Helen and Art Christian have lived in Pender Harbour, B.C., since 1968. The 80-something couple want to downsize and sell the 2,000-square-foot house they built, seen here at the top of the frame. ‘Our house would be great for someone who wanted to retire here, who are in their 60s or younger,’ Mrs. Christian says.
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North of Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast seldom dips below freezing, with a normal January temperature of 2.3 C. It’s a 45-minute ferry ride between West Vancouver and the Sechelt Peninsula, and it’s also accessible by plane. With a population of about 60,000 people, it’s made up of little towns and islands, with a retail centre and small hospital in Sechelt.
“It’s gorgeous,” Mr. Campbell says. “It’s definitely not driven by job growth. It’s driven more by lifestyle choice. That can still drive a market, but the market is much slower. I think it would be an unbelievably cool place to hang out and retire. And if you have a boat, then suddenly you are not reliant 100 per cent on the ferry system. But just go in with your eyes open.”
According to Landcor data, the single-family dwelling on the Sunshine Coast has been slipping steadily in value. It now sits at an average of about $440,000 for a single family house, which averages 1,872 square feet.
“There are bargains to be had,” Mr. Nielsen says.
Helen Christian, 80, and husband Art, 84, have lived in Pender Harbour since 1968. They raised a family and retired in the same house. They built a 2,000-square-foot house surrounded by trees, on the water, with a dock for their boat, and have decided they need to relocate to a house in the same community that isn’t so big, and is on a level property.
They initially listed their house for close to $1-million, but have reduced it to $825,000 a year later. They’d like to sell, but they are constrained by the slow market.
“Our house would be great for someone who wanted to retire here, who are in their 60s or younger,” Mrs. Christian says.
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