{"id":20008,"date":"2023-09-14T12:24:55","date_gmt":"2023-09-14T16:24:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/en\/?p=20008"},"modified":"2023-09-18T13:35:28","modified_gmt":"2023-09-18T17:35:28","slug":"rec-report-on-edge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/en\/2023\/09\/14\/rec-report-finding-a-balance-between-nature-the-city\/","title":{"rendered":"Rec Report: Finding a Balance Between Nature & the City"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

With skyrocketing prices for urban homes and remote work scenarios still in place, young families and retirees alike are flocking to smaller communities across the country. The challenge is in finding a property that strikes the right balance between good value and proximity to nature, yet close enough to urban centres. From charming cabins on the quieter lakes of the Laurentians<\/a> to luxurious mountaintop homes in the Okanagan Valley<\/a>, these neighbourhoods just outside of city limits offer the right mix and a range of price points.<\/p>\n

MONT-TREMBLANT, QU\u00c9BEC<\/strong><\/p>\n

Home buyers looking for great value within a 10-minute drive to Mont-Tremblant<\/a> are spoiled for choice with properties along four nearby lakes \u2014 Sup\u00e9rieur, Mercier, Ouimet and Desmarais. Waterfront homes here are around the million-dollar mark. \u201cA lot of the secondary lakes are much quieter, much more relaxed,\u201d says Herb Ratsch, a Sotheby\u2019s International Realty Canada Broker<\/a>. Several of the smaller lakes are non-motorized, so residents seeking peace and quiet are spared the loud whirring of boat engines and the disruptive waves of wake surfers. \u201cThere\u2019s still something to be said about sitting on a dock on that Adirondack chair and having a beer, and it\u2019s nice and tranquil,\u201d notes Ratsch, who also lauds Lac-Desmarais\u2019s unmatched water quality and fishing amenities. And the farther out from the mountain the home is, the greater its value \u2014 a half-hour north of the hill, properties range from $300,000 to $700,000.<\/p>\n

CANMORE, ALBERTA<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"321 Casale Place, Canmore, AB<\/a><\/div>\n

A new crop of communities within a five-minute drive of Canmore<\/a> are providing great value with natural surroundings as well as accessibility to commercial districts, says Christopher Vincent, a Sotheby\u2019s International Realty Canada Sales Associate and Senior Vice-President, Sales<\/a>. One example is Harvie Heights \u2014 a hamlet tucked between Banff National Park and Canmore<\/a> \u2014 which is populated with single-family homes on half-acre lots with great mountain views and sun exposure and still an easy bike ride into town. Vincent notes that while there are significant newer builds, Harvie Heights \u201cfeels like your grandparent\u2019s cabin in the woods \u2014 mature trees, great views, a little bit quieter [and] a really nice community.\u201d Dead Man\u2019s Flats is another hamlet, about five minutes to bike east of Canmore, close to the Bow River. This region is more secluded and serviced only by the Trans-Canada Highway, so you get a little more value, says Vincent of the charming new single-family homes and townhouses, which are also a short drive to Kananaskis Country\u2019s provincial parks.<\/p>\n

MUSKOKA, ONTARIO<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"6184 Go Home Lake Shore, Muskoka, ON<\/a><\/div>\n

According to Shawn Woof, a Sotheby\u2019sInternational Realty Canada Sales Representative & Senior Vice-President, Sales<\/a>, the key considerations in Muskoka<\/a>\u2019s smaller areas, including Parry Sound<\/a> and McKellar<\/a>, are frontage, topography, access to urban amenities and exposure to the sun. \u201c[Prospective buyers] want all-day sun and sunsets,\u201d says Woof. \u201cIf you\u2019re looking for something that\u2019s drive-to with southwest exposure and a beautiful [home] and you\u2019ve got a specific budget, you may have to look outside of Muskoka proper.\u201d Another consideration is finding a property that would allow older residents to move around easily \u2014 read: fewer stairs and easy access to the lake. Soaring demand for waterfront residences during the pandemic redefined \u201cthe cottage,\u201d according to Woof. \u201cIt may have meant a riverfront property or a large acreage where you\u2019re in the wilderness and not necessarily even on the water.\u201d Buyers have a range of options here to meet their requirements outside of the Big Three lakes (Joe, Rosseau and Muskoka). Manitouwaba Lake and Port Severn<\/a>, for example, offer nature and tranquillity at a better value. \u201cThe key is to be in the area to enjoy all that our cottage country offers,\u201d says Woof.<\/p>\n

OKANAGAN VALLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

The Okanagan Valley<\/a> \u2014 Canada\u2019s answer to Napa \u2014 has Kelowna<\/a> situated right in the middle of it. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of diversity in the Okanagan,\u201d Sotheby\u2019s International Realty Canada Sales Representative Natalie Benedet<\/a> points out. \u201cYou can purchase a recreational property very close to the downtown core of Kelowna or you can have absolute privacy and be at the top of a mountain. There\u2019s something for everyone on the lake.\u201d About an hour\u2019s drive north of Kelowna to the top of the Valley is Vernon<\/a>, where you can ski Silver Star Mountain, play a round of golf and swim in the lake. At the southernmost point is Penticton<\/a>, which, Benedet notes, \u201cfeels much like a young Napa Valley,\u201d thanks to its proximity to the Naramata Bench plateau, which is dotted with local wineries.<\/p>\n

Outside of the big cities, there are opportunities to discover beautiful properties offering ample space and proximity to nature \u2014 at great value. Finding that perfect home just takes a little bit of research\u2014 and maybe a bike ride or two.<\/p>\n

\n

By Josh Greenblatt \u2014 *This article originally appeared in Insight: The Art Of Living Magazine \u2013 The Roots Issue<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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With skyrocketing prices for urban homes and remote work scenarios still in place, young families and retirees alike are flocking to smaller communities across the country. 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