A recent survey of buyer's agents in the Central Okanagan, North Okanagan and Shuswap regions revealed that:
25.6% of purchases were by Move Up Buyers, 18.9% by First Time Buyers, 13.3% Moving from Single Family to Home Strata unit, 11.1% Buying Revenue/Investment Property, 5.6% Moving from Strata to Single Family Home, another 5.6% Recreation Property Buyers, and 2.2% Moving into Retirement Home/Seniors Community; 25.8% of Buyers were Couples without Children, another 25.8% were Empty Nesters or Retired, 22.5% were Two Parent Families with Children, 13.5% Single Males, 6.7% Single Females, and another 6.7% were Single Parent Families with Children
45.3% financed via Conventional Mortgage (with more than 20% down), 37.2% paid by Cash, 16.3% by High Ratio Mortgage (less than 20% down), and 2.3% required Rental Income to Qualify for Financing
57.8% were from Within OMREB Board Area, 13.3% from Alberta, 8.9% from Other Areas in BC, 6.7% from Lower Mainland/Vancouver Island, 4.4% from Saskatchewan/Manitoba, another 4.4% from Manitoba/Maritimes, and 4.4% from Outside Canada; 47.8% of purchases were in Kelowna/West Kelowna, 14.4% in Vernon/Coldstream, 12.2% in Shuswap/Revelstoke (other than Salmon Arm), 10% in North Okanagan (other than Vernon/Coldstream), 7.8% in Central Okanagan (other than Kelowna/West Kelowna), and another 7.8% in Salmon Arm.
March Survey Results: Click here for a summary of March results (pie charts have been added for quick reference), and here for highlight comparisons for January through March 2011 and September through December 2010.
Jason Neumann