Kelowna, BC

Here are 10 quick tips on how you can make changes to your daily lives to contribute less to global warming. This article is courtesy of www.cmhc.

Each Canadian generates, on average, five tonnes of greenhouse gases every year. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation offers 10 simple steps you can take to help keep our planet healthy and make your home more comfortable and healthier, while saving you money, and increasing your home's resale value.

Step 1 - Switch to Public Transit

By simply switching from a mid-size car to public transit for your local travel, you can save up to 230 kg of CO2 per year for every 1,000 km you don't drive.

Step 2 - Think Smaller

Downsizing to a smaller car can eliminate 1,100 - 2,600 kg of CO2 each year-and save you dollars at the gas pump!

Step 3 - Stay Grounded

For short out-of-town trips, taking the bus or train instead of traveling by plane could benefit both the planet and your wallet.

Step 4 - Reduce Your Home Heating Bills

Improving the energy-efficiency of your home or even just lowering the thermostat by as little as 1°C can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Step 5 - Reconsider Your Space Needs

Larger homes use a lot more energy so, the next time you move, ask yourself if a smaller home might better fit your needs.

Step 6 - Buy green

When buying appliances, choose the most energy-efficient ones in order to save up to 400 kg of CO2 a year.

Step 7 - Stay out of hot water

Wrapping your hot water heater in a thermal blanket and installing low-flow shower heads and water-efficient appliances can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Step 8 - Eat Your Vegetables

Adopting a diet that includes less meat can have a significant impact on your greenhouse gas emissions

Step 9 - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Cutting your garbage production by just one bag a week could save your family 300 kg of CO2 a year.

Step 10 - Remember: You Have the Power

Many utility companies are introducing Green Power options. By switching to green power, you can reduce your home's CO2 emissions.

Foreclosures are few and far between in the Central Okanagan today. The Kelowna Real Estate Market has returned to more of a balanced one with homes taking longer to sell and buyers have more selection. There are also a number of "Subject to Sale" deals where one home owner is waiting for another home owner to sell their property before completing on their agreement. This certainly has a bit of a domino effect and requires the patience of all parties involved. I have put together the current listing inventory for the Central Okanagan Region.

Current listing inventory is as follows:

Single Family Dwellings - 1801 properties including 12 pending offers

Strata - 1489 properties including 9 pending offers

Manufactured Home - 139 including 2 pending offers

Lots/Acreages 597 properties including 4 pending offers

Total properties for sale - 4026

And amongst the entire listing inventory...only 14 Foreclosures!!!

Foreclosure properties represent a mere 0.0035% of the total listing inventory. Not what I would label a melt down of the local real estate market! The current foreclosure break down is as follows: 1 Lot/Areage, 12 Single Family Dwellings and 1 Strata Property at Big White Ski Resort. Unfortunately, we still see reports in the media that the real estate market could crash at any time and in doing so send the message to not invest. This type of sensationalism and misguided representation on the real estate market in general is completely unfounded!

Now is a terrific time to buy a home as home prices are favouring buyers and interest rates continue to stay low. As a matter of fact, the Bank of Canada is set to announce another rate decrease on Jan.20/09. There is speculation that it will be .5% rate reduction. However, the national banks or "Big Five" as they are called may not be so generous and pass on the same reductions in their posted fixed rates. Bottom line is now is a great time to invest in real estate here in the very sunny Okanagan Valley.

The Regional District of the Central Okanagan reported in 2007 there were just over 72,000 household and 14,562 businesses. The current population is estimated to be 180,000. The total area covered is 2,956.3 km sq or 1141.5 miles sq. The Central Okanagan stretches from Lake Couuntry to the north of Kelowna, Big White Ski Resort/Beaverdell to the east, Westside/Westbank to the west and Peachland to the south.

If you would any further information on these foreclosure properties or have general questions about the local real estate market in Kelowna, please e-mail at: jason.neumann@century21.ca or call (250) 808-7700.

Sincerely,

Jason Neumann

Black Mountain is a rural neighbourhood located south east of Kelowna. The first homes were built predominately on larger ¼ acre lots in the 1970's. The newer built homes feature incredible panoramic views that stretch from Okanagan Lake to Kelowna International Airport. Kirschner Mountain is located adjacent to Black Mountain with newly developed subdivisions that are mainly "Craftsman" style exterior finishes and have reasonable sized front and back yards. There are breathtaking panoramic views of Lake Okanagan from almost lot as well. The Gate offers affordable townhome living for those looking to relocate here without the yard work! Highway 33 takes you directly into the heart of Black Mountain which allows its residents quicker access to Big White Ski Resort. A brand new golf community fittingly named "Black Mountain" has been established and is known for its very challenging 18-hole course. The Black Mountain Irrigation District is responsible for thousands of customers who reply on this group for clean drinking water. This spring also saw the return of the Black Mountain Rodeo where cowboys from all over Western Canada come to strut their stuff and wow local crowds!

Housing in this area continues to be in high demand for young professionals and families. Every amenity imaginable is located mere minutes away in nearby Rutland. Black Mountain Elementary is an award winning local school. "Close but not too close" to the city is what best describes this family oriented neighbourhood.

Black Mountain Quick Facts:

Approximately 56 km Drive to Big White Ski Resort

Approximately 10 minute Drive to Downtown Rutland

Approximately 20 minute Drive to Downtown Kelowna & Lake

Approximately 15 minutes Drive to Kelowna International Airport

For more information on this incredible Kelowna Neighbourhood please contact me by e-mail at: jason.neumann@century21.ca or call (250) 808-7700.

Sincerely,

Jason Neumann

Joe Rich Valley is a hidden gem amongst the many communities surrounding the Kelowna area. There are vast acreages and farms abundantly found along the Highway 33 corridor leading almost to the Big White Ski Resort turnoff road. Joe Rich's landscape varies from the valley creek beds up to mountainous regions with astounding views of Kelowna and abroad. Mission Creek weaves and snakes it way throughout the region and eventually joins itself to the Mission Creek Greenway.

The average home here can be found on a "not so average" lot size of one acre or more. Locals typically enjoy the ability to dirt bike and quad from their front door in the summer and ski mobile in the winter months. Life is just a little more laid back and "away from it all" as Kelowna is 10-15 minute drive away. Another unique feature of Joe Rich is how much wildlife presides in the backwoods and sometimes in a resident's backyard. It is not uncommon to see whitetail deer, moose, coyote and even those cute little rabbits when out on walks or sitting on a neighbour's back deck. Joe Rich Community Hall is where locals meet to discuss hot topics or get together for fundraising purposes. The brave volunteers of the Joe Rich Fire Department can also be found beside the community hall building.

Most would agree that living in the Joe Rich Valley is well worth the short commute to get to Kelowna. Families abound here and are able to take full advantage of the forested areas whether it be for: fishing, camping, hiking or mountain biking. Housing is a little more affordable for certain but I must tell you the secret is getting out there!

This is a interesting article on the history of Joe Rich that I found courtesy of: JoeRichNews.com:

Joe Rich Valley, as almost everyone knows, was named after the first settler to build a substantial cabin and take up residence in the valley. Little is known about this man, but he may have been a bit of a reprobate looking for seclusion. He seems to have been a squatter and to have never held title to the land on which he built, because it was eventually obtained as a Crown Grant by the Preston's, and finally purchased by Cyril Weddell and Duncan Stewart.

Originally, Joe Rich Valley referred only to the land along either side of Joe Rich Creek, but by the time John Findlay owned and lived on the present Serwa property, the name had begun to be applied to the valley down Mission Creek to at least his property and to the land up the present Three Forks Road and Philpott Road. The actual extent of the land falling into the Joe Rich Area was further defined by the Fire District and the mail service. The Joe Rich Fire District extended down to about Eight Mile Ranch and Creek area. The Fire Department would answer calls in all of that area as well as up Three Forks and Philpott Roads. For a while, some postal addresses were to "Joe Rich Valley", but most if not all have now been converted to "Highway 33 East". The opening up of Tamarack Estates on Goudie Road has required a further expansion and now a satellite fire hall for our fire department. The fire department will now answer calls as far as the top of the Black Mountain hill. This has added more confusion to the definition of just what area constitutes Joe Rich. Very recently, a downtown reporter suggested that the name "Joe Rich" be dropped and the area be renamed as an electoral district. Because of the historical nature of the Joe Rich name and the fact that most people in Kelowna know this area only as Joe Rich, the present name is not likely to die easily. As some residents have said, "We know where we live and it is Joe Rich Valley".

To the north of Highway 33 in the Black Mountain area there is a short segment of the old road to Joe Rich Valley still named "Joe Riche Road". The presence of the terminal "e" on "Rich" has been a source of confusion. But a search of court records listing Joe Rich's name show that the "e" is there in error and the real name is just simple unsophisticated "Joe Rich".

For more information on this fabulous Kelowna Neighbourhood please contact me by e-mail at: jason.neumann@century21.ca or call (250) 808-7700.

Sincerely,

Jason Neumann

Although many real estate markets across Canada have been very sluggish in terms of sales, the month of December for sales in the Central Okanagan were quite encouraging. Kelowna and its many neighbourhoods are still considered to be among the most desirable to live in anywhere in this great country of ours. For complete December 2008 Stats for the Central Okanagan please visit: OMREB Stats

Here's the break down on the December 2008 sales stats:

Lots and Acreages - 1 sale

Manufactured Homes - 8 sales

Single Family Residential - 74 sales

Strata (Condos & Townhomes) - 37 sales

Total December Sales: 120

Looking at just the Single Family Residential sales numbers alone they were quite good, considering that works out to an average of over two sales a day for the entire month! Couple that with the fact that four of those sales were over the million dollar mark (one nearly topped two million) and buyers have started to take advantage of lower priced homes. Of course, I am not saying that the volume and pricing of properties are equal to last year because they simply are not! As a matter of fact listing inventory went up by nearly 20% and sales went down 57% over this time last year. It is interesting to note that homes are selling 10% quicker today then they were last year!

However, I for one can see that investors, first time buyers and people moving up the property ladder are starting to come out of the woodwork. With home values having adjusted to more of a balanced market and interest rates continuing to stay low, it really is a great time to buy in this current real estate market. I look forward to a great 2009 in real estate right here in Canada's four season playground...Kelowna!

Sincerely,

Jason Neumann