djamal-soft
الثلاثاء، 31 مارس 2015
British Columbia is mouth-wateringly beautiful. Clear skies, beautiful scenery and a low population density (1,434 per square mile) are combining to make the Kelowna real estate market hot, hot, hot, with a huge lack of inventory. For people toying with putting their homes up for sale, now would be a good time to take the plunge.
What is driving this interest in property? Perhaps it is the long, meandering Lake Okanagan passing through the city. The province is on the west coast of Canada. Kelowna, aka Orchard City or K-town, is in the middle of BC on a line of latitude that bisects Vancouver Island.
The area was first settled by the French in the middle of the 19th century. It was nearly half a century later before the city was incorporated. Here, the climate is classified as humid continental. Roughly translated, this means it experiences four discrete seasons, dry, sunny summers and cold, cloudy winters. The elevation of the area is 344 metres. Famous people to have come from Kelowna include sports figures Tyler Shelast, Mike and Jason Crumb and Byron Dafoe. The late Premier of British Columbia, W. A. C. Bennett, was also a local.
Tourism forms the bulk of the local economy. Visitors are attracted by places of local historic interest, such as Myra Canyon Trestles, Father Pandosy Mission and Guisachan Heritage Park. Numerous festivals, organized through the auspices of Festivals Kelowna, attract visitors. Among these are Celebrate Canada Day and Arts Alive! Outdoor pursuits such as golf, biking, hiking and boating attract people in the summer, while skiing is a major attraction in the winter time. The area is served by two main ski resorts, Big White and Silver Star. The cultural district, located in downtown Kelowna, was once the center of the fruit packing industry in Okanagan.
The town is surrounded by parks and protected areas. This is a major attraction to residents and visitors alike. To the north lies Fintry Provincial Park and Protected area. Greystone Protected Area is east, while Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park lies to the south. Trepanier Protected Area is located west of the town and west of the lake.
The southern climate is ideal for growing grapes, hence a lucrative wine industry has grown here. In fact, local wines have been noticed at the international level. The Okanagan Mountain Park fire destroyed a couple of these vineyards in 2003, but they were eventually restored. In 2014, the region was recognized by USA Today as one of the best wine regions for visitors.
A major manufacturer of a popular range of fruit juices is also located here. This is handy to the 13,000 students of higher education who are based here between the University of British Columbia (8,000) and Okanagan College (5,000). The Okanagan campus of UBC offers degrees in Management, Medicine, Health and Social Development, Applied Science, Education, as well as Creative and Critical Studies.
There are organizations that quantify key indicators of quality of life in cities all over the world. Here, Kelowna comes out looking very attractive. Factors that should be low are low (crime, pollution, traffic and property price to income ratio) and positive characteristics that should be high, are high. These are purchasing power, health care and safety. The property price to income ratio is a key indicator in real estate. A low ratio means that keeping a roof over a person's head does not gobble up a huge amount of the monthly paycheck. A high ratio means the opposite. Low is good.
Kelowna has appeared in various films. In 2006, it was featured in a movie called, "Fido, " a comedy/thriller/horror zombie flick that debuted at the Toronto Film Festival. The setting was an alternate universe in the 1950s where cosmic radiation turned the dead into zombies. Parts of the films, Shed and Shed 2 were filmed at the nearby ski resort, Big White. Both films featured snowboarding.
Public bus transportation exists, but it is well trumped by the city's love for the automobile. More than two-thirds of toxic emissions are caused by the over-dependence of this town on motoring.
Kelowna has a lot to offer. It is lush with greenery, plenty of open space and a high quality of life. Much of the local crime is sporadic and associated with events with a high profile for alcohol, and those reports are few and far between. By and large, it is a placid community. There is a huge demand for homes of all types, making this a good time to sell. However, it can only keep growing, which makes this an ideal time to invest in property in Kelowna.
What is driving this interest in property? Perhaps it is the long, meandering Lake Okanagan passing through the city. The province is on the west coast of Canada. Kelowna, aka Orchard City or K-town, is in the middle of BC on a line of latitude that bisects Vancouver Island.
The area was first settled by the French in the middle of the 19th century. It was nearly half a century later before the city was incorporated. Here, the climate is classified as humid continental. Roughly translated, this means it experiences four discrete seasons, dry, sunny summers and cold, cloudy winters. The elevation of the area is 344 metres. Famous people to have come from Kelowna include sports figures Tyler Shelast, Mike and Jason Crumb and Byron Dafoe. The late Premier of British Columbia, W. A. C. Bennett, was also a local.
Tourism forms the bulk of the local economy. Visitors are attracted by places of local historic interest, such as Myra Canyon Trestles, Father Pandosy Mission and Guisachan Heritage Park. Numerous festivals, organized through the auspices of Festivals Kelowna, attract visitors. Among these are Celebrate Canada Day and Arts Alive! Outdoor pursuits such as golf, biking, hiking and boating attract people in the summer, while skiing is a major attraction in the winter time. The area is served by two main ski resorts, Big White and Silver Star. The cultural district, located in downtown Kelowna, was once the center of the fruit packing industry in Okanagan.
The town is surrounded by parks and protected areas. This is a major attraction to residents and visitors alike. To the north lies Fintry Provincial Park and Protected area. Greystone Protected Area is east, while Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park lies to the south. Trepanier Protected Area is located west of the town and west of the lake.
The southern climate is ideal for growing grapes, hence a lucrative wine industry has grown here. In fact, local wines have been noticed at the international level. The Okanagan Mountain Park fire destroyed a couple of these vineyards in 2003, but they were eventually restored. In 2014, the region was recognized by USA Today as one of the best wine regions for visitors.
A major manufacturer of a popular range of fruit juices is also located here. This is handy to the 13,000 students of higher education who are based here between the University of British Columbia (8,000) and Okanagan College (5,000). The Okanagan campus of UBC offers degrees in Management, Medicine, Health and Social Development, Applied Science, Education, as well as Creative and Critical Studies.
There are organizations that quantify key indicators of quality of life in cities all over the world. Here, Kelowna comes out looking very attractive. Factors that should be low are low (crime, pollution, traffic and property price to income ratio) and positive characteristics that should be high, are high. These are purchasing power, health care and safety. The property price to income ratio is a key indicator in real estate. A low ratio means that keeping a roof over a person's head does not gobble up a huge amount of the monthly paycheck. A high ratio means the opposite. Low is good.
Kelowna has appeared in various films. In 2006, it was featured in a movie called, "Fido, " a comedy/thriller/horror zombie flick that debuted at the Toronto Film Festival. The setting was an alternate universe in the 1950s where cosmic radiation turned the dead into zombies. Parts of the films, Shed and Shed 2 were filmed at the nearby ski resort, Big White. Both films featured snowboarding.
Public bus transportation exists, but it is well trumped by the city's love for the automobile. More than two-thirds of toxic emissions are caused by the over-dependence of this town on motoring.
Kelowna has a lot to offer. It is lush with greenery, plenty of open space and a high quality of life. Much of the local crime is sporadic and associated with events with a high profile for alcohol, and those reports are few and far between. By and large, it is a placid community. There is a huge demand for homes of all types, making this a good time to sell. However, it can only keep growing, which makes this an ideal time to invest in property in Kelowna.
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