Monday 30 July 2012

Kelowna is our top choice for retirement

We did have good intentions of visiting more cities in BC to find the right place to retire, but after researching the weather and the cost of houses, and cost of living, we are liking Kelowna the best.

There are some fabulous ocean views on Vancouver Island and apparently Victoria gets many more hours of sun than we do in Vancouver, but it still is no warmer, or dryer.  I also know from years of owning a waterfront cabin on Gabriola Island that being on the ocean is windy MOST of the time.

So living on a lake inland, is more to our liking.  Kelowna has shopping, an International Airport, lots of golf, restaurants, water sports, even crossfit gyms, and the sun with some heat to keep warm when and if, we decide to age.

Several of my good friends said they would be more likely to visit us in the Okanagan, as most of them are put off by the cost and time involved in ferry travel.  Although I think the cost of gas, driving up to Kelowna may be just as much as a ferry ride, I do understand not wanting to take a ferry.  I have a good friend and cousins that live on the Island, and I rarely think to go visit them (I do feel bad about that, as they are some of my favorite people).  I also know people who live on the Island dislike coming to the mainland, it's a different way of life.  We are just not sure we want to be Island people.

We are going back up to Kelowna to take another look at West Harbour Estates, a new community being built in West Kelowna.  http://westharbourkelowna.com/

We like it because:

  • It is lake front, on a hill so all homes have a water view.  
  • It will be strata, a community of homes, with a pool, rec center, private beach and boat slips.
  • the price looks good from $599,000 to 730,000  ( advertised prices)  No HST or Property transfer tax.
  • houses all look like ranchers from the front, but have full walk out basements that can be customized for guests.
  • close to the Hwy, and the Okanagan connector to drive to Vancouver.
It is lease land, but apparently a 99 year prepaid lease with the West Bank First Nations band is a good thing.  We have done as much research as we can, and found no negatives about this lease or this development at all.  So off we go to take another look.............

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