to find these days. The view across the river is lovely.

Was this review helpful for you? Yes No

Comment on this Review:

Enter image text:

Unregistered User

Owned a unit in this building

Overall Rating:
Conditions:
Maintenance:
Security:
Location:

"BEWARE OF THE STRATA AT
VR2446 WATERSIDE"

Most complaints against owners in the complex are made by the strata themselves. An older woman on the strata is a busy-body. The strata is relentless for fining people and even had a hand in forcing an owner into bankruptcy. The strata then had to change all the locks in the building for fear of recourse putting the other people in the building at risk of danger. Some of the strata council to be very wary of are: Gayle Boocock, Dennis Arndt, Mary Anne Wright and Brian Pavao. If you have an issue, don’t waste your time with the management company. They have to take direction from the strata and if the management company doesn’t do exactly what they are told to do (right or wrong), the strata council fires them and hires a new management company. They have been through too many management companies to count and Bayside Properties is certainly not the last of them. The Strata hides behind the management company and the management company hides behind the strata. You can never get a straight answer from either of them. Most owners are afraid to stand up to the strata for fear they will be singled out. This particular strata council has wreaked havoc in the lives of so many people and they can literally ruin a person's life if they let them. I do not recommend anyone buy in Waterside. This is simply the warning I wish someone gave me. I would never buy in that complex knowing what I know now!

Was this review helpful for you? Yes No

Comment on this Review:

unregistered user on May 15 2014:
I owned in the complex for nearly 18 years and have never come across a more difficult and unreasonable strata council who DO NOT care what the owners want. It also has preposterous high maintenance fees of ~$400 per month and fees go up every year while nothing gets done in return to compensate for the increases. Over-manicured lawns is all you get. Equipment in the exercise room is old or broken. There are no lockers and all bikes must be kept behind a chain link fence in a dirty garage. Security cameras were installed because of repeated break-ins/vandalism, so not a safe place to live. If you need 3 stalls – too bad. They only allow for a second rental stall even if there are 20 sitting empty. Assessments and levies run rampant at Waterside and always costly. The next big one is replacing the pipes, which will probably cost thousands. As for the leaky nightmare, it was hidden from buyers. After I bought, I was handed a bill for over $75,000! There was no option but to pay or walk away and lose the equity. Strata never use contingency money - they always ask owners for it up front. Most of the council members have been on the strata since the building was built in approx. 1997 and have become cocky and belligerent. The feeling in the building is one of animosity, tension and unfriendliness. Neighbors seldom speak to each other. It is a horribly uncomfortable place to live because people are always on edge and walk around on eggshells. New owners sold soon after moving in because of the strata.

unregistered user on March 24 2016:
Seriously! All these negative posts are by one owner who is a constant problem in the building. It's a great building with wonderful friendly people. Extremely well run and managed. Ignore the negative comments by the poster.

unregistered user on April 5 2016:
Totally agree! One person, constant nightmare! Her aside, the rest of the tenants are great as is the work that Council does.

unregistered user on May 18 2016:
The people disputing these truths are the same people causing friction in the building since they moved in approx. 4 years ago. The strata appear friendly at first, but that all changes after you become an owner. As another former owner said, "Buy and find out for yourself."

unregistered user on June 12 2016:
Sadly for you they must have been your only friend in the building. The truth is people buy and stay because it's great here. You are the only one no one talks to. Hummmmmmm?

Enter image text:

Unregistered User

Owned a unit in this building

Overall Rating:
Conditions:
Maintenance:
Security:
Location:

"BUILDING, OWNERSHIP AND
COUNCIL TERRIFIC"

Great Location in Vancouver's Fraser lands. Really large suites facing south. Higher Floor suites have amazing unblocked views South across over Richmond and onwards, plus West and East. Quiet and very well maintained building. Main buidling entrance is actually on Southside Drive; traffic noise from Marine is almost non-existant when in suites and enjoying south facing decks. Bonus - very active and well run building by Council and Management company.

Unregistered User recommends this building for:
Retirees, Professionals, Young Couples

Was this review helpful for you? Yes No

Comment on this Review:

unregistered user on May 15 2014:
COUNCIL IS NOT TERRIFIC! They are amongst the worse strata council around. Buy and find out for yourself.

unregistered user on May 18 2016:
I agree. Learn the hard way like so many others have unfortunately. Since posting of the above ad, the garage was cleaned and pressure washed finally. The maintenance fees are $353. The exercise room was painted and the old equipment replaced after 18 years. A long time to wait for a treadmill that works! If the strata doesn't want to deal with questions from owners, the management company blocks the owners' email address making it difficult to contact them. The only way around this problem is mediation which can be costly and time-consuming.

unregistered user on June 15 2016:
As a recent purchaser I can't find any negative things. Have been overwhelmed by the pleasant people. I did my research and bought. Good decision. Very well maintained. Pre Inspection came back with high ratings.

unregistered user on May 6 2017:
This poster, Brian Pavao, is a constant problem and complainer at Waterside. He expects the strata to break their own bylaws and rules to accommodate his demands. If he does not get his way then he does nothing but complains, breaks the strata rules anyway, and makes a spectacle out of himself. The other owners at Waterside are great and the strata, being volunteers, do a wonderful job. If Brian Pavao is so miserable with where he lives then he should just move out and do the rest of the owners a favour, allowing them to enjoy their homes and appreciate the on-going work of the strata THEY elected. Maybe things will be peaceful again like they were before he moved into the building.

unregistered user on May 8 2017:
Jenny Forst - Nice cut and paste from someone's comments on February 10, 2015. Changing your name to Brian goes to show your level of maturity! I couldn't agree more with the original post about YOU! Peaceful before Brian moved in? You've been a problem in the building for years and you know it! Choose a different forum if you want to lie and accuse. This is about building matters and not your ego! Liar.

Enter image text:

Unregistered User

Owned a unit in this building

Overall Rating:
Conditions:
Maintenance:
Security:
Location:

2 of 2 found this review helpful:

"BEWARE THE STRATA"

The people on the strata are difficult to deal with and they don't care what the the owners want. They keep changing Management Companies and charge high maintenance fees for virtually nothing. Apparently they are raising them again this year. There are always ongoing asses---ts they never tell you about when you buy, like the big one for $78,000 per owner because it was a leaky condo.

Was this review helpful for you? Yes No

Comment on this Review:

unregistered user on September 25 2010:
I purchased just after that large assessment. All work has been completed now and building has rainscreen warranty. No problems at all with strata council. I recently had some insurance repairs done and they were very helpful. Its a great place to live

unregistered user on May 14 2011:
As a long term owner, I have to state that this is a wonderful building to live in. Terrific location, amazing views with large and spacious units rarely found in Vancouver. I came across this blog and had to respond - I am totally appalled at the main comment. The Council members are extremely helpful, easy to deal with and very proactive dealing with the building and any issues. As volunteers they work extremely hard to ensure the best intersts of the owners are taken care of and their financial interests are protected by upkeeping the buidling. Unfortuately, the building required a full rain screen restoration along with thousands in the Province. It was handled professionally and accurately with daily onsite interaction between the Engineering Firm, Project Manager, General Contractor and the Strata Council Remediation Team. Prior to moving forward, Council members spent months and months researching and interviewing engineering firms inorder to determine the best options possible for the owners. All owners were involved with the final recommendations and decisions and voted unanimously to proceed. Owners were kept up to date with the process -via owners meetings and constant notifications. I can't imagine having to go through this without the amazing Council support. Don't blame the Council for the building envelope failure, praise them for correcting the problem. The per unit cost affected all owners including the Council member owners. All information was clearly documented in Strata minutes, so any potential purchaser would clearly see what was occuring. Regarding maintenace fees - ongoing costs to maintain homes increase! It's a fact of life. The buildings value has significantly increased and owners have a terrific home. The current Council members are elected over and over by the owners due to the great job they are doing. Unanimous votes for their positions happen every year by the owners. They receive rounds of applause and are treated out for dinner by the owners. Even when the members think about resigning - the owners don't want them to! To the best of my knowledge, the building has only had 4 Management companies in 20 years. The council has changed management co.'s only when they felt the strata was not being provided with the best services and support for the owners. Some owners choose to be uninformed and uninvolved and then they complain. I respectfully suggest to the writer of the initial review...you should get your facts correct before you disparage others hard work and effort done on your behalf (as an owner). If you are that displeased, maybe you should list and sell. I'm quite sure there would be many others wanting to buy into this great building and to make it their home. Trust me - to any new potential purchaser -It's a great building with a majority of great owners. You won't be disppointed!

unregistered user on May 15 2014:
I disagree. It would not surprise me if a strata member wrote the above comment. I sincerely doubt anyone else in the building agrees with it. I owned in the complex for nearly 18 years and have never come across a more difficult and unreasonable strata council. They DO NOT care what the owners want and make up bylaws as they go to suit themselves. The building is one of the most horrible in all of Vancouver to live because of the strata council and preposterous high maintenance fees. Strata fees go up significantly every year and are unreasonably high compared to other properties who have pools and spa facilities that would put Waterside to shame. There is nothing at Waterside except over manicured lawns. The exercise room does not have any working equipment and is dark and depressing. Everything in it is broken or old. There is no storage locker and all bikes have to be stored behind a chain link fence in the garage where they get very dirty and in perfect view for a thief. Security cameras had to be installed because of the constant break-ins and vandalism in the garage, so not even a safe place to live. If you need 3 stalls – too bad. They only allow for a second rental stall even if there are 20 sitting empty. Assessments and levies run rampant at Waterside. There's always something that needs fixing and its always costly. The next big one will be replacing the pipes which will probably cost owners in the thousands and thousands. Several people plan to sell before that one hits the Minutes. As for the leaky nightmare, it was well hidden from potential buyers at the time and months after I bought, I was handed a bill for over $70,000! We had no choice but to pay it or walk away and lose the equity. Some people did because they simply could not afford a hefty unexpected assessment like that. They do not research the most reasonable trades and most jobs are not done properly and have to be redone with no warranty so we end up having to pay for it all over again! For example, the building rails had to be painted, but the painter did not prep it properly and the paint started flaking and peeling off everywhere so they hired and paid to have it done all over again by someone else. An example of how they waste strata fees. Also, whenever something is needed, they never use the money in the contingency -- they always ask the owners for it, even though the maintenance fees are almost $400 per month already! Most of the council members have been on the strata since the building was built in approx. 1997 and have become cocky and indifferent to the other owners’ needs. It is high time they got rid of the ones that behave as though they're the only ones that matter and everyone else can take a hike. The feeling in the building is one of animosity, tension and unfriendliness. Neighbors never talk to each other and seldom say hi in passing. It is a horribly uncomfortable place to live because people walk around on eggshells. Some people bought and sold within a year after not being able to deal with the strata singling them out for stupid petty offences like having a small freezer on their deck. Others were fined for keeping a plant table at their entrance. Most fines are for petty and ridiculous petty complaints made by the strata council themselves. An older woman on the strata spends most of her time walking around the complex trying to find something someone is doing wrong. Strata council members go around taking pictures of people and their personal property which is a complete invasion of privacy. Waterside’s strata council are relentless for fining people and even had a hand in forcing an owner into bankruptcy -- the poor man was literally put out of his home onto the street. The strata went as far as to change all the locks on the building for fear of recourse and it puts all of the other people in the building at greater risk of danger because of their ridiculous antics. Some of the strata council to be very wary of are: Gayle Boocock, Dennis Arndt, Mary Anne Wright and Brian Pavao. Barbara Fisher at Bayside Management is useless as far as being there for the owners. Her response is always that she has to take direction from the strata council and her opinion doesn’t matter. Therefore, if the management company doesn't do exactly what they are told to do (right or wrong), the strata council fires them and hires a new management company. They have been through too many management companies to count and Bayside Properties is certainly not the last of them. So - NO – Waterside 2250 SE Marine Drive in Vancouver is a terrible place to live! I do not recommend anyone buy there unless you are ready to live with an enemy next door. The only solution to the problem is that the strata council quits, but that isn't likely to happen in this lifetime unless the owners that still live there ban together to get a new strata. However, most people are too afraid to stand up to the Waterside strata for fear they will be singled out as well. I have witnessed this particular strata council wreaking havoc in the lives of so many people and they can literally ruin a person's life if they let them. This is simply the warning I wish someone gave me. I would never buy in that complex knowing what I know now!

unregistered user on February 10 2015:
This poster, Jenny Forst is a constant problem and complainer at Waterside. She expects the strata to break their own bylaws and rules to accommodate her demands. If she does not get her way then she does nothing but complains, breaks the strata rules anyway, and makes a spectacle out of herself. The other owners at Waterside are great and the strata, being volunteers, do a wonderful job. If Jenny Forst is so miserable with where she lives then she should just move out and do the rest of the owners a favour, allowing them to enjoy their homes and appreciate the on-going work of the strata THEY elected.

unregistered user on June 17 2015:
I wouldn't believe anything written by Jenny Forst. She is a liar, a cheat and a kleptomaniac and thinks the world revolves around her. Rules mean nothing to her and sooner or later she will get what she deserves.

unregistered user on March 24 2016:
Well stated. Everyone living here knows about her.

unregistered user on May 6 2017:
The durogatory comments against Ms Forst were made by Brian Pavao and his partner Alan Rockett who have constantly harrassed her about her small dogs since they moved into the building. It is common knowledge she had to file several complaints with the VPD, Strata and Animal Control and they were then told to stay away from her, though they blatantly seem to disregard those orders. Strata does not get involved, but since Brian Pavao is on the strata now, he must leave the room if any matters involve Ms Forst.

unregistered user on May 8 2017:
WOW! I am so glad I was alerted to this site! My name is Alan and I will first off say that not one comment on this page has been made by myself or Brian – until now. By the looks of this page any comments should be about the condo building/ maintenance/ issues etc, and not a forum for a crazy lady in the complex to make accusations against the strata, myself, and Brian. Most of her posts are in the 3rd person but it is indeed Jenny Forst writing every negative post on this site. Knowing her and her history it is plainly obvious! She is not well liked in the complex so the comments on this site do not surprise me. The only truth to anything she has said in this latest rant is that the VPD, Animal Control, and Strata were all involved. What Jenny Forst forgot to mention was that she was found to be the problem every time. She wasted a huge amount of time with everyone involved and every time – in the end - she came out looking ridiculous. She couldn’t keep up with her lies. We had to go to court twice with Jenny Forst because she would not accept any responsibility for her unscrupulous behaviour. In both cases it was due to her actions and in both cases she was found guilty and charged. One charge was because – you guessed it – her dogs were off leash, out of control, and bit a person! In her own little world she believes she is never in the wrong and above the law. Reading through this forum gives me pleasure knowing others feel the same way about Jenny Forst. Not surprising! She is nothing but a nuisance and needs to get some professional help. She has tried to intimidate and verbally attack Brian and I for years, even threatening us with bodily harm through the help of her “friends”. She has been out of sight for a while so I thought maybe she finally came to her senses, grew up, and took responsibility for her actions. Clearly that was wishful thinking as instead of in person she has now just gone online to make a fool of herself. Too funny! I can appreciate that this site is not for ranting back and forth with a crazy neighbour but this is a pattern for Jenny Forst and I refuse to let her spew such lies thinking that somehow she is intimidating me. I guarantee, in her narcissistic way, she will disguise a response to this post with more nonsense as she has zero self-control. I will not respond. Beside Jenny Forst, the building, the neighbours, and the strata are all great. The building is solid and issues that arise are taken care of in a timely manner. Large suites that face away from Marine Dr so traffic noise is minimal!

Enter image text: