By Yvonne Dick
Many Canadians in expensive urban areas dream of moving to a quieter, more rural area to enjoy nature and embrace a small-town atmosphere. The amount left over after selling an urban property and buying in a more rural area can be substantial if buyers and sellers get savvy.
The ‘impossible dream’ of a nice, safe place to raise a family or retire while enjoying nature is very much alive and well in southern Canada. From Keremeos in British Columbia’s wine country, to Estevan, Sask., the sunniest town in Canada, to the near-water properties of St. Thomas, Ont., to swimming with the seals in the bay by the strait in Belfast, P.E.I., there are lots of really great places buyers can call home. Using the same search criteria for each area (two bedroom, detached house) here are some of the little-known places that capture their local’s hearts.
Keremeos is tucked alongside Similkameen Valley in Southeastern British Columbia, an area that produces many varieties of fruit and vegetables during its long growing season. Located 50 km south of Penticton, it was recently named British Columbia’s fastest growing village though the population is a comfortable 1,330 people.
Older homes sell for $50,000 and newer houses for up to $240,000 with an excellent mountain view throughout Keremeos. The same type of properties in Vancouver would sell for $628,000 to $1.35 million.
Jamie Dyer
Hamish Redpath
At the Sunniest Place in Canada, Estevan Sask., $89,000 will buy a 10-acre parcel of land with all utilities close by. You can then build a home on-site or move a modular home on to it for $40,000 and up, custom-made to your specifications. In Regina, a two-bedroom newer house starts at $500,000 and up.
The draw in Estevan is the summers, which tend to be dry and warm, and the staggering hours of sunlight per year that this town has to offer – 2,540 hours per year. The maximum heat wave temperature was 40.2 C in July 2007. The coldest winter temperature was hit in 2009 at -43.4.
Jamie Dyer of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Signature Service says, “It’s a great place to live and raise a family. It’s a safe community with a friendly atmosphere.”
In Estevan the main industries are coal, farming, oil and power. There’s a local hockey team, the CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins, two lakes within 10 miles and a renovated concert venue called Affinity Place where Mötley Crüe and Backstreet Boys have taken their turn on stage.
“There are around 12,000 people here in Estevan but every aspect of the real estate market is strong, from commercial projects to first-time condo owners,” says Dyer.
Checking in from the London, Ont. real estate market is Dan Salhani of Century 21 First Canadian Corp. He says, “In a resort town like Port Stanley you have a range for a three-bedroom house of $200,000 to $700,000.”
Dan Salhani
St. Thomas is one of the areas Salhani suggested taking a look at. A commutable distance to London (30 km), St. Thomas offers value for the area at about 25 per cent less than you would pay in London. For $385,000 you can have a custom-built home of 1,500 square feet alongside St. Thomas’ tiny Lake Elgin.
If you like the resort town feel on a Saturday afternoon, Port Stanley is only 13 minutes away by car.
On Prince Edward Island, bays along the Northumberland Strait make for warm water and easy living. Protected from the ocean by the bays and the straits, Belfast and area sits in the southeastern part of the province and has much to offer, says Hamish Redpath of Re/Max Charlottetown Realty.
“It’s a warm-hearted community. People leave the keys in their ignitions,” says Redpath. “The beaches are warm because of the Northumberland Strait, which also makes the winters more mild than some parts of Canada.”
In Charlottetown a two-bedroom newer home costs between $180,000 and $500,000 while in Belfast and area, prices range from $60,000 (non-waterfront, older home) to $270,000 for a brand-new waterfront property. An extended fall and an early growing season are said to make up for any bad winter weather.
“There is a soaring number of rural young couples/first-time home buyers,” says Redpath. “It is affordable for retirees. The deals are still here and those who discover it cannot believe it.”
Security is knowing that whichever part of the country they favour, if your buyers are willing to move a little way or a long way, they can find their own just-right home, right here in Canada.
