Publisher’s Letter

Steve Dietrich – Publisher

Wow! A recent study prepared for the Vancouver Board of Trade reports that almost half of the current residents in Greater Vancouver and one-third of Lower Mainland businesses are actively considering moving to another community due to traffic congestion and high real-estate prices.

To explore this further I attended a recent conference and trade show called Outlook 2019 organized by Vancouver entrepreneur and real-estate advisor Ozzie Jurock and which focused on real-estate investment. The attendance totalled more than 500 people of all ages who listened throughout eight hours to 12 enlightened speakers. What struck me most was that even in Vancouver’s slowing real estate market the attendance was busier than ever. The underlying message was that the decreasing Vancouver home prices soon will stabilize. And in addition to talk of the inevitable mortgages increases, investing in smaller communities (anything outside of Vancouver and Calgary) showed the most growth potential in terms of investment appreciation, livability and new development opportunities.

I am regularly asked: “Steve, so where do you think the best place is to move and/or invest.” So we endeavour to present many options. In our first issue, May/June 2018, we talked about 21 Cool Communities as well as towns where you can purchase a home for less than $200,000. In our July/August issue we featured towns with homes for less than $300,000, followed by our Sept/Oct issue in which we featured properties for less than $500,000. In this issue we explore homes for less than $700,000. Of course, we also get into the amenities and community lifestyle attributes.

In this issue you can choose between living close to a beach or a ski hill (or maybe both). Or are you looking to spend your winters down south or in the mountains, to flip a property, start a new business or find a less stressful job?

We hope you’ll find the answers and be inspired to explore your options. We encourage you to call or email some of the contacts and advertisers who specialize in your area of interest. I guarantee you that they will be keen to respond. Alternatively, send us an email with any questions and stories that you would like us to cover.

So keep reading because we will continue to feature many options for varying budgets and personal intereset. I’m constantly amazed at what value can be found in smaller communities.

Steve Dietrich

Publisher