We take the groceries in by ourselves. We cover mat leaves. We spend Valentine’s Day with our mothers. We are the working-class single people of Vancouver and we usually get the short end of the stick in all areas of life, including real estate.

But there’s some good news for those solo fliers who don’t have trust funds, prosperous grow-ops, or fat ICBC settlements: we are no longer condemned to a life of renting. Buying Vancouver real estate just got a little bit easier. In fact, Lower Mainland prices have come down approximately 10 percent in the last year. But as realtor Orville Sam points out, some sellers are still in denial.

“All sellers believe their home is the best home on the planet, so sometimes it’s really tough to get them to bring their numbers down,” says Sam, who recently had to terminate two listings because the clients simply wouldn’t budge. “Usually, though, after a couple of weeks of seeing what’s taking place in the market”¦and showing them the actual statistics relating to their area, then they get a pretty good idea that prices are starting to change.”

First-time buyers shouldn’t get too excited quite yet. Their square-footage options haven’t changed much since last year. For example, if you could only afford a $300,000 one-bedroom in Mount Pleasant last year, it’s not as if you can go out and score a two-bedroom in Kits now.

It would take at least a 25-percent decrease in housing prices for you to take that same $300,000 and get a two-bedroom in Van proper. But many experts are predicting that reduction will happen within the next 18 months. In the meantime, if you want something more spacious for the same price, get to know the SkyTrain schedule, because you’re moving to Whalley.

“I think Surrey is going to be a really great market—as long as you don’t mind the commute,” says Sam, who works for Sutton Group – West Coast Realty. “The numbers are great—you can get a brand-spanking-new home in a nice neighbourhood for $200,000.”

Many $400,000 pads are also staying on the market longer and eventually dropping 10 percent. Interestingly, though, we’re not seeing a whole lot of movement in $500,000 listings.

There are other challenges for single-income newbies. The industry maximum of a 40-year amortization period has also dropped. If you buy right now, you’re probably looking at a 35-year mortgage, but most experts expect that to go as low as 30 in the near future.

And having to dole out more cash per month in a shorter period means it’s going to be tougher for a single person to obtain a mortgage. Under those circumstances, lenders would prefer two peeps on the title. But overall, the consensus seems to be it’s a great time to get into the market.

“I think everybody got a really nice ride,” say Sam of sellers and realtors who made a killing with the skyrocketing prices of yesteryear. “But the numbers are going back to where I think they typically should have been in the first place.”

And as for waiting for marriage before taking on a mortgage, Sam feels that’s just not the best financial decision to be making.

“That used to be an order of things,” says Sam before adding: “But not anymore.”