Real Estate Vancouver Island - Our Picks Of The Very Best Areas

Real Estate Vancouver Island - Our Picks Of The Very Best Areas

If you're looking for a great piece of property, check out the real estate Vancouver Island has got to offer!

Whether you want to totally relocate, or just want to buy a seasonal home for vacation getaways, we think living on Vancouver Island is one of the best places to choose! We enjoy an excellent quality of life here - Vibrant towns and cities, island fresh produce and dairy, and of course.... the incredible outdoor adventures!

Houses, farms, condos, timeshares... the Island's got a lot of good properties that fit any kind of buyer. You'll get a good selection.

If you're a real outdoor enthusiast, the Island's got it all: hiking, camping, surfing, skiing, diving and lots more.

Retired and looking for a great vacation home? Vancouver Island's attracting retirees from all over! Spend your days in mild weather enjoying world-class salmon and halibut fishing. Explore the Island's first-rate golf courses. Enjoy fascinating culinary tours. Each day will be a new adventure!

"Sounds good! But where are the best areas on Vancouver Island?"

With so many fantastic places, and so much real estate Vancouver Island offers, it can look overwhelming. Here's where we can help. Graeme and I sat down and picked the Urban (city) centres, small towns and remote small towns that we think are some of the best (and we'll tell you why).

So here's our hand-picked list to help you find your perfect property on Vancouver Island.

Best Urban Living on Vancouver Island

VICTORIA Victoria rates as one of the best cities to live in. But beware. Home prices are staggeringly expensive (hard for first-time home buyers.)Victoria homes maintain their value. Fluctuations in the real estate market rarely make a dent in housing prices. A great city to live in for urban yuppies (lots of jobs), but it's also a huge draw for retirees as there's plenty of seniors-only residences. Excellent health care facilities, great restaurants and shopping, trendy coffee houses and an eclectic mix of year-round entertainment. Real estate Victoria BC moves fast, and there are often bidding wars, so be prepared to grab it if you want it!

Average single family home 2006: $400,000
Oceanfront single family home 2006: $930,000

NANAIMO If you need a larger urban centre without the high housing costs, Nanaimo is a good place, especially for the younger crowd/families that need work. With a population of just over 74,000, it's a city that offers ample jobs, excellent ferry services to Mainland BC (Vancouver), bountiful shopping, and great access to the outdoors. Nanaimo real estate has traditionally always been much cheaper than Victoria (by half), thus attracting more and more working families over the years. Have never heard of bidding wars here, so you'll probably be able to shop around to find what you really want.

Average single family home 2006: $267,000

COURTENAY/COMOX Our third choice for best urban living location on Vancouver Island is Courtenay/Comox (known as the Comox Valley). A bustling urban centre with a combined population of about 30,000, it's well serviced by transportation, specifically, the Comox Valley airport. WestJet, Air Canada and other airlines service this area, with plenty of daily flights. Very good shopping and services in this area (although some die-hard shoppers will have to head south for Nanaimo's big malls). Some of the best real estate Vancouver Island offers is found here - due to the location, scenery and affordability. Easy and quick access to the Mount Washington Ski Resort and Strathcona Provincial Park.

Average single family home 2006: $252,000

Best Small Towns

CHEMAINUS We really love the town of Chemainus. Rich with it's own cultural identity, this is a small but warm and welcoming town. Boasting a theatrical presence that most other towns this size don't have, you'll love the easy access to the live professional theatre productions... which may be within walking distance to your new home! Chemainus has a population of about 4,000 with limited local services. A short drive south puts you in the city of Duncan for a wider range of amenities.

Average single family home 2006: $265,000

LADYSMITH Named as "one of the 10 prettiest towns in Canada" by Harrowsmith Country Life Magazine, we'd agree that Ladysmith is just that. With a population of about 5,000, Ladysmith is clean and compact. We love the way the town's perched high up on the hill (some steep streets that seem mildly San Francisco-ish), overlooking the Island Highway (Highway 1) and the Pacific inlet. A perfect place for retirees wanting to settle into a safe, friendly little community, but also attractive to families who want to work in the city, but live in the small town. Easy highway access to the city of Nanaimo to the north.

Average single family home 2006: $265,000

QUALICUM BEACH Qualicum Beach is another one of our top picks for best small towns. This community is a huge draw for retirees, due to abundant housing and abundant scenery. This is a quiet, quaint community nestled along the eastern coast of the Island. Large sandy beaches stretching for miles with glorious sunrises makes this a real estate Vancouver Island jewel. Not a place we'd recommend for families needing work, as there is very limited work available and chances are you'd have to commute. Housing here has traditionally been higher than other towns of similar size and location. Some of the best real estate Vancouver Island offers for retirees is located here.

Average single family home 2006: $306,000

Best Remote Small Towns

TOFINO Tofino is one of our very favourite remote small towns (actually a village) on Vancouver Island. Nestled away on the edge of the western coast (known as the Long Beach area), surrounded by wilderness, it has a population of about 1,600 people, but swells in size during summer tourism. Location of some of the best surfing and fishing in Canada. Services are limited, and you're looking at a hefty drive on winding roads to get to the nearest larger centre (Port Alberni). The area is attracting investors and retirees. A great place for those who crave wilderness adventures and a more "organic" lifestyle. Housing prices here are steadily increasing.

UCLUELET Another nice town located at the opposite end (south) of Tofino is Ucluelet. With about 1,500 people, it's a quiet, laid-back community with limited services but an abundance of wilderness adventures. As the hub of salmon and halibut fishing, this area is steadily attracting older folks looking for solitude and a tug on the fishing line. We've known some families here who have struggled for work, with many having to move out to larger centres. With the attractive housing prices, we'd say that Ucluelet would be a good choice for those not relying on jobs.

Some of the best real estate Vancouver Island offers are in these areas we've covered. Of course, everyone finds their piece of utopia, and you will too! Enjoy Island life!

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