Recreational property ownership is all about having a place to unwind & relax, enjoy family, and get outside for some adventure. With so many activity options an investment in a resort property will give growing families years of enjoyment, and an option to rent out your property when not in use to help pay for the expense. A resort property can provide an excellent location for year round enjoyment with access to urban amenities and summer and winter outdoor activities. BC has many designated resort locations and resort communities that have grown up around ski hill mountains, large lakes and hot springs.
Foremost, ski resorts have transformed into all seasons playgrounds that bustle with spring festivals, summer markets and live music. Summer at the hill gives you outdoor adventure choices such as mountain biking, alpine hiking & golfing. There are several regions in BC that offer ski hill property ownership. Starting in the lower mainland, the sought after ski weekend get-away is in Whistler Blackcomb. Within a four hour drive of Vancouver is Sun Peaks Resort, near Kamloops. The second largest resort in BC offering all kinds of winter powder play and an outdoor public pool and golf course. The Okanagan Region has Silver Star Mountain Resort near Vernon, and Big White Resort is nearest Kelowna. Situated in the East Kootenay Rockies about four hours from Calgary, is Panorama Mountain Resort, and the Bavarian theme resort town of Kimberly is in the Purcell Mountains of the Kootenay Region about 20 minutes from the Cranbrook International Airport. In addition, picking a mountain region that can be reached by more than one mode of transport adds flexibility, making transportation during peak holiday times easier.
There’s not much difference between a ski resort chalet and a typical vacation getaway home except for location and the steep slope of the roof. With a resort chalet, as with typical vacation homes, you are responsible for the upkeep, including what’s beyond the walls including snow removal, yard work, and trash removal, all of which add to the expenses of your mortgage and property taxes. The other attractive option is the ski resort condominium, which will be part of a strata association. Condominium property owners are charged condo strata fees to cover external upkeep and you don’t have to cut grass, or worry about snow plowing or snow shovelling or taking the trash to the refuse site. Condos, which are usually multi-floor townhouses or one-floor apartments come with shared amenities, such as a pool, games rooms, or a gym. The downside to a condo can be the privacy factor, if you need complete privacy to relax and find zen, a detached dwelling will best suit your needs. A major consideration should be the distance to the ski lifts, ski-in-ski-out access is highly sought. If you will be renting out the unit, having ski-in-ski out adds to the amount your unit will rent for. If not an option, consider a condo that is on the chair lift shuttle route.
In contrast, purchasing a lot in a lake side RV resort offers waterfront with all the play and less than half to pay. Your motorhome, 5th wheel, trailer or camper becomes a hassle free getaway, and you don’t have the expense, responsibility or maintenance of a vacation home. You don’t have to pay for RV Storage, or pack up, hookup, tow/travel and pay for gasoline or camp site fees. You leave your RV on your own lot, set up and hooked up to power, water and sewer services, and the upkeep of the rest of the property is taken care of by the resort. This type of recreational property ownership has gained allot of fellowship over the years and become micro-communities. The Okanagan, Shuswap and the Fraser Valley have numerous resort properties to consider. Make sure you fully understand what type of ownership is being offered in the sales contract. RV lot resorts each have their own ownership structure and rules.
Similarly, the draw to vacation near water has many seeking landholdings at the handful of amazing BC hot springs resorts and resort communities. Halcyon Hot Springs, Nakusp Hot Springs and Ainsworth Hot Springs in the Kootenay Region make up a chain of mother natures most sensational soaking experiences and they are located along side hundreds of miles of lake view and waterfront property on both Arrow and Kootenay Lakes. There are even a few exceptional waterfront landholdings that have their own water rights to the Halcyon Hot Springs. They enjoy a panoramic Arrow Lake view from their cottages as they soak in their own private natural hot spring pools. Alternatively, the best of both worlds is located only a few hours east of Vancouver in the Fraser Valley Region, the crown jewel of Hot Springs. Revered, Harrison Hot Springs which has grown to become a sizeable resort community, sits on ultra scenic Harrison Lake, known for its water sports and mountain backdrop. If you live in the lower mainland, Harrison Hot Springs is the perfect resort community to own rec property in, with Harrison Lake, access to the Hot Springs and outdoor recreation in the surrounding forested mountains Harrison offers it all close enough to enjoy every weekend.
In conclusion, BC has many diverse types of resort property ownership, and as in any real estate transaction you are responsible for due diligence in knowing exactly what is being offered for sale. I urge you to research everything you can about the resort you are considering purchasing recreational property in, and inquire with the people who are already recreational residents. Ask them what they love and dislike about their resort community and surrounding area. As always use a trusted and knowledgeable realtor to help you with your search, vetting and purchase.