Vernon British Columbia - Okanagan Valley

The City of Vernon is being sought after by a national and provincial real estate market. People are coming to Vernon for different reasons and seasons. The population increases in the summer as well as in the winter. The rise and fall of the population in Vernon and surrounding areas in the summer are largely related to the quality of life Vernon has to offer.

Vernon is surrounded by three beautiful lakes Lake Okanagan, Kalamalka Lake and Swan Lake. The weather is desert like in the summer and the lakes are a feature of the area that poses as a huge attraction. The three lakes in the area attract all boaters with every vessel imaginable to boat for hours with scenery that is incomparable you just have to come witness for yourself: mountainsides especially. Citizens of Vernon can live here and compare it to living in a resort and in the same respect people come from other areas are here to seek out the resort living whether you live on the lake or in the city any one of the lakes are easily accessible and you can be at any of the three lakes in a matter of 25 minute drive from anywhere in the city. The seasonal influxes of population are key evidence that this jewel has just started to be mined if you will.

The area has another great attraction and that is the pro golf courses that are housed here that also attract people in from every part of the world. Golf Courses include Predator Ridge, Vernon Golf and Country Club, Hillview Golf and the Spallumcheen Golf Club and add to the list the upcoming The rise Golf Course in development stages. Vernon has also in the most recent past been the place to host many a pro golf tournament, national skydiving, national paragliding, national curling, and national wake boarding is also held in the neighboring city of Kelowna.

The Wine industry in Vernon and the surrounding area is a flourishing business that exports world renowned wine. There are one hundred and thirty two wineries in the Okanagan Valley located in or near Vernon and many offer tasting, tours, and sales. The entire area also has spring and fall wine festivals for the tourists. These wine events are visited by locals as well as tourists from Australia, Europe, and Southern USA.

Funtastik is another huge summer event that showcases the game of slo-pitch and has grown to a great capacity of three hundred teams since the conception twenty-two years ago. Funtastik of Vernon has huge line up of musical entertainment, in the beer garden last year 2006 there were a recorded number of 10,000 people to grace the musical event over the July 1st long weekend. Funtastik in Vernon has a reputation of a place to go and have a wonderful time singing, dancing, conversing and enjoying fireworks to celebrate Canada's birthday. As well as slo-pitch there are other sports such as golfing, lawn bowling, volleyball, football, soccer, lacrosse, and rugby. Funtastik is Western Canada's largest sporting event to date and we are proud to invite everybody in the family to Vernon to this exciting athletic adventure. This event fills every facility to capacity so book early maybe even a year early.

A visible amount of the summer population seems to be from Calgary because we are the first town from here to Alberta to offer all the amenities to those seeking out summer holiday adventure. Being a Vernonite driving around Vernon one can see the Alberta plates is evidence of the summer and winter play land that Vernon offers everyone.

Vernon has a population increase in the winter that is fueled by the nationally known ski mountain Silver Star Ski Resort named three years ago by a national ski magazine as one of the top three ski resorts in the world and is only a thirty minute drive from Vernon. Vernon's Silver Star Mountain Ski Resort offers four hundred acres of down hill ski terrain also an Adventure Park with inner tubes to facilitate the toboggan lover offering a lift to take you to the top to start all over again. Silver Star Mountain has a snow mobile track specifically designed for kids use also on the other spectrum adults have a huge playground for their snow machines to accommodate any type of snowmobiles. Silver Star Resort the winter wonderland and it truly is a winter wonderland has an outdoor skating pond that is impeccably kept with Silver Star's own zambonie to keep the ice well groomed for the seasoned skater and hockey player alike. The adventure park at Silver Star Vernon also has a community get together Silver Star offers a number of picnic tables and benches surrounding a huge burning pit to warm yourself and become friendly with everyone hanging around the fire pit to get warm. The indoor climbing wall is an indoor facility to get you out of the cold and to keep you physically fit for your winter activities. The National Altitude Training Centre is an indoor facility that is well used and you can also treat yourself to a day spa and fitness centre. Last but not least is a one hundred and eighty seat auditorium available for your entertainment pleasure featuring films on all types of sporting activities.

Vernon is now attracting affluent investors to the Real Estate craze that has climbed and will not decline anytime soon. Vernon has now appeased the population increase by building on the hillsides of the city. This demographic challenge has brought geo-technical issues that are critical, such as the slope stability and the support of the wildlife reserve that is a must to the growth of the area. The city planners are articulate in their design of the city and look into the future to be careful not to just show a sea of roofs for new development but well designed neighborhoods that work on the spatial vertical and horizontal separation of homes in a way that shows preservation and growth diversity in the beautiful City of Vernon.

The latest developments include: Bella Vista West 1,000 homes are planned, with CLD and Tavistock are the developers. This neighborhood has a questionable line between residential and resort use. About 500 units are already built and are in the $400,000 to $500,000 range.
 
Okanagan Hills is The Rise development and has been prominent. There has been a lot of interest in this property where 1,260 homes will be built. The Rise will be very high end, with a winery, Spanish villa and a golf course. The developer is Ian Renton and the golf course is developed by Fred Couples. The land encompasses 735 acres of the beautiful Okanagan Lake front one of the most popular lakes in Canada.
 
Turtle Mountain is not a resort, but rather more an extension to downtown development and will be more for the locals with not too high of prices. There will be a total of 530 units that have been approved thus far. Turtle Mountain in Vernon will have views of both Lake Okanagan and Swan Lake built with an architectural prairie style that will uphold Wesbild's developers house designs. The builders are Okanagan Trend West owned by Bill McInnis and Ray Moran, DyCor Homes owned by Bill Cornies and Inspriation Homes owned by Rod Doroshuk. Turtle Mountain Vernon Real Estate prices starts at $210,000 and up.
 
The Strand is being developed by a team of specialists consisting of two founding companies SL Resort Management Corporation and Foxbridge Development team. The Architect is Poon McKenzie, Interior designers Ingenium Designs Group Inc. and construction contractor Septra Projects Ltd. Collaborating together to offer an outstanding and unparalleled development for Vernon British Columbia. The Vernon real estate price range will be from $329,000 to $1,125.900 price range. The Strand encompasses the area between Paddle Wheel Park and Kin Beach on Lake Okanagan in Vernon.
 
Silver Star Foothills is on the way to Silver Star ski resort. The Vernon foothills are an area with 1,000 housing units approved for development. This subdivision will capture the spectacular views of the City of Vernon. The Silver Star Foothills will be a resort-oriented setting with Vernon Real Estate prices starts at $500.000 range.
 
Predator Ridge offers golf and accommodation definitely this real estate site is resort living. Real estate lots start from $175.000 range and up. Predator Ridge real estate is surrounded by three golf courses and the breath taking Monashee Mountain view. The village centre offers a service clubhouse, spa, fitness centre, restaurant and café. A state of the art sports training facility with a private 25 metre indoor pool. CBS the Early show reported that Vernon, BC is recognized as one of the six best places on the entire continent to retire.
 
The Outback is located at the end of Okanagan Landing Road beyond Ellison Provincial Park in Vernon BC this exclusive real estate in Vernon offers 60 acres of woodlands on the shores of Okanagan Lake. A natural environment edged with granite bluffs falling into the waters of Okanagan Lake. Derek Trethewey is the developer of this superb piece of real estate in Vernon BC. The Outback development has 180 to 190 units on the waterfront and the south side of Okanagan Lake. This Vernon real estate is very high end offering a man made stocked Trout Lake, pools, hot tubs, tennis courts, beach, board walk, and marina, and a grocery store. The Outback real estate price range is from $279,000 to $3,500.000.
 
Kristall Resort is adjacent to Predator Ridge which will be a health spa resort has a 150 room hotel 20,000 sq.ft., a 4,500sq ft of commercial space. This resort offers residential and commercial Vernon real estate.

is a sure bet for anyone looking to invest in an area that is sure to stabilize or increase in value both reasons are why the real estate in Vernon is continually attracting investors locally, Provincially, and Nationally. The Real Estate market in the Okanagan is secure and the only but is how much of the population is absentee owners. That is not a negative but because those absentee real estate owners bring money and leave it here only to promise themselves that they are coming back to our beautiful city to visit, holiday and or retire.

By: Elaine Harrison