Columbia Valley Pioneer Real Estate Guide - April 2025

2025 Housing Market

Submitted by Gerry Taft

Although not to the same extreme, this spring has had some similarities to the spring of 2020. In the fall of 2024 sales were steady, prices seemed stable and things seemed to be ticking along. December was a slow for me but typically things are slow in December. January of 2024 showed strong demand and activity and things were looking like a pretty busy year.

And then around the end of January, there was a real pause, tariff threats and uncertainty, stock market drops… things seemed to be getting weird.

Through February and March of 2025 things have still been steady, waves of busy and waves of less busy, but there have been sales. My gut feel is that most of the activity has been local, a number of local families and younger people getting into the market or upgrading to a bigger place. Three single family homes in Westside Park have recently sold, and a fourth is conditionally sold, all in and around the $500k price point. It had felt like Airbnb condos and homes over $1 million

were quiet. I believe that some of the people with bigger pockets and more net worth have been sitting on the sidelines waiting to see what is going to happen.

But over the last week or so, the inquiries are picking up, the offers are coming in on listings that have been out there for awhile- and the number of quality listings (especially single family homes) is slowing- and existing inventory is selling.

Looking at the numbers, March of 2025 for the entire Columbia Valley had 43 sales, compared with 40 last year. Year to date we are at 111 for 2025 compared to 101 for 2024. In 2023 January to end of March was 97 sales, in comparison looking back to the crazy days of 2022 we had 194 sales, and 2021 an eye popping 256 in the first three months of the year.

Takeaways:

• In an uncertain (and sometimes unsafe) world, Invermere & the Columbia Valley is a great place to be

• Existing inventory is selling, locals are upgrading and jumping into the market

• Higher priced properties have not been very busy

• Inquiries are picking up

• Not that many new listings, especially for single family

OPEN HOUSE

homes in or near Invermere, the inventory for single family homes at all price points is very limited Speculation/Prediction…

• March was steady, I think April will be busier especially if we see some new listings or new inventory on the market

• Strong demand and interest on single family homes in or near Invermere, and anything with lake access or views of Lake Windermere

• We could see some US dollars coming into our market. There could be Canadians selling recreational properties in the USA (or even some expat Canadians in the USA coming back to Canada), and to a lesser degree Americans looking for an investment, who will benefit from the exchange and start looking in this area (we have no foreign buyer ban or vacant home tax)

• I do not think we will see prices go down, if demand remains strong prices could tick up, although my guess is modestly

• Grossly overpriced properties will sit on the market, buyers are savvy and cautious.