Staying a Mark & Francoise's place was amazing. I picked it, in part, because of how clean it looked. When I arrived, the place was immaculate. Mark greeted me upon arrival and made sure I knew how to work everything. I met Francoise the next day and she was just as friendly and helpful as Mark. They are great hosts and have great suggestions for restaurants and places to go nearby.
Beyond the fact that the place is super cute, it's in a great location for "living like a local" while on vacation. I didn't rent a car and took the bus everywhere. The place is 2 blocks from the 8 bus which will take you past the Olympic Village downtown to Canada Place and Gastown (20-25min ride). The 33 bus is also 2 blocks away which will take you to Queen Elizabeth Park (15-20min ride). Within walking distance is a Starbucks and a grocery store. Also, if you take the 33 bus a short ride to Main street (10 min ride), you will be in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood which has a lot of trendy shops and places to eat.
I can't recommend this place enough. True, its not smack dab in the middle of downtown but it truly is an amazing place to stay.