The Moving Guide 2018 Edition

2018 EDITION

Can Rules Break

The Real Estate Market?

The Future Remains Bright for Okanagan Solar

theMovingGuide.ca

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Contents 2018 EDITION

theMovingGuide.ca

On the Cover Kelowna at Dusk Photo Contributed

20

Governments have introduced new rules in an effort to contain the rapid increases in Kelowna area home prices. Homeowners are worried and John McDonald talks to the experts to see if there’s cause for that concern.

Publisher Alan Monk Contributing Writers Jude Campbell, John McDonald, Howard Rensler, Judie Steeves, Alan Wynne

Advertising Sales 250.212.4888 amonk@telus.net Mailing Address 530 Jaschinsky Rd, Kelowna, BC V1X 1L8

Graphic Design Omnidesign.ca

The Moving Guide is delivered exclusively to 8000 moving households in the

Kelowna area. Since it is distributed to listed and recently sold houses, the frequency of printing is dependent on the activity of the local real estate market.

While conscientious effort is made to ensure the accuracy of both the editorial and the advertising that appear in each edition of The Moving Guide, the publisher may not be held responsible for any errors or omissions that may occur from time to time. No part of this publication may be quoted or reprinted without the written permission of the publisher.

Our Mission Statement:

The Moving Guide reduces the cost and stress of moving by providing accurate

information and direct communication between moving households and the relevant suppliers of goods and services. Together, we attempt to make moving (almost) easy!

The Moving Guide is committed to providing its readers with uncompromised

and accurate information. We may quote from local businesses that are advertisers or that might subsequently buy advertising but we will not neglect our intention to keep the interests of our readers our first priority.

06

Moving with kids brings its own set of problems. Judie Steeves talks to a mom who’s moved a dozen times and has some advice to give.

In this Issue

04

Moving can be so stressful! We give you some metaphysical survival tips ...and some practical ones too!

14

Getting to know your neighbours seems to be a thing of the past but Jude Campbell has discovered that there are ways to make it easier... and other ways that, well... don’t work as well.

09

Site C does not zap the local residential solar industry.

John McDonald discovers quite the opposite.

16

We all know Kelowna is perfect, right?

Well, Tim Young and Hugh Philip wrote a book that tells it like it is and we’ve printed a part that points out some, er... challenges. Imagine that!

18

There’s a way to renovate and a way not to renovate. Howard Rensler is a writer with many years of experience in the building industry and he has some advice to give you.

2018 EDITION the Moving Guide

3

EDITORIAL

ART MOVING

A

BY NATASHA J. ROSEWOOD

re you moving, or are you in the business of moving others? Whichever side of the packing case you are on, we all know that — more than dying or public speaking — moving tops the Richter scale of stress. Fear and excitement do battle, and can overwhelm you . . . unless you remember some Zen-isms:

Wherever you go, there you are.

Moving is not merely a physical shift, but it can also be a mental and emotional cleansing. Take this opportunity to leave your garbage — old stuff, obsolete beliefs and unsupportive relationships — behind.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Moving can be an opportunity to reinvent yourself. Your new place is an outer expression of your evolution. Who do you choose to become?

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the Moving Guide 2018 EDITION

Like attracts like. What and who you attract (e.g. Realtors, houses, prices, neighbours, moving companies etc…) are results of the beliefs you hold true. If you don’t like those results, refresh your beliefs.

There are no decisions to be made.

When you are unsure of what to do, could it be that you don’t have all the information yet? Once you have all the facts, the doing becomes effortless.

Do what is in your power and let it go. You are a co-creator — not a controller — of your world. Set intention for the best outcome, do what is in front of you and then let the Universe do the rest.

Breathe. Holding your breath while waiting for the deal to go through — or not — will make you go blue. Relax.

Whether you know it or not, everything is working in synchronicity.

EDITORIAL What is yours will come to you. If you get out of your own way, listen to and trust your inner voice, “the right one” e.g.

Realtor, client, home, price will appear.

Feng Shui cleansing increases the flow of energetic ease in your home.

Feng Shui your mind, too. Unload the myriad of moving details onto paper. Make lists, and sleep at night.

Envision the best, plan for the worst. Knowing that you can handle the worst — should it happen — will keep fear at bay while you wait for that phone call.

Let the warm and fuzzies be your guide.

Your feelings make up your intuition. Your “gut” never lies. If something about the situation doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.

The Universe wants you to be happy.

If at first, you don’t succeed, the “obstacles” might mean that the Universe is protecting you from making the wrong decision at this time. Stay open to an even better opportunity just around the corner.

All is well in your world. TMG

Your thoughts are magnets. Your subconscious has already magnetized to you what you really want long before it becomes manifest. Focus on what you want and keep the faith.

Kelowna-based and internationally acclaimed Intuitive & Metaphysical Consultant, Author, Workshop Facilitator and Corporate Consultant, Natasha Rosewood empowers her clients to clear emotional blocks and achieve their greatest success. Her metaphysical books teach us that we all have access.

AND FOR THOSE INCLINED TOWARDS THE LESS METAPHYSICAL...

W

BY NOL PREEN

Okanagan Packing & Moving www.okanaganpacking.ca

e went to Nol Preen of Okanagan Packers and Movers who has many years of experience dealing with clients who are dealing with the stress of moving.

We asked him for his ideas on the ten best tips to make your move as stress-free as possible.

Important and very helpful moving tips

1.

Save a firmed up date BUT have a 2nd date in mind as a good back-up plan just in case. (You may not believe this but... things can go wrong with lawyers and real estate agents and even movers – see tip #5)

2.

Prepare all your belongings way in advance. Never, ever leave it to the day before in case of an emergency or a family matter or some unexpected work comes up

3.

Do not over stress...plan everything in advance. Do not procrastinate! Plan, plan, plan!

4.

Save lots of money by doing as much as you can in advance... packing up, organizing, labelling and taking things down to garage is always a very time-saving practice

5.

Book the RIGHT movers!... reviews, reviews, REVIEWS! Doing that extra leg work on looking at reviews will really help aid you in making the right decision. DO NOT cheap out on movers...buyer beware big time! (If you doubt me, see moving fail stories by Googling.

Warning: these stories may increase your stress levels!)

6.

Give ALL involved family members an attainable task to help relieve you of your stress. Use your imagination.

One family member CANNOT take it all on alone! They will also gain a sense of being useful to you and that will, I guarantee, make you smile!

7.

Refer to number 1... have a back up plan!

8.

Label your boxes! Mark each box by room and list a couple of the contents in the box.

When unloading, this makes it that much easier, believe me!

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9.

Unpack just 4 hrs a day at max and make enough time for yourself. Please know it is a genuine real fact that one of the very top three stresses of life happens during a move. The other two most stressful events are weddings and funerals

10. Remember it is YOUR move, YOUR big day to get it all done right! DO NOT let any negative people in your life effect that!

Positive people ONLY can provide that good, solid help. This applies to friends, family, agents, movers! Nix any negatives in your life for a successful move!!!

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5

EDITORIAL

BY JUDIE STEEVES

WITH

MOVING KIDS

M

oving can be a stressful time for the whole family—but especially for children, who aren’t involved in making the actual decision to move so can’t understand why this is happening to them.

In years past, families frequently continued to live in ancestral homes, taking up where their parents and grandparents left off, but today frequent moves are a fact of life, whether those moves are to a different neighbourhood or across the country.

Christine Johnston says her 18-year-old son has been moved a dozen times since his birth, but all within the same region.

Many of those moves were made when she was a single mom, with other youngsters besides, and the occasional pet involved as well, so she has had

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the Moving Guide 2018 EDITION

considerable experience helping kids make that transition with the least possible angst.

Her first advice is to make sure the youngsters in the family know they will be moving; give them a chance to see some of the houses the family is looking at seriously. Then, once a new home is selected, that they get a chance to visit it; take them to see their own room and then begin to pack up in preparation for the move.

That said, she says she does her best to get all the little ones out from underfoot during the move itself.

It helps to have grandparents, aunties, other relatives or friends available to have a pyjama party with the kids the night before and to keep them amused the day of the actual move.

That way, they aren’t exposed

to their parents’ stress during the move, they’re not in the way of the movers, and everyone knows they’re safe and looked after so the adults can turn their attention to the whole business of getting things moved.

“It’s an emotional time for everyone involved,” she admits. “But it’s a nightmare if you have confused, upset, and demanding youngsters underfoot at the same time.”

For their sake, she says she likes to introduce them to their new home so they can picture where their familiar ‘things’ will be. She would rather they experience the excitement of a move and change than a fear of the unknown.

She also suggests parents reassure youngsters that they can continue to keep in touch with friends from the old

neighbourhood. Talking with your children about the move is a real benefit and gives them a chance to express any fears they have about the changes in their lives. It helps alleviate their uncertainties, and it helps mom and dad to understand the move from a little one’s point of view.

Do, however, be firm about the fact the family is moving and don’t give them choices about things they can’t change, she adds, whether that’s the move itself, or which room they will be have in the new home.

She also suggests each youngster be expected to help pack up not only their own things but also some parts of the rest of the house, even if it’s just the cupboard of plastic storage containers in the kitchen.

“I try to involve them in

EDITORIAL

“I try to involve them in every aspect of the move, up until moving day. It’s less scary for them if they’re a part of the move and helping to make some of the choices. It’s empowerment.”

Christine Johnston, Expert mover. Expert Mom.

every aspect of the move, up until moving day. It’s less scary for them if they’re a part of the move and helping to make some of the choices. It’s empowerment.

“It’s just like realizing that letting kids help with meal preparation changes how they enjoy foods. They’re more willing to try things and they enjoy them more if they’ve helped prepare them,” she explains.

Having children means there are more technical details which have to be looked after when you move too, from notifying old schools about the move, to registering them in a new school; changing addresses for groups they’re

involved in if they will continue to be; and informing leaders in sports or organizations they’re involved in that there’s a move pending.

And finally, she’s started a tradition that might be a good idea for others involved in a family move.

The first night the family sleeps in the new home, they have a living-room party. Pizza is ordered, sleeping bags laid out and everyone in the family has a sleepover together that first night.

“It’s a great start to have a party together in the new place; it’s a good opportunity for family bonding,” she laughs. TMG

Mom with lots of experience moving with youngsters suggests finding a relative or friend to have the young ones over for a sleepover the night before moving day, so they’re not underfoot during the move itself.

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2018 EDITION the Moving Guide

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EDITORIAL

BRIGHT FUTURE

remains for solar power in the Okanagan

S

o here’s the question: With B.C. Hydro all in on the Site C dam, does solar power have much of a future in the province?

The answer? It sure does, especially if you live in the sunny Okanagan and are looking into a residential system.

“Solar is great in the Okanagan,” Roost Solar president Steve Russell says. “To some extent, the weather decides where solar will become dominant which makes sense because you see more power produced for the cost of the same system.”

While Site C is an obvious concern, Russell said the project’s huge upfront cost plus the no-less-important future cost to upgrade the aging provincial electrical grid means the cost of hydro-generated electricity in B.C. has no where to go but up.

Meanwhile, costs continue to fall for solar panels, even with the recent introduction of tariffs by U.S President Donald Trump, Russell says, allowing for an installed price of between $2 and $4 per watt of output, a common measure of solar pricing.

While a typical solar panel system still requires upfront installation costs, Russell’s view is the cost of a distributed residential system tied into a net metering program is a hedge against what B.C. Hydro — or Fortis BC, its only real competition — will eventually need to charge for a kilowatt hour of electricity.

Even at today’s solar prices, Russell says the return on investment and subsequent savings (or even earnings) can be now reached in as little as eight or nine years.

“People realize, especially in the Okanagan, solar can provide a really safe return even for people not looking to make money, who want to enjoy the benefits of solar power,” he said.

BY JOHN MCDONALD

“What we’re hearing from our customers is they are interested in a clean energy future which is why we are taking the lead in solar.”

Steve Russell Roost Solar president

Solar power has never been an easy sell in British Columbia, a province that has long relied on an abundance of relatively cheap hydroelectric power to keep the lights on.

And while Site C has landed with a thud on the solar power sector, Russell says residential installations have continued unabated and B.C. Hydro continues to welcome solar users to its net metering program.

“It has definitely had an impact on solar, although more on the utility-scale solar side,” Russell adds, pointing to the company’s residential installation schedule. “Our dance card is pretty full.”

The reluctant assent for completing the Site C mega project by Premier John Horgan means B.C. Hydro, the Crown corporation that supplies that majority of electrical power in the province, is unlikely to be looking to the private sector for new sources of power anytime soon.

“What they have done in the past is is put out calls for power and people would respond and say ‘I’ve got a solar generating plant or I have a run-of-river or wind energy or biomass or any kind of alternative source of electricity,” Russell added.

“With Site C, they won’t be needing to make those calls.”

That’s not the case, however, at Fortis BC, the province’s only other major electrical utility.

2018 EDITION the Moving Guide

9

EDITORIAL

How does solar energy work?

1 2 3 4 5

We start with the sun’s rays.

Solar panels collect the energy from the sun.

A charge controller stores the energy for conversion.

An electrical device called an inverter converts the energy.

The power is directed from the inverter to the electrical panel or braker box in your home or office.

Source: www.sw.solar.com

“Fortis B.C. is very interested in supporting provincial clean energy policy,” Fortis B.C. communications advisor Nicole Bogdanovic says. “What we’re hearing from our customers is they are interested in a clean energy future which is why we are taking the lead in solar.”

If Site C is a setback for big solar, a setback for small solar would be the recent rejection by the B.C. Utilities Commission of the Ellison community solar project, a proposal put forth by by Fortis.

The scheme would allow Fortis customers, whose homes aren’t suitable for a rooftop solar installation, to rent panels from a solar farm beside the company’s existing substation near the Kelowna International Airport.

Bogdanovic says the commission had concerns that regular utility customers would be subsidizing those who rented solar panels and rejected the application.

Undeterred, Bogdanovic says Fortis plans to tweak the application and resubmit it as soon as possible.

A big win for solar would be the completion of the 56,000 panel utility-scale solar farm proposed for construction by the Upper Nicola Band on reserve land near Merritt B.C. The $30-million project must pass a band referendum in April but if

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EDITORIAL constructed would be the largest solar installation in the province, feeding directly into the Fortis electrical grid.

Plans are to use the farm not only to power homes and businesses, but boost employment amongst band members during construction and maintenance of the facility.

With its big bet on hydro, it’s no surprise the provincial government offers no incentives for conversion to solar, though Russell says there are still some indirect benefits such as federal tax credits on sales tax charged for solar panels and accelerated write-offs of capital costs for commercial operations.

However both Bogdanovic and Russell say they’ve seen a surprising motivation in some people who want a second source of power, like the idea of harnessing the sun for energy and aren’t necessarily concerned about saving money.

“A significant number of customers want to get involved in solar…even though they realized they were offsetting a clean energy source, not necessarily greener and they understood they might be paying more, they just felt that having more than one source of energy was important and they wanted to support new sources of energy,” Bogdanovic says.

Thinking about solar power but don’t know where to start?

You could go out and buy Solar Power for Dummies or you could talk to some local businesses about photovoltaic modules, otherwise known as solar panels We threw some hard questions about solar to Howard Bailey, president, and Don Hutchinson, senior installer, at Nova Independent Resources as well as Joshua Persaud, the regional manager of Empower Energy Corp.

What are the upfront installation costs of a solar panel system?

“Of course, the number one question is always upfront cost,” Bailey says. “With permits, equipment and installation all in, you’re looking at between $6,000 to $25,000 for a residential solar system.”

What kind of savings can I expect from installing a solar panel system and joining a net metering program? How soon will I make my money back?

“The way the system is set up, you don’t really want to produce more than you are consuming because then your rate of return goes down,” Bailey says. “Based on how they do the billing and the rates, if you overproduce, the rate

where they buy is much lower than what you pay to produce so it’s not really worth it.”

Instead, Bailey says they will measure a client’s consumption and try to install a system that will take it below the top rate of both B.C. Hydro or Fortis B.C., the so-called tier or block billing systems that charge 30 per cent more after the first 1,200 watts in a billing cycle.

“There are a few different factors that come into play such as the size of the system but in general you can expect to recover your investment within 8 to 15 years,” he adds.

Does installing solar effect the resale value of my home?

“I’m not a realtor so I can’t give you a credible answer to this question, but what I can tell you,

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EDITORIAL

is that every realtor that I have spoken with has said that a house without electric bills will most certainly become more valuable,” Persaud says.

Because of seemingly endless increases to the price of hydro power, Persaud says a solar system will actually go up in value when savings are factored in.

“When you own a solar electric system, you own an appreciating asset,” he says. “If you look back at what the price of electricity was 15 years ago and you see what it is today, you’ll notice a 90 per cent increase.”

How does a net metering program work?

“On your smart meter, there are two arrows pointing in different directions,” Hutchinson explains. “Right now, only one is turned on at your house when you buy from hydro.

When you become an independent power producer, they turn the other arrow on and that’s you now selling it back to them.”

You don’t really sell power back to the grid, explains Bailey, you end up paying based on the net between the two.

“The net is the difference of what flows into the grid compared to what flows from your solar panels into the grid,” he adds.

What are the average annual maintenance costs over the life of the system? How long does the average system last?

“Costs are very low. Most people can do maintenance themselves,” Bailey says. “So every

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the Moving Guide 2018 EDITION

year you have quick look to make sure nothing is compromised in the wiring and panels. We do some monitoring online and can tell if a panel is underperforming, which we can do remotely.”

While solar panels are know for their longevity, Bailey cautions there are other aspects of a system that may not prove as durable.

“Most solar panels have 25 year warranty which is amazing, but the other components — like the inverter and cables — most of those system carry maybe a five year warranty,” he says. “The panels themselves will last 30 to 40 years, but it can cost to replace the inverter.”

Some companies, including Nova, are now offer 25-year warranties on some inverters, matching the warranty on the panel, Bailey adds.

How does the solar installation affect the roof of my house? What happens if I need to replace my roofing material?

“Actually, the panels help protect the parts of the roof it covers by absorbing UV rays,” Persaud says. “The solar panels can have a protective effect and if you do need to change the shingles the panels can quickly be unbolted from the roof. As for the additional loading on the trusses, most systems are under 3.5-pounds per square foot.”

Does my house have to face a certain direction to install a solar panel system?

“As long as your roof isn’t facing straight north, then you have lots of options,” Persaud

says. “The closer to the south, the better.

And if you don’t want it on your roof, there are ground mounted solutions as well.”

Are there any dangers associated with a solar panel installation such as fire or electrical problems?

“The dangers come when a person doesn’t follow the electrical code during a do-it-yourself installation,” Hutchinson says. “To become an independent power producer, the permit has to be pulled by an electrical contractor.”

Hutchison says the code also requires an external rapid-shut off in case firefighters need it.

What happens if the electrical grid goes down: Does my solar panel system act as a back up?

“No, not unless you install a hybrid system with a battery back up,” Hutchinson explains. “It’s called anti-islanding. When the grid goes down, you can’t have solar panels pushing power into the grid when the crews are working on the lines.”

While they are happy to install a hybrid system, Hutchinson says most people have no real need unless living in a remote location or running some kind of special equipment such as computer servers where a power disruption would be critical.

“Most outings are planned or the result of someone hitting a telephone pole,” he adds.

“Somebody in an urban setting would rarely see the power out more than two hours.”. TMG

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2018 EDITION the Moving Guide

13

GREAT LIVING

Get to know your

new neighbours:

BY JUDE CAMPBELL

The recommended way...

It’s an old-fashioned, almost quaint idea, that has a very positive spin-off and leaves everyone with a happy smile on their faces.

The event is easy to pull together and brings people out of the woodwork to enjoy a day of fun and neighbourly-ness.

For the past three years the City of Kelowna has promoted the Block Party idea, and supports 15 each year in local neighbourhoods, and provides with the block party event by offering tables, chairs, stereo systems and lawn games, plus a resource person to help pull it all together.

It’s a win-win situation all round, according to Tanya Sletten, community development coordinator for the Strong Neighbourhoods Project.

“Knowing your neighbours creates a sense of safety, makes social connections with who lives around you, it enhances security and sociability and even helps physical and mental wellness,” she said. x This year, Sunday June 10 has been designated as annual Neighbour Day.

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A day when residents in all areas of Kelowna are encouraged to celebrate meeting new neighbours, performing random acts of neighbourliness or holding a get-together.

“It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture, even offering to have a coffee morning in your yard, can start the ball rolling and create a strong connection between people who live around you,” Sletten offered.

“Anyone who registers their neighbourhood for an event before June 1 will be entered into a draw for a $50 gift certificate to use towards a neighbourhood day event.”

She adds that although there’s help available to plan an event, getting to know who lives down the street or next door can be a simple as a “smile on the street or handshake in the park”.

Benefits of, in the words of TV children’s icon Mr. Roberts — getting to know you, getting to know about you — go from just being comfortable with who lives around you, to helping with snow removal, or hosting a kids’ book/toy exchange.

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the Moving Guide 2018 EDITION

the more familiar you’ll become.

• Keep it short and sweet by introducing yourself to a neighbour — stay outside or on the doorstep to show you don’t intend to stay long.

• Find something in common.

Have you seen someone jogging, gardening, dog walking? Start a chat around those activities.

• Connect without conversation: drop off a treat to introduce yourself. Microwave popcorn with a tag ‘just popped by to say hi’.

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GREAT LIVING

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It’s been a long-standing joke among our friendship group, referring to my significant other as a ‘two-beer drunk.’ A comment made in the nicest possible way.

That’s been his limit for years, so any digression from the norm was worthy of note.

So, in the very friendly, and party-ready, city of Calgary, it came as no surprise that our brand-new neighbourhood was planning a huge block party to coincide with Stampede Week — the granddaddy of all parties.

It took no cajoling at all to have a dozen or so home

owners jump on the bandwagon one sunny July day.

Several hauled out their BBQs’ to the front yard, others blew up balloons for the assorted hoard of kids, arranged bike races and all donned cowboy gear and the music blared.

What a party! Prizes for kids games, ice tea for those of us with new babies, and — home brew for the men.

The extent of my hubby’s neighbourly-ness was lost on me until early the next day.

He was on ‘the early shift’ to change diapers and rock babe until Mom got up and at-it.

The scene changed on a dime when a green-tinged hubby, unceremoniously dropped the baby into my still-in-bed-lounging arms, added a grimaced ‘I can’t do this’ and plunged into the bathroom to loudly spew his indiscretions into the ‘big white bus.’

Aspirin and black coffee did

little to improve his countenance throughout the day, and adding salt to the wound, he had a recurrence right in front of our closest next-door neighbour while both were chatting over respective BBQ meal prep.

To his credit, said neighbour, having been born and raised in Cow town, was no stranger to Stampede Jangles, and sloughed off the event with a howl of been-there-done-that laughter.

When healed, hubby recounted his late night shenanigans with the boys.

List of home-brew imbibed: beer(s), red vino(s) and white vino(s), shot(s) white lightning, topped with liqueur(s) of unknown origin.

So much for the twobeer hypothesis.

But, it added great icebreaking humour with other new neighbours at subsequent block parties. TMG

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GREAT LIVING

The No-Nonsense Guide To Kelowna

BY ALAN WYNNE

A

lmost everybody living here will agree that Kelowna is one great city. When talking to my family in less fortunate regions of our country, they are all singularly impressed when I talk about the great skiing, great golf, great fishing, great mountain biking, warm(er) weather, mountains, beautiful lakes, hiking, ad nauseam... It’s somewhere around about the time when I tell them that there’s hardly any mosquitoes that my gushing starts to lose all credibility and they begin to mock me.

Apparently, such a place cannot possibly exist in Canada, they will assert. Everybody knows that the universe was not designed to be so entirely splendid.

Well, as you all know: indeed Kelowna exists in all its splendor.

And now — I have a book that I can send them to prove it. Hugh Phillip and Tim Young have taken upon themselves to put out a “nononsense” guide to what’s so darn great about our city and what’s not so, um...well, entirely perfect.

If you just moved here or if you have friends and family that are thinking about it, this book might be a good one for them to read.

Young and Philip are two enthusiastic but realistic residents who have enjoyed life in Kelowna for more than 25 years. They have raised their families here, operated their businesses here, and they plan to retire here. They decided

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•

your sink drain is slow and laboured;

•

your water pressure is weak;

•

the toilet backs up into the tub;

•

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•

your sewer pipe is cracked and is being pulled apart by the roots growing through it;

•

your new landscaping will need to be excavated.

to write the book because they believed that it would be useful for people who are considering a move to Kelowna (or who have just moved here) to get a clearer idea of what this popular moving destination is all about.

In contrast to the breathless praises of yours truly, Young explains “Cities everywhere have their pros and cons. However, it is rare to have the cons exposed.

This book includes not only the benefits of moving here, but also the challenges because being honestly informed before relocating will not only allow for a smooth transition, but will also produce happier citizens.”

Moving To Kelowna, BC investigates these important topics and many more: • • • • • • • • •

Cost of Living Comparisons Home Affordability Weather Crime Levels Educational Opportunities Business Climate Recreational Activities The Local Economy and the Technology Boom Areas for Improvement, and Some That You Will Just Have to Learn to Live With

Since we are all ready to brag and bluster to our fellow Canadians about our city in any toe to toe my-city-is-better-thanyours discussion, we obtained permission to print an excerpt of the book that lists some of the challenges of our area. The following passage is five of the ten tips in Chapter 39 that is titled Ten Things You Should Know Before You Move To Kelowna...

Catch 22 on the Weather Kelowna is one of the sunniest places in Canada, spring through fall. Come winter, however, the picture changes dramatically. Our research reveals that Kelowna is ranked among the cloudiest Canadian cities during the months of November through January.

Our second year in Kelowna had us dreading the coming winter months as it can really have a negative effect on one’s psyche.

Back home on the Prairies, it may

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the Moving Guide 2018 EDITION

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GREAT LIVING

Aximet, con pro intior rerchil ipsa eum eosapis que non nimus reius acerae es nam esequun.

have been bone chillingly cold, but the bright sunshine seemed to compensate and evoke a cheerier outlook. We eventually got over the depressing feelings that dull skies can cause, but we know many who couldn’t.

this stretch will back up traffic very quickly, not only along the highway, but also along the streets crossing the highway.

Drivers can try to get around the accident, but there are no other ways to get out of the city.

Traffic can Test One’s Patience Of the two highways (33 and 97) passing through the city, Highway 97 is the much busier and more congested route. From the south end of West Kelowna to the north end of Kelowna, Highway 97 carries commercial, public transit, local and tourist traffic through a continuous strip mall of commercial and retail developments.

After crossing the floating bridge into Kelowna, drivers face 16 traffic lights along the 11.6 km (7.2 mi.) distance to the last light as you leave Kelowna.

That is one light every 0.7 km (0.45 mi.). An accident along

Crime is an Issue Sometimes facts get in the way of a good story. That’s just reality and it would be irresponsible of us not to reiterate that our community has a higher than average crime rate. Refer to Chapter 15 for a more complete discussion on this topic. If you were to ask us if we feel safe on the streets of Kelowna, the answer would be a “hell yes”!

The reality is, however, that we live in safe neighbourhoods, we don’t go out carousing until the early morning hours, we make sure our homes and vehicles are secured, and we use common sense to avoid conflicts with less law-abiding individuals.

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Securing Employment May Be A Challenge Chapter 37 on employment provides enough data to suggest that it would be a good idea to find a job before relocating to Kelowna.

Our current unemployment rate is high which makes the job market competitive, especially for those with lesser skills and education.

Lack of Affordable Housing High home prices, coupled with the extremely low rental vacancy rate as described in Chapter 14, has resulted in tremendous challenges for newcomers, especially those with lower incomes. While this phenomenon is primarily market driven, and should eventually revert to more normalized levels, local government seems to be doing its part to alleviate the chronic shortage of affordable rental accommodation.TMG The revised and updated 2018 version of Moving To Kelowna, BC will be published in early spring. It is available online at movingtokelowna.net and Amazon. ca. Local retailers include: Mosaic Books; Chapters; London Drugs; Save-On Foods; Urban Fare and Tourism Kelowna. This will be the second year that the authors donate $2.00 from each print book sold, to the Central Okanagan Food Bank.

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17

EDITORIAL

A

renovation to your home can be one of the most financially rewarding decisions you can make. Living in your refreshed home can also be personally rewarding every day. But, a poorly planned renovation project can also be one of the most stressful experiences ever.

Short of purchasing an additional property, a focused investment in an addition, renovation or other improvement to a property already in your portfolio, is usually the best and safest investment you can make.

• Perhaps it takes the form of finishing the lower level of your home to either simply expand the usable space of that home, or to create an income producing element like a rentable suite.

• Perhaps it means updating the primary spaces of the home like kitchens and baths to increase market value as well as the enjoyment of living there.

• Perhaps it is an addition to the home to simply make it more home.

If the renovation is intelligently planned, your [ROI] Return-OnInvestment is typically 100% and potentially much more. The market value of your property can go up immediately by every dollar spent as that money goes straight to equity. If the renovation creates an income stream the boost in market value can often be even greater than the cost of the reno.

There is only one potential flaw in this logic model. That would be if you glossed over the phrase above of “intelligently planned”.

Experienced renovation contractors, are often also experts in identifying “market-valued features” of a reno project. These are features that are valued or even demanded by the market of purchasers and tenants alike.

LET THE

Overbuilding and underbuilding are equally dangerous.

Have you heard the one about the homeowner who put full length quartz counters and backsplash and very high-end light and plumbing fixtures in their rental suite kitchen and bath and couldn’t get the extra $$$ per month they were expecting?

STRESS BEGIN

BY HOWARD RENSLER

18

the Moving Guide 2018 EDITION

Or, the one about the homeowner who thought they could add infinitely to the electrical load or hot water supply without consequence.

They sadly learned that their hot water tank was much too small and their electrical service required serious upgrading. Suddenly their project costs doubled.

EDITORIAL Or, those poor misguided folks who premised their entire reno project around a big box store sale on bath tubs and toilet fixtures, only to learn they were not CSA approved and voided their home warranty.

To do it right, accept the fact that your renovation project has all the complexity of a new build, just on a smaller scale. A reliable reno contractor will “build the project on paper” first. That means a lot more than a sketch on a cocktail napkin. Actual drafted plans may be necessary, a permit will likely be required, perhaps an interior design plan [not to be confused with interior décor consultation] and definitely [most definitely] the collection and evaluation of quotes from all component suppliers and subtrades.

Beware: of anyone who tells you they can quote a fixed price on your project, or who wants

to lock you into a cost-plus contract: without identifying exactly what is entailed.

Only by knowing everything to expect can you hope to minimize the stress on your wallet, your personal relationships and your peace of mind. A professional, client-centric renovation contractor is key. Whatever you might pay for their experience, expertise, advice and oversight during the project, will be the best money you can spend on your project.

Maybe your brother-in-law’s, neighbour’s son’s, buddy is a real nice guy and very handy with a hammer, and maybe he will work nights and weekends for cash, but: don’t hire him to build the addition to your house. Just don’t. It will not end well, and you don’t need the grief. However, when it is done right your renovation can add great value to your home, and your life. TMG

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19

EDITORIAL

Can Rules Break The Local Real Estate Market?

BY JOHN MCDONALD

L

ike a boxer on the ropes, the real estate market in the Central Okanagan has just taken a head shot, or so the mayors of Kelowna and West Kelowna would have you believe.

The two politicians have loudly protested the speculation tax introduced by the provincial government as a death tax of sorts, that will kill real estate development and investment while driving away tourists and putting contractors out of work.

And that’s just the knockout punch, suggest the pair of mayors, when added to the recent body blows of tighter mortgage rules and rising interest rates.

Despite their outraged efforts, Minister of Finance Carol James has remained unmoved by their arguments for the two cities to be exempt (although she did cut the tax in half).

Central Okanagan real estate has been red hot the last few years: Could the spec tax

20

the Moving Guide 2018 EDITION

really be the knife between the shoulder blades for one of the hottest markets in the country?

No one is forgetting what happened last time Kelowna had construction cranes on the horizon; the rug-pulling that was the crash of 2008 gutted the condo market and left a half-built high rise foundation sitting on Sunset Drive for a decade.

It also left a whole lot of investors scrambling to rent out or sell their suites in a weak market even as single family residential prices pulled back by as much as 20 per cent.

With all the hot air the politicians are blowing, it might feel a little like history repeating itself but it ain’t necessarily so, at least when you talk to people closer to the industry.

EDITORIAL

One thing everyone seems to agree on: the single-detached residential market in the Central Okanagan is already tapering off from the big price increases seen in the last three years but the underlying longterm market still has legs.

“There’s some pretty strong fundamentals supporting the Okanagan,” says Taylor Pardy, senior market analyst with the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation. “We’ve seen some moderation in starts and resales but that’s a slight moderation from a lot of activity.”

“We’ve seen strong migration into the region which has contributed to strong population growth,” Pardy adds. “In addition to favourable financing rates,

there has been an environment of strong employment growth in the region, especially in 2017.”

Royal LePage Realtor Grant Turik is a long-time local and says in his 30-year-career, he’s never seen a upward sales cycle extend as long as this one — almost three years — which also means some kind of market slowdown was coming, speculation tax or not.

Still, his office has seen a surge in listings of late, a normal part of spring but also a sign the market might be changing off the trajectory it’s been following for the last few years.

“We look at a 40 to 60 per cent list to sell ratio as being roughly in balance,” Turik says. “For the longest time now, it’s been in the 70s which makes it a sellers market.

For the first time in a few years, it’s back down to around 60.”

So far, he doesn’t seem too unhappy about it although he says the change in the ratio has “raised a few eyebrows” around the office.

If there is a canary in the coal mine, it could be the Central Okanagan condominium market, the segment most popular with out-of-town investors and wouldbe retirees because of generally favourable rental rules and the ability to lock-and-leave.

But that segment is also squarely in the sights of the speculation tax just as a bunch of new product is coming on the market after a feverish few years of development.

And it’s all happening just as high rise condo towers are starting to pop like mushrooms in the

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downtown core; As of April 2018 at least four have started construction with a few more serious contenders getting ready to break ground.

Some observers, Turik included, fret about another oversupply-under-demand situation like in the wake of the 2008 crash, but Pardy paints a different picture.

“At the peak in the mid-2000s there was about 3,000 units under construction,” says Pardy, looking at the numbers from March, 2018. “At this point, there are 810 condos under construction and just three unsold units, empty but complete, ready for sale.”

A condo development must have laid its foundation to be included in that number and Pardy says it includes the first phase of One Water, the 339-unit project lead by Kerkhoff Construction.

During the last 18 months, Pardy says market condominium projects in Kelowna have mostly sold out in pre-sales.

“Demand is high for new condo products,” he adds, which could bode well for the half-dozen other condo towers and low-rise projects that are waiting in the wings.

One key difference this time around, Pardy points out: A good chunk of the construction you see all around Kelowna right now is actually purposebuilt rental housing, mainly the result of a concerted drive since 2015 by Kelowna city council to lure developers into building it with tax breaks and reductions on development cost charges.

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21

EDITORIAL

“For the longest time now [the list to sell ratio has] been in the 70’s which makes it a sellers market.

For the first time in a few years, it’s back down to around 60.”

Grant Turik Royal LePage Realtor

In its 2017 Housing Needs Assessment, the City of Kelowna predicts 7,500 units will be constructed in the next five years, about 20 per cent singledetached houses with the rest higher density developments.

When you subtract new houses as well as purpose-built rental, and supportive housing, the city still thinks there’s going to be just over 4,000 more units built and that means condominium townhouses and apartments, about 800 a year until 2021.

A report by the real estate services manager for the City of Kelowna, while certainly not admiring of the speculation tax, concluded it’s likely to have a “moderate impact on reducing purchases of Kelowna residential real estate by out-of-province buyers.

And this was before the

provincial finance minister announced the speculation tax would be cut in half, starting at 0.5 per cent of assessed value for 2018 and doubling the next year to one per cent on those who did not qualify for an exemption or simply chose not to rent out their units.

Apparently none of those numbers meant anything to the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce which has been tilting back against the tax with an online petition and campaign encouraging members and others to make known their opposition.

Like the two mayors, the business and development groups behind the petition are demanding exclusion and have been predicting a TKO for the currently-robust Central Okanagan economy.

CMHC’s Pardy is much more circumspect about pronouncing on provincial government

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the Moving Guide 2018 EDITION

won’t drop too far the other way.

In what could be a silver lining, Turik said he’s hopeful the increase in listings realtors are seeing will allow locals more latitude in the market, even if at the expense of overall price increases.

“Before people knew if they put up a sign it would sell before noon, but then where would they go, “Turik adds. “There’s nothing to buy so people don’t want to sell.”

As someone in it for the long haul, Turik talks about a client’s “real estate experience” and says a sellers market isn’t really good for anybody in the long run.

“It’s better when things are more in balance,” he adds.

“There still is some momentum but clients don’t have to make irrational decisions overnight based on something they are not even really happy with but feel they have no choice.” TMG

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policy, but has had doubts that the spec tax will do much to reduce overall demand.

“If anything, it is more likely to shape demand than reduce it, meaning you may see higher demand in Lake Country and Peachland (which are exempt from the tax),” Pardy says. “In terms of townhomes and apartment condos, we are still seeing what is known as a sellers market, with upward price pressures.”

Certainly Turik is not a fan of the spec tax — he describes it as “socialism” — but he also thinks making too much noise about it is counterproductive, especially when the government doesn’t seem like it’s going to back down.

“I would like to see a slow, curve downward back to balanced,” he says of the local market, although he’s still not certain the all important sales-to-listing ratio

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YOUR PROJECTED LOCAL MOVING EXPENDITURES:

$171,000,000!

According to a 2015 study conducted by The Canadian Real Estate Association, in the next three years, the 8,000 households that receive this magazine will spend and average of an extra $21,375 per household on goods and services! This is in addition to the direct expenses related to the real estate transaction (financing, commissions, etc...)

The study broke down the total spending of 8,000 BC homes as follows:

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$80,400,000

$26,800,000

Renovations

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$52,000,000

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Furniture and appliances

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Direct moving expenses

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The Moving Guide wishes you smooth sailing on the sale and move from your home. It is our intention to provide you with the information and contacts that will make the process of moving easier.

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2018 EDITION the Moving Guide

23