Moving to Kelowna and need advice

[LANDM]

You didn't mention what you want to spend. If you want a single family home under 375, then you have limited choices.....all of which will make someone say these are "bad areas". Whatever your price is, make is consistent for the area. Don't spend 550 in Rutland as it will be hard to get it back and you will be the big one on the block.
The mckenzie bench in Rutland is great. So is the springvalley area.
Just get the best area for the money you want to spend. Good luck with your search. :sunshine:

[Roadster]

You didn't mention what you want to spend. If you want a single family home under 375, then you have limited choices.....all of which will make someone say these are "bad areas". Whatever your price is, make is consistent for the area. Don't spend 550 in Rutland as it will be hard to get it back and you will be the big one on the block.
The mckenzie bench in Rutland is great. So is the springvalley area.
Just get the best area for the money you want to spend. Good luck with your search. :sunshine:

Dont believe that,,, you can spend the same amount on something in town half size with loads of work to do on it and still be stuck... Spend as you will for the best deal where ever it be and keep it in shape and you wont be stuck. Rutland sells as well as any other place unless you pick a dumpy neighborhood in any city,,, My place hasnt lost a dime yet in value and in fact I can get double what we paid for it still... Cos the market went nuts after the deal. Fools will feed ya if you eat it. :dyinglaughing:
We made money on every house we sold in Rutland and 40 grand was the lowest when the market was not so hot before prices flew,,, those sales helped us buy this one we are in now without sinking our total lives into the bank this time and its almost a ten fold over some we saw when we shopped all over town. If it wasnt we'd be elsewhere, see,,, the market can change but you can be smart about it.
BTW, one house in south Rutland sold the day it was to hit the MLS and had a full price back up on it that day an hour later. Another in North Rutland took two weeks because the people who had a hook on it played with us trying to dicker, we said "Stuff it" and they bought it...
Ask someone who has bought and sold,,, many times over,,, in Rutland

[mexicalidreamer]

No one has really dealt with the Westside so i'll tap in. We have lived IN Glenrosa for 20 years. Moved here with little little kids and because both my wife and I came from Nomadic families, we vowed to stay put until the kids were out of school.

All have graduated and are continuing with education or careers or whatever and here we stay. The neighborhood by and large is very quiet and the lots are big. Here, as in all neighborhoods, there are areas where things have been neglected a bit but overall it's a nice place to live.

The downside can be transit to Kelowna. It should only take about 20 minutes by bus (if you need the bus) but it can take longer and weekend service is bad. By car, about 15 minutes from the hospital.

About 80% of the land on the westside is owned by First nations folk who have spent the past several years developing large chunks so we look like a much bigger community than we are. we have great box store representation if that matters too you but not much in the way for kids. Used to have all kinds of attractions but they have mostly disappeared in favor of commercial development.

You're never far from the lake out here though and there are some great walking paths and dog parks. There are some really good restaurants and schools are abundant.

Houses range in the mid to high 3's and upward to a million and more so you get lots of diversity.

Lakeview heights, Shannon Lake, Casa Loma, Mission Hill area are all mostly bigger dollar homes but the views are spectacular from a lot of them and some in the older areas are huge properties. Market is still a bit weak so there are deals to be had.

I can recommend a couple of good realtors who have been here forever and are at the top of their professions and all have experience on both sides of the lake.

Good luck and feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

[Roadster]

I lived on the West side for a year and gotta admit it is nice,,, no problems there either sept for travelling the bridge back when it was the old bridge,,, if its better travelling now I would recommend the west side... Lots of new houses there too and nice ones. Also big yards in most areas.
You do wanna watch over there tho that your land is yours. I heard some people bought a nice big house on leased land, I dont get that,,, what if the lease ever ends and is not renewable? What do ya do with the house? Move it,,,or let it go? Something I am not familiar with but it smells funny to me. When I die I want my house and the land its on to go to my family without any issues.
I know some people there who have a yard that is outta this world so its a good area. Also watch the higher up area,,, I know a family there who have a level up of houses behind them and after the melt startes they have a river for a coupla weeks coming through their garage and down their steep driveway travelling to the ones at even lower levels. luckily the builder did something behind the house to prevent it from travelling the whole basement which is ground level with the garage,,, somewhat of a sacrifice to have their beautiful home but it is nice!
Also the mountains like Black mountain,,, the drive ways do mostly have heating in them because they are sloped quite steeply for some of them,,, you find your extra car or visitors parking down on the road. We looked at a few and I was pooped by the time we walked up the driveway and my eyeballs were crossed so couldnt see much of the insides of them. Whats scary in some of these areas is as they build new home further up behind you the run off also becomes a problem again but we did sit on a deck outside one of them and sucked in the wonderful view of the city and the airport even,,, Level ground for me and flat driveway,,, oh and did I mention we have the best water here? Ha,,, we do, it on wells here.

[Ken7]

Move where you can afford it, it's expensive to live here. Rutland is a nice place to live. A lot of families here who don't inhale their own farts whilst thinking how awesome, rich and better they are than everyone else.

I thought they wanted to move to Kelowna...."Move to where you can afford it."

I recommend when shopping for a house, drive two streets each direction, the look of the property in most cases will tell you what lives there!! Your real estate agent should know what's up in the area. Ask the question, if they outright lie it is a false disclosure!! No different than asking if the basement takes on water and they know it does.

[Roadster]

I thought they wanted to move to Kelowna...."Move to where you can afford it."

I recommend when shopping for a house, drive two streets each direction, the look of the property in most cases will tell you what lives there!! Your real estate agent should know what's up in the area. Ask the question, if they outright lie it is a false disclosure!! No different than asking if the basement takes on water and they know it does.

That and look for a corner store that is open 24-7, lots of night time foot traffic and cups on the lawn in the morning,,, look for bars in rhe area,,, noisy foot traffic till 2am or so, and I like to look down the whole block, see what other homes are like,,, behind the Block, see if there is a hein road or High road behind you. The parks are getting better so not such a problem as they were a few years ago should your front or back door look onto one. Some dont like to be infront of a school,,, there is lots to consider and even ask the neighbors around the home. Most wont mind if they are out watering the lawn if you stop and say hi.
If we like a place we tend to spend most of a night in the car near the house and watch the goings on. So far we have had awesome neighborhoods we couldnt complain about, never a bit of damage to our cars,,, ok once there was a "clean" maxi pad stuck to the back of our truck but it coulda happened in the shopping mall's parking lot,,, we noticed it one morning,,, kinda funny but not.
My parents bought a nice lot at the edge of town on the island thinking it was sweet to have a forest behind them. Now all that there is the trees in their own yard and low rent apartments all over the place behind them. The city started to take that area seriously due to the build up and removed a few of their trees that were suddenly considered a danger around the now busy corner to the low rentals and new housing behind them. They gained a sidewalk that broke up their one colored driveway and it now has patches where the city worked on the sidewalk. Their sweet little yard, all private with trees and shrubbs now is a wide open lot because this sidewalk meant they had to get rid of or move their shrubs too. Its still a nice place but it looks totally different from the retirement home they saw the day they came to look at it. You have to consider everything,,, even what might happen later. If you are the last house on the edge of town, you might wake up one day to the banging of something big being built. Their anger is with all the kids riding down the hill from above on skate boards and needing to cut the corner quickly to avoid a car right infront of their house,,, been a few years that way already and the noise of the skate boards isnt nearly as bad as when they pray everytime they hear it that the kid doesnt schmuck a car,,, so far so good somehow. Talk about a nice neighborhood going to trash in a few years,,, Things can change. Especially in an undeveloped area where you think you are one of only a few homes.

[nurse4hearts]

Thanks for all the replies, it gives me a lot to think about.

We will be renting until we learn the areas and decide where to buy a house. Sounds like overall Kelowna is going to be a great place to raise my family and work!! And yes I am a nurse and will be starting at the KGH in the fall!!!

Thanks again

[Captain Awesome]

Rutland is quite far from KGH just so you know.

[Queen K]

I live downtown and there is only ONE elementary school, Bankhead Elementary, left downtown. If you want to move into Lombardy Square area, the houses are late 60's, early 70's, some have been up-dated, some not. Most have great backyards with lots of running around room for the kids. BUT you will not be anywhere near a highschool. Your kids will have to bus it to KSS or KLO.

Given the ages of your kids. You may want to consider Lower Mission/Hospital area more if one is just going into high school. A.S. Matheson and Raymer Elementary are closer to the KGH area. Also, are your kids in French Immersion? I think only one high school has F.I. as a speciality.


Capt. A is right, you're feul costs driving to and from KGH may be a consideration.

[MAPearce]

Just DON'T....

[Carmencat]

If I were you I would look in the Lower Mission/hospital area. We used to live half a block from Kelowna Secondary School and my step kids went to Raymer Elementary, KLO Middle School and then KSS - all within a couple of blocks of our house. There are lots of older character homes in the area and it is blocks to the beach. Depends on what your price range is, but it is a great area.

[normaM]

traffic around the hospital is insane, better to do the drive. If you have found a rental place good for you

[Roadster]

Thanks for all the replies, it gives me a lot to think about.

We will be renting until we learn the areas and decide where to buy a house. Sounds like overall Kelowna is going to be a great place to raise my family and work!! And yes I am a nurse and will be starting at the KGH in the fall!!!

Thanks again

Best idea I think, gives you tome to find out for yourself. Its a good place to live I think. You never said where you are coming from?
I have been all over the country from one coast to the other and I can honestly say this is my fave place to be. Times were tough for me but as I landed here I said I am never leaving and it was my best move ever. Some who are finding it hard dont feel the same and I feel for them, mind you it seems you have work all planned out so you should like it as long as your only hate is rain or snow and we dont get a lot of either, just our share and thats it.

[cutter7]

Thanks for all the replies, it gives me a lot to think about.

We will be renting until we learn the areas and decide where to buy a house. Sounds like overall Kelowna is going to be a great place to raise my family and work!! And yes I am a nurse and will be starting at the KGH in the fall!!!

Thanks again

upper mission is nice but if you are commuting in the am around 8-830 it is slow going. it's actually faster to go down springfield from rutland and dare I say glenmore would be quicker.

The roads seem to have been built to handle the flow of traffic better.

[Carmencat]

traffic around the hospital is insane, better to do the drive. If you have found a rental place good for you

I don't consider the 'hospital area' to be right beside the hospital. As I said we lived half a block from KSS which is still only a 5 minute drive to the hospital. No traffic problems where we lived and no commute.