Why 2018 Is the Year to Buy a Home in Squamish

Posted on by Meghan

buy-in-Squamish

Have you been on the fence about your move to Squamish? Not sure if you’re ready to trade city life for the mountain town vibe? Let us convince you that 2018 is the year to buy a home in Squamish. If you’re ready to up-level your lifestyle, be a part of an exciting and energetic community, and buy a property that will be a sound financial investment in the future, keep reading.

Over the last decade Squamish has morphed from sleepy mountainside logging town to a vibrant coastal community surging with energy, enthusiasm and action. The opportunities in this town are endless so if you’re looking for a place to settle down, to swap the rat race for mountain culture, or to simply live in a place that most people only dream about, here are six reasons why you need to make the move to Squamish in 2018.

  1. It’s time to create the lifestyle you have always wanted

What if I told you that a growing portion of the Squamish population takes regular days off to ski, mountain bikes/ hikes or [insert other adventure activity here] on their lunch break or before picking their kids up from school,  and have all of the conveniences of a world-class city within an hour’s drive. Sounds pretty sweet doesn’t it? People moving to Squamish in 2018 are lifestyle driven individuals and families. They crave freedom, adventure and connection. If you’re not getting these things in your current locale up-level your lifestyle and join the migration of young, outdoor enthusiasts making the move to Squamish.

  1. It’s not getting any cheaper to buy

Squamish has well and truly been discovered. To be honest, I’m not sure how it took so long. We’ve always been positioned a stone throw away from Whistler and Vancouver, same incredible mountains and coastline, only now the secret is out. Real estate prices in Squamish are starting to reflect this sought-after postal code and we’d hate to break it to you, but things are only going up for this town. With so much in the way of exciting future development (and lots of great pre-sale opportunities underway), it’s time to get into the market before it’s too late. Don’t wait for a bubble to burst or the economy to crash, you’ll simply fall further behind your property ownership dreams.

  1. The opportunities are endless

Not long-ago Squamish was a few ma and pa shops, some fast food outlets, a handful of restaurants and a whole lot of industry. Then a few big box stores sprang up around the time of the Olympics (2010) and in the last couple years the number of new and exciting businesses has sky-rocketed. From fine-dining establishments, a slurry of breweries, boutique retail shops, yoga and fitness studios, independent coffee shops with character, and so much more. The opportunities to start a business in this town are abundant, the opportunities to make awesome new friends are infinite, and the opportunity to finally live the life you have want is absolute.

  1. Be a part of the excitement and energy

If you’re picking up what I’m putting down here, you may now sense that Squamish is full of excitement and energy in this era of its existence. When you get a community full of adventurous lifestyle-driven people it’s hard to have it any other way. The average age of a Squamish resident is 38 years old which is 5 years younger than the Provincial average. Many people moving to Squamish have young families with all of the excitement and energy that this brings. There are people of every age moving to town connected by the common thread of a love of the outdoors and a desire to create a better life for themselves here.

  1. Interest rates are still low

Have you heard interest rates are on the rise? Well, they are. We have just gone through a sustained period of insanely low interest rates and now they are beginning to creep up again. This does not mean panic, ditch the dream of property ownership and commit to renting or hiding under a rock your whole life. Interest rates are still incredibly low, now is a great time to visit your lender or mortgage broker and work out the best rate for you.

Understanding how your affordability will be affected in a rising interest rate market is important but it’s also important to have some perspective. Only 10 years ago interest rates were nearly 5 percent, 10 years before that they were up around 8 percent, we are now looking at a long term interest rate level at around 2.8 percent (according to the Federal Reserve). Don’t sweat the small stuff but make sure you know what you’re looking at by getting professional mortgage advice before buying.

  1. Help for first-time buyers

There is currently help available for first-time buyers! These programs will not be in effect forever so make sure to use them to your advantage while you can. Buying a home is getting increasingly hard for first-time buyers, especially in places like Squamish where there is so much demand to live here. Property ownership is a possibility for you, and it’s important to use all of the support and resources at your fingertips (you may find this article helpful for more on first-time buyer programs).

So what are you waiting for? Get off the sidelines, stop waiting for the stars to align or the bubble to burst. Commit to living your best life in 2018 in a community that supports the lifestyle driven individual with endless opportunities and adventures for people like you. For a tour of Squamish or to speak with the Move to Squamish team about buying property or starting a life here, please reach out, we’d love to meet you and help you find the perfect home.

About Meghan

Meghan is a real estate agent who is passionate about connecting lifestyle driven individuals to her vibrant town of Squamish, BC. Meghan was born and raised in Squamish, spent 15 years living abroad, and is now back partnering with her mother Nanci Fulton who has been selling real estate in Squamish for 30 years. Meghan loves representing buyers, welcoming them to her community and helping them find their perfect place to call home.