Kirsten Mason, Author at Kamloops Real Estate Blog

Heffley Creek, Heffley Lake and Knouff (Sullivan) Lake, Kamloops, B.C. Real Estate

March 2, 2009 Kirsten Mason Kamloops Neighbourhoods, Surrounding Communities

Heffley area homes, properties and lakefront homes for sale click here.

Heffley Creek is a community that is located 20 minutes north of the Kamloops city centre and five minutes from Rayleigh. There are numerous communities that comprise this area: Heffley Creek, Heffley Lake, Knouff (Sullivan) Lake and Whitecroft. Elementary students attend Heffley Creek Elementary School.

The Heffley Creek area is dominated by acreage and farms. There is a mobile home park near the Thompson River on Station road and a few single family homes on smaller lots. Some parts of Heffley Creek run along the Thompson river where a number of beautiful riverfront acreage and farm properties exist. There is not anything in the way of shopping in the Heffley area besides the small convenience store on the old #5 highway. Residents have to do their shopping in Kamloops.

Heffley lake is a beautiful lake located off Heffley-Louis Creek Road and Todd Mountain Road 44 kilometers from Kamloops. This lake is on the way to Sun Peaks resort. There are numerous waterfront properties on this lake. The homes and cabins range in size and age. There are a number of old cabins that are used in the summer months and beautiful homes overlooking the lake used year round. Heffley lake is a mid sized lake that does allow motor boats, water skiing and wake boarding. This lake is 7.2 kilometers long, 550 acres in size and ranges from 6 to 30 meters deep. Fly fishers find rainbow trout in this lake between May and late July. There are two parts of Heffley Lake – Little Heffley Lake and Big Heffley Lake. Big Heffley is predominantly the lake for motor boats and many lakefront properties. There are two resorts on Heffley Lake as well as a BC Forestry campsite. Some of the streets that surround Heffley Lake are Lakeshore Road, Lower Heffley Lake Road, Shaw Road, Fisher Road, Lake Bay Road and Heffley Lake Road.

Knouff Lake also known as Sullivan Lake is located north of Heffley Lake about 25 minutes from Heffley Creek (Yellowhead Highway #5 at Todd Mountain Road). The lake is 254.4 acres in size with a mean depth of 9.8 meters and a max depth of 24.1 meters. Knouff Lake is a small community that is still relatively undeveloped and accessed by a well maintained dirt and gravel road. There are a number of building lots and homes on Knouff lake. The area is dominated by single family homes and cabins. Gas powered motors are not permitted on this lake therefore neither is waterskiing and wakeboarding. Electric powered motors are permitted allowing small boats to troll the lake. Canoeing, kayaking, swimming, hiking, snowmobiling, ice fishing, hunting, cross country skiing, skating and camping are popular activies on Knouff lake. There is one resort on this lake as well as a BC Forestry campsite with RV access and a boat launch. Some of the roads found in the Knouff Lake area are: Doyle Road, Knouff Lake Road, McCully Road and Finlay Road.

Whitecroft is a small neighbourhood that sits at the foot of Sun Peaks. Upper Louis Creek Road, Cahilty Crescent, Cahilty Place and McGillivaray Creek Road make up the small community of Whitecroft. Many people that are interested in Sun Peaks real estate, but choose to be out of the village area often to look at real estate options in Whitecroft. The homes in this area are more affordable with more square footage in comparison to the homes in Sun Peaks. It is a five to ten minute drive from Whitecroft to the hills of Sun Peaks and 20 minutes east from Heffley Creek.

The area Heffley covers is a large region north of the Kamloops city centre. A number of communities comprise this area.

Click here for real estate listings in the Heffley area.

To read more about other neighbourhoods click the link below:

Aberdeen Barnhartvale Batchelor Heights

Brocklehurst Campbell Creek Dallas

Deloro/South Thompson Valley Cherry Creek Dufferin/Southgate

Heffley Knutsford Juniper Heights

North Kamloops Paul Lake/Pinantan Lake Pineview

Pritchard Rayleigh Sahali

South Kamloops/Downtown Sun Rivers Sun Peaks/Whitecroft

Valleyview/Rose Hill Westmount Westsyde

Surrounding Communities

Barriere Mclure/Vinsula Savona/Tobiano

Tranquille (Padova) Real Estate Development, Kamloops

February 28, 2009 Kirsten Mason Real Estate Information

Tranquille, also known as Padova is located at the eastern bay of Kamloops Lake. It is a beautiful piece of real estate that has been sitting vacant and overgrown for numerous years and it’s future has often been questioned. Recently the Kamloops This Week reported that plans are in the works to develop this site. I have included the article written by Melissa Lampman below detailing those plans.

After years uninhabited, worn and dilapidated buildings and mounds of overgrown vegetation are the only things still visible on the site of the historic Tranquille Sanatarium. But looking through the eyes of the property’s owners, it’s the beginning of what will one day be an extraordinary agrarian resort town.

BC wilderness Tours, owner of the property since 2000, shared it’s vision this week. Estimated at $1 billion by completion, Tranquille on the Lake will be built around a 300-acre farm and feature eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyles. “We want to develop it into something we have never seen in the past,” said Tim McLeod, the company’s development manager. “We think it’s world class, we think it’s unusual and it’s in Kamloops.”

After getting the nod from the City of Kamloops, the plan is to design an entire town of about 4,000 people around a state-of-the-art organic farm, including greenhouses and a vineyard. The town will include lake shore pathway systems, a public beach, a marina, a five-star hotel and a mix of single and multi-family housing that’s affordable for most people.

“It’s not going to be gated. It’s not for the rich and famous – it’s for Kamloops,” McLeod said. The plan includes construction of 1,200 to 1,800 units at an average of 1,000 square feet, each designed so that 80 per cent of the sites remain as green space. In designing the town, the developers plan to use healthy building practices, such as recycled and energy-efficient materials, as well as incorporating solar and geothermal technologies. “It will take about 15 years to build entirely,” he said. “But we’re doing it for the love of healthy and healthy living.”

However, there are many inherent challenges – and Phase I is expected to cost about $100 million. Among the priorities is building a new water-supply pipeline, getting rid of the $1.5 million worth of asbestos, eliminating all lead paint and dismantling most of the existing site.

McLeod said the developers will restore and reuse as much of the original buildings and infrastructure as possible, including the old fire house and some of the cottages as well as fully restoring the sunken gardens and cemetery. “It’s going to take $5 to $6 million to take the town apart,” he said, adding they will be working with the historic society. “We’ve got quite a complex site…but we’ll be retaining it’s history and preserving it as we move forward.”

Phase I is slated to begin in the spring with other developments getting underway in 2010.

More information can be found here: Tranquille on the lake

Should You Sell Or Rent Your Kamloops Home?

February 26, 2009 Kirsten Mason Information For Sellers, Real Estate Information

Many home owners today in Kamloops are wondering whether they should sell or rent. Homes are on the market for a longer period of time. More homes listings are expiring and many homeowners are getting frustrated with the recent decline in Kamloops real estate prices. I have heard numerous times in the past few months “I am going to rent my home for a year and sell it at a later time”. This plan works in theory, but when you dig deeper the rate of return on capital makes keeping the property a poor investment depending on the numbers.

Capitalization rate is a measure of the ratio between the net operating income produced by an asset (real estate) and its capital cost (the original price paid to buy that real estate) or alternatively its current market value. I have found a capitalization rate calculator that indicates “Rent” or “Sell” once you input the numbers for your property. This calculator makes the decision very straight forward. Unless you are receiving around a 5.7% rate of return, holding on to a property and renting it is not beneficial to you according to this calculation.

Click here to try the Rent or Sell calculator.

To arrange a meeting to discuss your options contact us anytime! There is no obligation. We are happy to share any insight we have to help you make the right decision.

Sun Peaks, Whitecroft, Kamloops, B.C. Real Estate

February 24, 2009 Kirsten Mason Kamloops Neighbourhoods, Surrounding Communities

For up to date Kamloops real estate information and listings click here.

Sun Peaks Village, Kamloops, B.C.

Sun Peaks is Canada’s second largest four season resort. Located 4.5 hours from Vancouver and 45 minutes north east of Kamloops. Sun Peaks is perfect for the whole family. There are a number of flights to Kamloops airport in the winter from Vancouver, Seattle and Calgary with shuttles from the airport to the mountain. There is 3,678 acres of diverse terrain, with 122 runs on three mountains. Sun Peaks has a small ski through village with numerous retailers, hotels and restaurants. Sun Peaks is known for it’s dry powder snow that is easy to ski. For people who don’t ski or snowboard, there are other activities to enjoy such as snowshoeing, dog sled rides, ice skating, snowmobile rides and snow tubing.

During the summer months there are many events and activities for the whole family. Mountain biking is very popular at Sun Peaks during the summer. Other summer activities include hiking, golfing, horseback riding, bungee trampoline, canoeing and kayaking, trail rides, tennis and swimming.

Sun Peaks visitors have a lot of choices when it comes to accommodations. From rental chalets and homes to hotel rooms, there is something for everyone. Real estate in Sun Peaks is very affordable in comparison to other ski resorts in British Columbia. Lots, apartments, townhouses and chalets are all available for every buyer on any budget. Many homes have ski-in, ski-out convenience. Large exclusive homes are located just outside the village with varying lot sizes.

Whitecroft is a small neighbourhood that sits at the foot of the mountain. Upper Louis Creek Road, Cahilty Crescent, Cahilty Place and McGillivaray Creek Road make up the small community of Whitecroft. Whitecroft is part of the area known as Heffley. Many people that are interested in Sun Peaks real estate, but choose to be out of the village area choose to look at real estate options in Whitecroft. The homes in this area are more affordable with more square footage in comparison to the homes in Sun Peaks. It is a five to ten minute drive from Whitecroft to the hills of Sun Peaks.

Sun Peaks is still a relatively small development in comparison to other resorts. This is why it is very popular with families. A lot of people are staying away from larger resort towns because of the large crowds and long waits for ski lifts, restaurants and other amenities.

Click here to view Sun Peaks MLS listings.

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