The Thompson-Okanagan region is rapidly growing. Population hit 620,000 residents in 2021 with an average of 10,000 new residents every year. It is the fastest growing population in Canada according to Statistics Canada. The City of Kelowna itself now has over 224,000 residents. Making it double the size of Kamloops, Prince George and Nanaimo. It’s no wonder the real estate development is continuing to accelerate even with this slight downturn in sales.
The City of Kelowna recently voted unanimously to approve a 425 home development in the Tower Ranch neighborhood and a 1000 home development on Lakeshore Road. Those developments in addition to many pre-sales happening throughout the region are a direct correlation to the influx of out of region residents. Okanagan real estate has been stifled with supply in the past months creating a rise in prices. With the new projects arising, we are hoping to see a shift, making housing more affordable within the region.
Even with residential sales slowing recently, the average price is still on the rise. We saw May’s average single family home sale price increase from just under 1 million ($997,441) to $1,139,144 from the same time last year.
It is estimated that investors make up nearly 60-70% of condo buyers in the city. This I believe goes hand in hand with Kelowna’s rental vacancy rate which sat at just 0.6%. The lowest level in Canada in May. With the average price of condos sitting at $518,637 in May, its an affordable and wise investment choice.
The Thompson-Okanagan region, especially Kelowna, is rapidly growing. Now may be the best time to capture that piece of Okanagan paradise. Feel free to reach out and contact me with any questions or to get started finding your perfect home.
