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Kelowna Real Estate information by Dave Beeson

Updates and news on recent real estate for sale and local development updates.

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Ranch For Sale in Lakeview Heights

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Lakeview with a suite!

• 2,240 sq. ft., 2 bath, 4 bdrm ranch - MLS® $559,000 CAD - Amazing Deal

 -  Look no further! Check out this amazing home in Lakeview Heights, over 1/3 of an acre lake view lot, fully irrigated, double garage with work bench, partially covered deck with a hot tub to take in the lake view and city lights at night!

Large yard, perfect for a pool, nice garden area,including grapes! Come inside and see the updates done to every room, soft and warm colors, hardwood floors, granite counter tops, self closing wood cabinets, tile showers, heated floors in bathrooms, large windows to take in the lake views, and wood burning fireplace for those cosy evenings.

The kitchen has top of the line LG appliances, gas range, built in fisher-pykel dishwasher, island set up with eating bar. Downstairs you find a dynamic home office set up and terrific media room, complete with wet bar and wine storage.

This home also comes with a fully self contained one bedroom suite, full kitchen and its own laundry, and private decking area. Perfect for a mortgage helper or your summer guests! Call today!

Property information

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Price Reduced on 1029 Neale Street in Lakeview Heights

Lakeview Heights, West Kelowna  -  Announcing a price reduction on 1029 Neale Street, a 2,240 sq. ft., 2 bath, 4 bdrm ranch. Now MLS® $559,000 CAD - Amazing Deal.

Property information

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USA Today article on the Okanagan proves international recognition is becoming more prevalent!

Great article in USA Today about the Okanagan and real estate!

 

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/2010-06-03-okanagan-valley-canada_N.htm

 

 

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2 Story For Sale in Valemount

cougar mountain exterior
Stunning property and business for sale!

• 4,600 sq. ft., 3 bath, 5 bdrm 2 story "Completely re-built" - MLS® $949,000 CAD - NEW PRICE!!!Valemount B&B

 -  Cougar Mountain Lodge is an expansive 4600 square foot, five bedroom log home set on four acres of prime and pristine mountain property.

UPDATE!!! The cougar mountain lodge is now licenced as a catring and banquet operation, giving further opportunity to grow and expand the business as well as added bebfits to it's existing clientele.

Cougar Mountain Lodge was entirely re-built in 2006 as an all-inclusive snowmobile lodge with accomodations for up to eight guests. Located five kilometers north of the town of Valemount; this incredible property offers direct access to Canada's finest snowmobiling, cat-skiing, helicopter skiing, river rafting and hiking. Cougar Mountain Lodge was custom built for ski and snomobile enthusiasts in mind.

For any outdoor enthusiast, the setting of Valemount and Cougar Mountain Lodge is the perfect getaway, or the perfect place to call home! The vibrant town of Valemount offers a wide range of activities throughout the year and a plethora of dining and entertainment choices. Business and development in the area are thriving with continued and up-steady growth year over year. for information on the upcoming Valemount Village Resort and Spa go to: http://www.saasfeedevelopments.com/main.php.

Cougar Mountain Lodge is a successful tourism business in operation for four years. Sale of the property also includes 1/3 partnership in Snowmobile Tour Guide Company. May also include website, proprietary logos, graphic work and other business-related info, clientele database and resources. Further information available from selling agent.

Details on the interior and exterior features can be read in the highlights below.




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Price Reduced on 4540 North Highway 5 in Valemount

Valemount, Thompson Okanagan  -  Announcing a price reduction on 4540 North Highway 5, a 4,600 sq. ft., 3 bath, 5 bdrm 2 story "Completely re-built". Now MLS® $949,000 CAD - NEW PRICE!!!Valemount B&B.

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Single Story For Sale in Downtown Kelowna

pool area.jpeg
4 Star luxury timeshare

• 1,170 sq. ft., 2 bath, 2 bdrm single story - MLS® $299,000 CAD - Amazing property! D6,C6

 -  Your own 4 star paradise in Kelowna. Stay in luxury at the prestigous Royal Private Residence Club. Fully furnished 2 bedroom and den unit overlooking the lake and lagoon. Cork flooring, granite countertops, fully furnished with leather couches, flat screen tv's, s/s appliances, in-suite laundry. Lake and Lagoon view from decks, one off living room, the other off master bedroom with king size bed. Stunning ensuite with soaker tub and glass shower, marble countertops, truly luxurious living. Concierge service, underground parking. Currently in rental pool, recieve the revenues or use as your own. 4 weeks per season, exchange program available throught the delta, world-wide options. Impeccably furnished, proffesional interior design, this condo should be yours.

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Single Story For Sale in Westbank

pineridge ext
Large Two Bedroom

• 960 sq. ft. single story - MLS® $65,000 CAD - Great Value - reduced!

 -  Fabulous bright and spacious two bedroom mobile on a quiet pad overlooking the valley and beneath the tower of mission hill.

This mobile has had some updates including new paint and flooring, new lighting, skylights in the living room, fresh paint outside and an updated bathroom. You will like the floor layout, the bathroom has access from the large master suite, comes with both a shower and a large soaker tub, two sinks and plenty or room to move around.

The kitchen is very large and bright, the bay windows provide a view up the the mission hill winery tower and the valley below. It features a huge amount of stage as well.

The fenced yard come with in ground sprinklers and a storage shed for your gardening needs. Enjoy your covered deck in the evenings, private and fenced yard before you slip into your private hot tub under the stars.

This park has no rental or pet restrictions, is family friendly and this home has many plusses, call today to arrange a viewing.

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3226 McIver Road in Glenrosa is Sold!

Sold

Glenrosa, West Kelowna  -  The single story at 3226 McIver Road has been sold.

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Single Story For Sale in Old Okanagan Highway

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Oustanding value in leisure village

• 1,200 sq. ft., 2 bath, 2 bdrm single story - MLS® $349,900 CAD - Best Value in complex!

 -  Outstanding 2 bed and 2 bath rancher in leisure village, a premiere gated community for those 55 plus. Enjoy the amenities such as the rec centre, walk to shopping and relax with the security of the gated access. This home was built in '01, and backs onto the park and walkways with a view of the fountains out the back yard, one of the best locations in the complex. In floor radiant heat, central air, gas fireplace, large kitchen and bedrooms make this an ideal home. Vaulted ceilings with an island kitchen provide a bright airy feeling as you enjoy the light that comes in from the many windows complete with vinyl blinds that open to allow the fresh air from the park flow in. This home is vacant and ready to move in, a 2 car attached garage, call for a showing today! This is NOT lease land!

Property information

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2 Story For Sale in Valemount

cougar mountain exterior
Stunning property and business for sale!

• 4,600 sq. ft., 3 bath, 5 bdrm 2 story "Completely re-built" - MLS® $990,000 CAD - Valemount B&B

 -  Cougar Mountain Lodge is an expansive 4600 square foot, five bedroom log home set on four acres of prime and pristine mountain property.

UPDATE!!! The cougar mountain lodge is now licenced as a catring and banquet operation, giving further opportunity to grow and expand the business as well as added bebfits to it's existing clientele.

Cougar Mountain Lodge was entirely re-built in 2006 as an all-inclusive snowmobile lodge with accomodations for up to eight guests. Located five kilometers north of the town of Valemount; this incredible property offers direct access to Canada's finest snowmobiling, cat-skiing, helicopter skiing, river rafting and hiking. Cougar Mountain Lodge was custom built for ski and snomobile enthusiasts in mind.

For any outdoor enthusiast, the setting of Valemount and Cougar Mountain Lodge is the perfect getaway, or the perfect place to call home! The vibrant town of Valemount offers a wide range of activities throughout the year and a plethora of dining and entertainment choices. Business and development in the area are thriving with continued and up-steady growth year over year. for information on the upcoming Valemount Village Resort and Spa go to: http://www.saasfeedevelopments.com/main.php.

Cougar Mountain Lodge is a successful tourism business in operation for four years. Sale of the property also includes 1/3 partnership in Snowmobile Tour Guide Company. May also include website, proprietary logos, graphic work and other business-related info, clientele database and resources. Further information available from selling agent.

Details on the interior and exterior features can be read in the highlights below.




Property information

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Single Story For Sale in Downtown Kelowna

Building View
Dowtown life at its finest!

• 1,224 sq. ft., 2 bath, 2 bdrm single story - MLS® $499,900 CAD - The Lofts, D.Town Kelowna

 -  Luxury living in The Lofts in beautiful downtown Kelowna.

Stunning 7th floor unit with north west lake view. 1224 sq ft, open concept with New York style architecture, 2 bdrm, 2 baths.

Kitchen features stainless steel appliances, granite counters, island, mosaic tile backplash. 11 foot ceilings, hardwood floors. Living room features floor to ceiling windows, concrete pillar, limestone and plank hardwood floors, fireplace, 180 degree view of lake and downtown.

Over $50K in upgrades of the highest quality - including $12K in Hunter Douglas window coverings, limestone floors and plank hardwood floors, gas fireplace, ceramic tile in baths and laundry room, gratine counters, marble mosaic tile accents, undermount sinks and 10mm glass shower doors.

Secured entry & parking, parking stall and storage included. Amenities: fitness room and common area balcony for entertaining. Downtown living at it's best, walk to beach, arena, cultural district & shopping.

Property information

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Single Story For Sale in Trépanier

trepanier main
Fantastic opportunity in Peachland!

•  single story - MLS® $1,990,000 CAD - Amazing New Price!

 -  Investors, horse lovers, builders and privacy seekers, take a close look at this!
Amazing acreage property in fabulous peachland! 69.25 acres of possibilities. Trepanier creek flows through the property, mostly flat buildable land. Heavily treed in parts, some sections sparce, mostly with pine, some fir.
Subdividable into 10acres parcels. Please call listing agent regarding number of calls for smaller parcels. Curretn zoning in place to sub divide.
easy access to the connector, currently has 2 mobiles, one single wide, the other double. sheds and workshops, home partially built of 2400 sq.ft. All buildings in great shape, currently occupied by sellers.
Call listing agent to discuss more details and pro forma investment details.

Property information

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understanding home prices
 

Buying a Home

Understanding house prices

A home may be one of the biggest investments you ever make. Saving up a down payment is just the first step. Find out more.

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Investor Education Fund

What factors affect the value of a home?

  • Location: Real estate people always say “Location, location, location.” That’s because the area you live in will be the biggest factor affecting your home’s price. It’s smart to buy a home where housing prices are likely to increase. Also, the people who may buy your home from you one day may be willing to pay more for a home that is close to schools, sports centres, stores, services, and so on. Keep that in mind as you look.
  • The condition of the home and the property it is on: Does the home need a lot of repairs? How is the roof, plumbing, and electrical wiring? A home in good repair may be worth more. Also, the condition of the outside of the home, the lawn, gardens, driveway, and trees will all affect the value of a home. These are the first things that buyers see, and are together known as curb appeal.
  • Renovations and updates: An older home might need some work to keep it safe, modern, and comfortable. If you are buying at a home that has had some renovations, check the quality. When you do work on a home you own, do it as well as you can. Poor work can lower the value.
  • The economy: There are some things you can’t control that affect house prices, like interest rates. Higher interest rates mean it costs more for a mortgage, so fewer people buy homes. When that happens, the prices of homes can fall. Lower interest rates, on the other hand, can boost buying and drive prices up. House prices often go up for a while, and then come down a bit. Try to find out as much as you can about how prices are changing, or may change, when deciding to buy or sell a home. Often there will be stories in the paper about housing prices.

How much is my home worth today?

If you’re considering buying a home, or you just bought one, you know how much it’s worth. But if you’ve owned your home for a while, its value has probably changed. Here’s how you can find out how much it’s worth now:

  • Call a real estate agent: Ask them for an estimate of your home’s value. You may be able to get an agent to do this for free, because they hope to get your business in the future.
  • Ask an appraiser: Your bank or a real estate agent should know a number of appraisers. Banks use them to estimate house values before they approve mortgages. You can also look in the yellow pages. An appraiser will charge a fee for the service.
  • Check to see what other homes in your area have sold for recently: Compare your home with similar ones that have sold. Unless you keep up with what’s happening in your area, this information may be hard to get. Ask your real estate agent if you can’t find it yourself.

How much will my home be worth in the future?

To estimate a home’s future value, you will have to do some informed guessing. Start with finding out what has happened to prices in your location over several years.

City Price, 1990 Price, 2005 Total % increase, 1990–2005 Average % increase per year
Halifax 97,238 188,484 93.84% 6.26%
Saint John 78,041 119,718 53.40% 3.56%
Quebec City 81,462 141,485 73.68% 4.91%
Montreal 111,197 203,720 83.21% 5.55%
Ottawa 141,562 248,358 75.44% 5.03%
Toronto 254,890 336,176 31.89% 2.13%
Windsor 106,327 163,001 53.30% 3.55%
Greater Sudbury 108,596 134,440 23.80% 1.59%
Winnipeg 81,740 137,062 67.68% 4.51%
Saskatoon 76,008 144,787 90.49% 6.03%
Calgary 128,484 250,832 95.22% 6.35%
Vancouver 226,385 425,745 88.06% 5.87%

Source: Canadian Real Estate Association (MLS®)

Remember: There’s no guarantee what housing prices will do

Location and the condition of the home are both important factors, as is the economy as a whole.

Learn more...

The Canadian Real Estate Association provides current house prices in major Canadian cities.

by David Beeson | (Comments Off)

will buyers try to beat the rush?

Steve Ladurantaye

From Thursday's Globe and Mail

A rush of home buyers trying to beat higher taxes and tighter mortgage regulations could pump up the housing market just as it's showing signs of cooling.

The real estate market pulled back slightly in January after its record run, although both sales and prices were up sharply from the depressed levels of a year ago.

Economists believe, however, that home buyers will push to beat new regulations, unveiled this week by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, which come into effect April 19.

They also think that there will be a rush to beat the new harmonized sales tax in Ontario and British Columbia later this year.

It also made it more difficult for home buyers to qualify for mortgages unless they can meet more stringent criteria such as down payments.

The Canadian Real Estate Association said Wednesday that while “one car doesn't make a parade,” the market may have peaked in December as consumers took advantage of low rates and buyers who stayed out of the market during the depths of the recession finally closed deals on new homes.

That could lead to a spike in sales in the spring, followed by a sharp pullback and lower prices in the second half the year, but nothing that would crater the market.

An increase in supply as owners were enticed to list their homes by high prices, and a slight ebbing of demand as consumers realized things were getting a little too pricey, led to a decrease in month-over-month sales in January for the first time since December, 2008.

The 2.8-per-cent decline was small, but comes as market watchers anxiously track the market in search of an asset bubble.

The federal government moved this week to curtail speculation in what has been a red-hot market.

“The monthly decline reflects waning pent-up demand,” said Gregory Klump, chief economist at CREA. “You're also seeing continued price increases eroding affordability. It's actually unfolding exactly as we predicted.”

Much of the bubble speculation has been spurred by dramatic year-over-year numbers, such as the 58-per-cent sales boost seen in January from last year.

Prices also saw a sizable gain, up 19.6 per cent from a year ago to $328,537. And while many economists expect the average price to keep rising as consumers flood into the spring market to take advantage of looser rules and avoid the new harmonized sales tax in British Columbia and Ontario, they expect the second half of the year to signal the start of a slowdown.

“Things could really heat up in the near term and then cool off in the back end of the year,” said Scotia Capital economist Derek Holt.

That would be good news to buyers such as Isabelle Philippe, who has been frustrated by frequent bidding wars in Toronto. She feels she has been priced out of the market. “I'd like to buy something before the taxes are higher and any new changes are introduced. My salary isn't that much, so if there's a bidding war I just don't bother any more. I'm still looking, but I'm not as eager as before and I'm hoping if I wait, prices will go lower.”

by David Beeson | (Comments Off)

thinking of moving? nows the time...

Rob Carrick

From Saturday's Globe and Mail

Advice for sellers from Toronto real estate agent Laurin Jeffrey:

1. Get Moving

“If anyone's thinking of selling, now's the time,” Mr. Jeffrey said “Prices are up, interest rates are down and there are slim pickings out there.” Spring is just ahead, and that's high season for buying and selling homes. Mr. Jeffrey believes that spring 2010 could be strong as sellers move to take advantage of high prices and buyers capitalize on low rates.

2. Under-price

Ask a little less for your home than you think you could get, Mr. Jeffrey suggested. “If you think it should be $359,000, make it $349,000.”

The benefit: more traffic and more offers. “Hopefully you wind up with people walking out the door while another set of people are waiting to come in.” Other benefits: a quick sale that saves your from weeks of people traipsing through your home, and gives you more leverage in getting the closing date you want.

3. Stage your home

Stagers, or fluffers as they're sometimes known, are invaluable, according to Mr. Jeffrey. “They can make or break a place. Most people's decorating skills are not as good as they think they are.” Stagers can bring in a few pictures, rent you a snappy dining room table or provide some furniture to fill out an empty house. Expect to pay something in the area of 1 per cent of the value of the house. Can you get it back through higher sales price? “Hell, yeah,” Mr. Jeffrey said.

4. Be strategic with renovations

Fixing up kitchens and bathrooms offers the best return on your investment, Mr. Jeffrey said. Uniqueness is a good thing when planning a reno, he added. “If I see another kitchen with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and potlights … please, some originality, people.”

 

Advice for buyers from Robert McLister, a mortgage planner with Mortgage Architects in Vancouver and editor of the Canadian Mortgage Trends blog (canadianmortgagetrends.com):

1. Reserve your mortgage rate

Negotiate your best rate and then ask how long your lender will hold it for you. Up to 120 days is typical, but Mr. McLister said one lender he's dealing with will go to 180 days on a five-year mortgage if you give up a little bit on the rate.

2. Use a mortgage broker

Sure, it sounds self-serving of Mr. McLister to say this. But consider the rationale: “We have three dozen core lenders we deal with that have real good interest rates and a big selection of products,” Mr. McLister said. Your bank? One line of products, and the rates are what they are. Brokers can also help with the details. If you don't think you'll be making any lump sum payments on your mortgage, a broker might be able to save you 0.3 percentage points on your interest rate.

3. Don't max out

Lenders will allow payments on your mortgage plus other debts to eat up to 44 per cent of your gross annual income. “The limits do not give you enough of a buffer in case interest rates rise,” Mr. McLister said. His suggestion: go no higher than 38 per cent.

4. Think about a fixed rate

Studies show variable-rate mortgages cost you less interest over the long term, but Mr. McLister quoted a forecast calling for the prime rate (which guides variable-rate mortgages) to more than double over the next several years from its current level of 2.25 per cent. His suggestion: first-time buyers putting 5 per cent down should think about a five-year, fixed-rate mortgage, while experienced buyers should take a look at hybrid mortgages that allow you to have a fixed-rate component and a variable-rate component.

by David Beeson | (Comments Off)

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