The owner of “The Castle” and the rental agency didn't respond to requests for comment.

For his part, Boodhoo, not only has he scored luxury digs, he’s cut his commute time to his classes in music production to about 18 minutes from two hours.

“Everyday I come home from school and I see just the tips of the castle, and I’m just like, that’s my house,” said Boodhoo, who’s looking forward to the pool in the backyard. It should be filled by June.

The Chinese Seller
Lisa Sun paces around the Vancouver mansion she’s been hired to sell by its wealthy Chinese-Canadian owner. The family’s had it with the new taxes and what it sees as increasing hostility to Asian capital. Sun reckons that early last year the home would have easily sold for about C$8.5 million—holes in the wall and all.

Today, the 28-year-old realtor isn’t sure she’ll get a credible offer for the 8,343 square-foot mansion. These days a pool, wine cellar, and home theater on a prime lot aren’t enough to clinch a deal, even in West Vancouver, where opulent homes carved out of steep slopes overlook the ocean. Sun needs a “stager” to empty the house and brighten it up with new furniture, a modern chandelier, and lick of paint.

“I’ve been through only the peak, never the low,” said Sun as she schedules a makeover of the property. Pink tags indicate to the four cleaners what needs to be dumped. The Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce in the garage, relatively unused for three years, also need to be dealt with.

The house is listed at C$10.9 million, but after receiving mostly low-ball offers closer to its tax-assessed value of C$6.2 million, she’s planning on dropping the asking price closer to C$8.3 million.

That’s a hefty cut but holding on to the home would mean paying potentially more than C$140,000 in extra taxes annually for the Canadian owner who splits her time between Vancouver and Beijing. Canadian taxes are not the only measures weighing on the market. China’s capital controls are also limiting spending on global real estate.

Sun doesn’t think Vancouver’s market is going to come back to its highs, especially at the top end. “Why would they come here and pay all that tax and feel like a criminal?”

The Bargain Hunters
Buying a house seemed an impossible dream for Brandon Chapman.