ExKiwilass

the main advantage to owning over renting is your landlord can't kick you out when they want to sell (this has happened to a few people I know, families with kids so it's a big deal). But I agree renting is a good option too.

caretaker

My friends in E Van are going to have to find a new place soon exactly because of that, after paying $1200 - $1400/month + utilities for nearly 20 years. Before they rented that house it took them about 15 years and 2 moves before they found a place they liked, and now they're starting again. I think they're fairly stressed out as a result.

ExKiwilass

another friend sold condo and wanted to rent, but couldn't find anywhere in their target location that took pets and small children. They ended up buying.

Londonuck

Whats Oliver and the surrounds like? Was over Penticton this week and really loved it. I would be quite interested in a move to the Okanagan. Vancouver is becoming over crowded, while it seems no attempt is made to sort out the traffic and its way too expensive.

What is the obsession with bloody bike lines?!

ExKiwilass

I love them.

scrubbedexpat091

I would never expect traffic to ever be sorted in Vancouver, their goal I swear is to make driving such a pain in the ass, that people just stop coming to the city.

The city wants people onto bikes and transit, but Translink is having a difficult time even maintain service, let alone add any new service. The transit system is breaking at the seams, and only getting worse.

Skytrain has regular maintenance issues as its aging and they waited too long to start replacing aging parts, so now we have unreliable service.

Canadaline is okay, but its still new, but trains are very crowded most of the day, doesn't run frequently enough into Richmond, with every other train going to YVR basically completely empty. (and because of the crappy hours of the train, most who work at YVR have to drive to work.)

Buses on trunk routes don't run frequently enough, always full, and many times have to skip stops because there is physically no room left on the bus.

As a frequent transit user it becomes very frustrating as nothing runs on time. The norm is for a bus to be 5-10 minutes late, sometimes the bus just doesn't show up at all.

As for bikes, it only really pertains to a small part of the people work and come to Vancouver, its not an alternative for most people.

It will be interesting if the Vancouver region can keep traffic flowing and not become gridlocked.

ExKiwilass

No one likes change, but it's necessary. Vancouver can't build more roads - where would they go? who is willing to lose their neighbourhood to more highways? oh that's right, no one.

Agree we need more transit funding, however.

scrubbedexpat091

I hate to see Vancouver in 20 years, at the rate the area is going, its gonna be a parking lot.

Transit funding needs to be top priority for the region and province, but sadly it seems to not be.

I wish BC would create a more regional train/bus system like the GO system in Ontario, nice not needing a car at all despite living in Oshawa, could still get to Toronto and western suburbs easily pretty much anytime during the day.

ExKiwilass

I don't think it will. Car driving is dropping as a proportion of trips downtown and more transit improvements will come. And cycling is so much safer and more doable thanks to the bike lanes - more and more people are cycling in.

scrubbedexpat091

I hope transit does improve, just not sure anyone in government wants to fund it.

Londonuck

Translink are without a doubt the worst run company ive worked for. Completely clueless. Took us on last year and now cutting routes and hours when disabled/seniors have to book trips 2 weeks in advance and even then they cant get a pick up.

Oink

They're ruining what little vibrancy the city had. Another case of Vancouver with a delusional attitude to its position and value as a city.

Jingle

We love it there. Have spent holidays next to Skaha Lake in Penticton for the last three years. It is on our (very) short list of retirement destinations. Great range of housing and Kelowna not far away for all the larger faculties.

We have been there in different months - May, July and Sept/Oct - and have always had good weather. We moved here from Poole and feel very land locked in Calgary - the Okanagan Lake is as close to being at the seaside as we have found

Also love all the fresh fruit and veggies and the hills of vineyards - it is so picturesque. When we posted our holiday pictures for friends and family to see we had people ask us where the Okanagan was in Europe?!?!!?

J

Steve_P

If you like the sunny winters in Calgary you might want to spend some time in the Okanagan in December, January, February before you make your decision final.

http://kelowna.weatherstats.ca/winners.html?42

Jingle

I would have agreed with you a few years ago but the last two winters in Calgary have been appalling, didn't see many sunny winter days at all. To be honest the six months of snow covered scenery is wearing a bit thin. Walking the dog turns into a winter sport of its own!

I'm truly missing the spring flowers and variety of trees, fruit blossom, song birds, etc etc. and, to me, that's worth going back to living a grey winter if necessary.

J