UPDATE - READ THE UPDATED 2017 Q3-Q4 VANTAGE REPORT HERE

With the first half of the year on the books, I wanted to summarize where we are at during these interesting times.

The Desire for Investment Properties Is Staggering

As you might expect with two years in a row of double digit property value growth in the Okanagan, and the headlines that go with it, we have seen the number of properties purchased for investment increase by 40 percent. This is a combination of baby boomers looking to augment their retirement income and out-of-towners catching wind that Kelowna’s market is in the full swing of a real estate boom and looking to get a piece of the action.

Now not all real estate investments in Kelowna have performed equally. Some have…

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I like to tell war stories. You know, the really gritty, tough moments of being a Kelowna real estate investor—the nightmare tenants who are 3 months behind on rent, the money sucking roof repairs, flooded basements, and backed-up sewer lines. Maybe it's a badge of honour, or maybe I just like to vent, but inevitably every time I share one of these trials with someone I get a similar response. People say “Yeah, I just don't think it's worth it” or “Seems like it's not worth the hassle”.

Now, to be fair, typically the people I'm chatting with aren't high-powered executives or independently wealthy types. They're regular, working-class people like you and me, who work a 40 or 50+ hour week in exchange for a wage or salary. Most of them are daily…

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The market it is hot again and just as we saw membership in our profession balloon from 2004 till 2008, we are seeing it again with no slow down in sight. Personally I welcome this new breed of professionals into the industry. It is the new blood that innovates, pushes the industry further and prevents stagnation. As an old battle worn ninja, yet still young enough to relate to the new class of white belts coming entering the business with zero clue what to expect. I give you the class of 2017 these pearls of wisdom all learned the hard way at the world's most expensive yet least prestigious school of hard knocks.

1. Guard your reputation in the industry with your life.

It's not enough to just do right by your clientele. You need to make sure…

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The Kelowna real estate market is pretty hot right now. Just in March, my team managed to sell 46 homes - and we haven’t even hit the busy season yet. We don’t expect market activity to slow down at all, and buyers will continue to eat up our low supply of inventory. This means that sellers can get great prices for their homes. To learn more about how you can benefit in our market right now, watch this short video.

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Before you start worrying about the recent increase in interest rates, I want to let you know what I think about the situation. It's not nearly as dire as some people have been led to believe. Your affordability should remain intact. Watch this video to learn more!

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I had a great question from a client recently, and wanted to share it with you today. Currently we are experiencing a nice upswing in the market, but our client wants to know if they can expect the same type of growth we saw 10-15 years ago when the market surged. Although I don’t expect to see home values increase that dramatically, I do expect the market to come out better on the other side of this cycle. To get all the details about what I predict housing prices to do over the next 10-15 years, watch this short video!

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Today we are answering a common question we get about preparing a home for sale and the role photography can play in it. Back in 2008, we started experimenting with using professional photographs on our listings, but the results were mixed. In some cases, the photos were “too good” and caused a bit of a letdown for buyers when they saw the home in person. To find out how we corrected and perfected the home photography process just a few years later, watch this short video!

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I get a lot of questions about real estate from my clients in Kelowna. Today I wanted to take the time to answer two questions. One of them is about whether or not this spring will be a good time to flip properties. This is a great question, and the answer is more complex than a simple 'yes' or 'no'. Watch this video to hear the answer!

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We love it when people send us their Kelowna real estate questions, as it gives us a chance to discuss topics that many people in the area are curious about. Today, we answer two more user-submitted questions: What are the rules about putting in a carriage home? How are low oil prices affecting our market? Today, we answer both of these great questions! To see our answers to these pressing topics, watch this short video!

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A lot of people have been asking us great questions lately. We want to share some of the best ones with you today, along with our answers. First we are going to talk about what you need to put in a rental to make sure you get a good tenant. We will also talk about the best improvements to make when flipping a home. To hear all of our answers to your questions, watch this short video!

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