If you’ve got enough cash burning a hole in your pocket, you might be considering skipping the mortgage entirely and buying a house outright.

It’s an enticing idea: no monthly payments, no interest piling up over decades, and immediate ownership of your dream home.

Cash transactions are increasingly common in the North American real estate market.

In Ontario, 2024 data from Teranet said that "30% of purchases made by single-party multi-property owners were done without a mortgage."

In the USA, 41.7% of home sales were done without mortgage lien attached at closing in the first quarter of 2026 (ATTOM article).

But is it really smart to buy a house with cash in Canada? Let’s explore the pros, cons, and steps involved in making an…

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Kelowna Real Estate in 2026: Will You Sell Too Early, Too Late – or Just Right?

Every market has its turning point. Kelowna real estate is no different.

For Kelowna, 2026&7 is shaping up to be that year.

Even for sellers who want to go, the challenge is when: is it too early, too late, or exactly on time?

The past two years told the same story, where prices held steady, but condos and townhomes grew in supply, largely due to the flux of upcoming rental-only housing options.

Those inventories began to languish in 2024-25. 

Single-fam inventory keeps on ticking though, with prices moderately declined from the bubble war highs of 2021-22, which did not reflect intrinsic reality, but rather a temporal moment for sellers to rejoice, repocket,…

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2025 BC First Time Buyer Grants & Exemptions. By Vantage West Real Estate, Kelowna REALTORS

Buying your first home is a huge milestone — but in a competitive and high-cost market like BC, it can also feel overwhelming.

The good news? If you're buying your first home in BC, you can save tens of thousands of dollars on your purchase with grants & incentives like the GST exemption, property transfer tax exemptions, and the home owner property tax grant.

In this guide, we show you how to save money with 7 BC first time home buyer grants, exemptions, and incentives at both the provincial and federal level.

Who we are: Vantage West Realty, a top-rated independent real estate agency in Kelowna, BC with a 4.9 star rating and 1,000+ reviews over 20+ years of business. If you're buying or selling a home in Kelowna, Peachland, or Vernon, …

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banner image for West Kelowna school rankings guide 2025 based on Fraser Institute score cards from grades 4 and 7 math and literacy

Your child’s future starts with the right school—and in West Kelowna, the options can feel overwhelming.

Whether you're moving here for a fresh start or raising your family in the place you love, the school you choose can shape your child's confidence, creativity, and lifelong potential.

In this 2025-26 guide, we break down the top-rated elementary, middle, and high schools in West Kelowna—one of the best places to call home in the Okanagan.

We review test scores, plus other important matters for parents: safe environments, strong programs, community culture, and future-ready opportunities.

The best schools don’t just teach—they unlock hidden talent, nurture emotional growth, and give kids a chance to belong.

West Kelowna…

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Thinking about a career in BC real estate?

Becoming a REALTOR in BC gives you the freedom to be your own boss, chase limitless earnings, and experience the joy of helping people find their perfect home.

This guide walks you through the steps required to launching your real estate career in British Columbia, Canada in 2025.

learn how to become a real estate agent in British Columbia, Canada here.

 

1. Get Licensed as a REALTOR® in BC

Your first step to becoming a real estate agent in British Columbia, Canada is completing the Real Estate Trading Services Licensing Course with UBC’s Sauder School of Business.

✔️ REALTOR pre-licensing is offered by the University of British Columbia, covering essential topics like real estate law, ethics, valuation, and finance.

✔️ Next, you’ll complete the Real…

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Now that flipping homes has made a resurgence in popularity, I want to give you advice about how to do it properly.

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Today, let’s talk about something near and dear to my heart—flipping homes. This is something that I consulted many people on about 10 years ago during that last real estate boom. During the slump, it went out of style, but here we are again at the height of another real estate boom.

Flipping homes makes good sense in this market, so today, I’ll be giving you an updated version of the right way to flip homes.

A lot of people make the mistake of just buying a home, adding a profit margin, and then just taking a price that they think they’d need to justify the whole…

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Will the new British Columbia budget heavily impact the real estate market? Here’s what you need to know.

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Today, we’re going to discuss the new BC budget and what the potential impacts are to our real estate market.

1. Foreign buyers tax. The foreign buyers tax has increased from 15% to 20%. The interesting part is that it now includes us, where we were exempt before.

2. Property transfer tax. Properties over $3 million will now have a 5% transfer tax. If you buy a $3.5 million house, you’ll see about another $2,500 on your transfer tax bill. Is that going to dissuade someone at that price point? Not likely.

3. The BC Home Partnership program, which was giving first-time buyers a…

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Don’t fall for these bad ideas if you plan on investing in real estate in 2018.

 

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2018 is a new year, which means new opportunities. However, there are a few bad ideas that you should avoid this year.

1. Do not get your information from the media. You probably clicked on this video because of the negative headline, right? Keep in mind that almost every economist, from the Bank of Canada to RVC to the credit unions, expects 3% to 7% growth this year. That is not much of a headline, so the headlines will all be about bad news because bad news sells. Look at economic models to know what’s really going on. Of course, we’ll continue to roll out our educational videos about the actual…

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Be Sure to click "Read Full Post" below to watch video.

By now, you’ve probably received your property tax assessment in the mail. You may have mixed feelings about the large increase we’ve seen in property values lately, so I want to dispel some common misconceptions about property tax assessments.

A lot of people assume any increase in their assessment will equate to the same increase in their property taxes. In other words, if their property’s value goes up by 20% in their assessment, then they’ll see the same 20% jump in their property taxes. That’s not the case, though. How property tax assessments are done is a little more complicated than that.

Assessors also take into…

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We hear headlines like the central Okanagan home values are up 8.5% year over year and that’s great, but which neighborhoods in Kelowna are driving that appreciation? Which neighborhoods are performing well above the regional average? Whether you’re an investor looking to buy in the hottest little pocket or just a homeowner curious to know how your neighborhood stacks up, this little comparison should be of interest to you.

Before we jump into the top 5 growth neighborhoods, here is a bit of context to give you a frame of reference. The bottom 5 neighborhoods only appreciated by between 4% and 10%.

OK and now for the list. You will note that the top 3 are essentially in a 3-way tie and at 23% price growth. A couple tenths of a percent can be swayed…

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