Thank you for your email and your question; Steveston (http://www.steveston.bc.ca/) is an excellent place for investment currently nestled in its own part of the Greater Vancouver Area. Commercial real estate does not appreciate more or less than residential real estate. You need to analyze the trends in any particular area as it depends on the demand for space, economy, core sectors, etc. There is far less commercial space in a city than residential so its scarcity keeps values higher. There are also several asset classes to consider: retail, office, industrial, agribusiness. The returns and appreciation of each perform differently. My suggestion would be to contact a commercial REALTOR® and ask these questions to him or her. You can find several on http://www.clslink.ca, go to Find A REALTOR®. You can also search by specialization. You can find answers to questions like this on my website at http://www.kleingroup.com. I also publish a commercial real estate newsletter which is complimentary at http://www.kleingroup.com/news_and_media/vancouver_commercial_real_estate_newsletter_prosperitas/.