B.C. residents priced out of housing market flock to Salmo, a sleepy village of 1,000

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Once known as a sleepy, rural B.C. outpost, Salmo has become a refuge for people looking to buy for affordable housing, and prices are starting to rise as a result

Average property values have increased by 60 per cent from $199,000 before the start of the pandemic to $319,000 in July, 2021, upending years of a relatively flat market, according to data from B.C. Assessments.

She ended up finding a fixer-upper with a spacious yard for $250,000. As a carpenter, she plans to do much of the work herself, and has already redone her kitchen and bathroom.She has to drive to Nelson or Trail to get well-priced groceries or clothing, but the way the community comes together makes up for the inconveniences.

“You can buy a starter home for around $300,000, and when we were on the island, a starter home was $600,000 or $700,000 and it was in a bad part of town,” said Ms. Smith, who works remotely as an accountant. Her partner travels around the world for work as a geologist. “I used to maybe get the occasional application for a car loan, there wasn’t much activity out there,” said Mr. Butler, who is also a city councillor in Trail.

Salmo Mayor Diana Lockwood said she tries to meet every newcomer to the village, and noticed that most of them are people between the age of 30 and 55. She said many of them moved to Salmo to be able to buy their first home or capitalize on equity they’ve been able to build from homeownership in larger cities.

Chamberlain, 47, moved to Salmo two years ago from Sooke, which is 30 minutes outside Victoria, and says even in that time he’s noticed a stronger presence of young artists in town. Mr. Chamberlain himself is a DJ.

 

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More of this needs to happen. Canada is a huge country and we need ti spread out

Lol now Stewart is remote Salmo isn't that bad

But the commute is a bitch.

Well it's on a main highway, but that's the problem with media, it decides where the spotlight shines.

Just wait until Shambhala rolls through.

I guess they don't have to worry about greenbelts around there

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