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“That is a huge amount of money for a lot, or a house and a lot, in Kitsilano,” Somerville said. “There is no way 99.9 per cent of people in the Lower Mainland are going to be able to buy a house off their own earnings for $4 million.

“You see these numbers, and it makes you feel that at some point the only people who will be able to buy a house are those with lots of wealth or those with relatives who have money to transfer.

“These numbers are in no way sustained by the earning power of people in the Lower Mainland.”

He said looking at single-family home prices on Vancouver’s west side is not the way to gauge housing affordability in the region.

“It’s not relevant to a discussion about affordability — we have to be looking at prices of homes, townhomes and condos in the suburbs to evaluate the market.”

Asked if the city’s real estate market can get any hotter, Somerville wouldn’t speculate.

“Whenever you think house prices can’t go higher, they do,” he said. “There are too many unknowns.”

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