April 5th - Easter Sunday - The Easter Bunny will be joining us  for the 5th year at the park below Johnson Bentley Pool in West Kelowna. Fun activities include face painting, crafts, hotdogs, raffle, prizes and so much more! Come join in the fun and support our local food banks with a donation or food item. Last year we raised over $5,500 and gave out over 25 large baskets for the kids.

What an amazing conference held in Vancouver this past weekend! I met so many great people, and the speakers they had were outstanding! A truly inspirational moment was when one of the speakers, Trevor Linden, auctioned off some jerseys and made $30,000 for a kids charity.

If you are in the market for a family home in Peachland, I have a couple of my listings that have just been reduced in price!  Both are offered for under $400,000!!

4036 Smith Way, Peachland - was $394,500, now $389,900  5 bed/3 bath rancher walkout with suite, perfect for the in-laws or as a mortgage helper!

5007 Princeton Ave, Peachland - was $409,900, now $399,900  5 bed/3 bath rancher walkout with open main floor, vaulted ceilings and room for everyone!  

Both of these listings are on my website (just click the "Properties" tab on the home page), or you can always give me a call, I'd love to hear from you!

This is just around the corner!  I will be participating in the Peachland Chamber of Commerce's Business Expo, a fun-filled trade show, open to the public, which features local and area businesses.  The show is on Saturday, April 13th, admission is FREE and doors open at 9:00am.  This fantastic event takes place at the Peachland Community Centre.  I'd love it if you would stop by and say hello!  I'll have some goodies to give away and am always happy to answer any questions that you have about real estate and our local market.  Look forward to seeing you soon!

THIS SUNDAY, WEST KELOWNA's BIGGEST AND BEST EASTER EGG HUNT!  WE'VE STUFFED 12,000 EGGS FOR THIS YEAR'S "SCRAMBLE" AND CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU ALL THERE!  THE FORCAST CALLS FOR SUN AND THIS IS SURE TO BE A HUGE SUCCESS!!   HAPPY EASTER!

RE/MAX is giving away $25,000 in home entertainment packages!  The RE/MAX Home Team Contest and prize partners The Brick, General Paints, Big Steel Box and the Western Hockey League is giving away a Grand Prize of $13,000, two 2nd Prizes of $2,500, along with weekly prizes.  Visit http://www.whlremaxhometeam.ca to enter!  Contest is open until April 30th, 2013.  Good luck!!

Last week the RE/MAX Kelowna and RE/MAX Professionals offices held their Annual Awards Breakfast.  I was thrilled to be awarded 3rd Place in Outstanding Sales Achievement for the RE/MAX Professionals Office!  A huge thank you to all of my valued clients for making my job so enjoyable!  Here's looking forward to another great year!

The results from the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board's Buyer Survey from December are out & here they are!

Property Type

29% of purchases were made by Move-Up buyers

17.5% were 1st Time buyers

11.3% were Recreation property purchases

9.3% were Revenue/Investment purchases

5.2% were a move from Single Family Home to Strata

4.1% were a move from Strata to Single Family Home

3.1% were a move to Retirement or Senior's Community

Buyer Type

29% were 2 Parent Family with Children (up from 27% compared to November 2012)

21% were Empty Nesters/Retired (up from 19.4%)

20% were Couple with No Children (down from 27%)

15% were Single Female (up from 10%)

13% were Single Male (up from 8%)

4% were Single Parent with Children (down from 5.3%)

Moving From

68.7% moved from within the OMREB area (up from 57.6% compared to November 2012)

9% moved from Alberta (down from 11.6%)

7% moved from Lower Mainland/Vancouver Island (down from 10.5%)

4% moved from other parts of British Columbia (down from 9.3%)

4% moved from Eastern Canada/Maritimes (up from 2.9%)

3% from outside Canada

2% moved from Saskatchewan (down from 4.1%)

2% moved from North West Territories/Yukon (up from 0.6%)

This November and December, our local RE/MAX office in West Kelowna once again supported an "adopted family" through the West Kelowna Food Bank.  As an office, we collect donations of cash and gifts for one particular family in West Kelowna.  What a great opportunity to directly help a local family and hopefully make their Christmas a bit brighter!

In addition, as part of the RE/MAX Realtor Legacy Foundation, we were able to make donations to 3 Central Okanagan Food Banks, including a donation of $500 to the West Kelowna Food Bank.  It's so encouraging to see the donations that keep coming in for our local food banks to make sure that no one in our community goes hungry.

I wish you a very blessed Christmas with you and your family - may it be filled with warmth, love and joy!

Here I am with Grant, the Manager at the West Kelowna Food Bank presenting him with a donation from the RE/MAX Realtor Legacy Foundation.

I can hardly believe that (Canadian!) Thanksgiving is upon us!  It dawned on me while grocery shopping yesterday and I saw all of the turkeys for sale and overheard shoppers asking which aisle the Stove Top Stuffing was.  It's time to get ready to welcome our family and friends into our homes, cook the bird, enjoy the feast and above all, give thanks.  There is so much that we are blessed with - living in the Okanagan, we are spoiled by natural beauty, a great lifestyle and a pretty darn good climate.  I am blessed with a happy and healthy family, a job that I love & the best clients an agent could ask for!  What are you thankful for?

You wouldn't know by all of the warmth and sunshine in the Okanagan that the seasons are changing - it still feels a lot like summer (the lake on the other hand, not so much...it's really chilly!).  The arrival of autumn brings a couple of fantastic festivals to the Okanagan - the Fall Wine Festival and the Hopscotch Festival. 

The Fall Wine Festival runs from September 28 to October 7th and features hundreds of events, dinners, tastings and concerts.  It is the busiest of the wine festivals and is not to be missed.  There is something for everyone and in every price range.  For more information and a full list of events, visit www.thewinefestivals.com

Also coming up September 28 & 29 at the Kelowna Curling Club is the popular Hopscotch Festival - celebrating Scotch, Whiskey, Spirits, Beer & Food, now in it's 4th year.  Tickets are $25 each and can be purchased through their website at www.hopscotchfestival.com   Looks like a great time!

The air is crisper, the days are shorter and for many of us, the glow of summer vacation has faded and we are back into a routine of back-to-school or preparing to make a move South for the winter. 

There is plenty to look forward to in the Okanagan to celebrate Fall, starting with Oktoberfest at the Gasthaus On The Lake in picturesque Peachland.  Running from September 14-16 & 21-23, this popular lakefront dining destination knows how to throw an Oktoberfest party, including traditional live music and a pig on a spit!  Visit www.gasthaus.ca for more information.

On Sunday, September 23rd, Summerhill Winery will host the 7th Annual Organic Okanagan Festival featuring an array of displays, vendors, activities and live music, perfect for a family outing!  Visit www.okanagangreens.ca for more information.

Finally, it wouldn't be Fall in the Okanagan without the Fall Wine Festival!  The most popular of all of the wine festivals held throughout the year, it runs from September 28th through to October 7th.  You can follow them on Twitter @OKWineFests or get more info at www.thewinefestivals.com. 

Enjoy the change of the season, the sun is shining and we are lucky to live in the Okanagan!

We will be hosting an Open House on Sunday, August 26th between 1:00 and 3:00 pm at this fantastic Newport Road home.  This house has been professionally renovated inside and out from top to bottom.  The details in this home will impress you, from the open concept design, the gleaming hardwood, the custom cabinets and closets, high end blinds, neutral colours, contemporary fixtures and European style windows, you will find great craftsmanship everywhere you turn.  Next to prestigious Pritchard Drive, on Newport Road, surrounded by orchards, with Mission Hill Winery in the distance and just steps from the beach, this is a sought after location. 

There is more information and photos of this listing on my website under the Properties/My Listings tab.  We would be delighted if you could stop in and have a look at this fabulous listing.  We love it and we are sure you will too! 

This Saturday, August 11th between 1:00 and 3:00 pm, I will be hosting an Open House at 4210 6th Ave in picturesque Peachland.  This completely updated home is the perfect spot for a growing family or empty nesters!  On the outside, there is a new roof and hardie plank siding, plus updates to the deck at the back.  Inside there are plenty of updates including durable bamboo flooring & porcelain tile flooring, renovated bathrooms and fixtures, updated kitchen, neutral colours & contemporary touches throughout.  With 3 bedrooms plus a den upstairs, this is a great layout for a family!  The large master bedroom has a huge walk-in closet and spacious ensuite featuring double sinks, jetted tub & separate shower.  This home also has a large double car garage PLUS a separate attached workshop with 150 sq. ft. of workspace, 220V wired.  We'd love to see you pop in and see why we love this house so much!  Our sellers are motivated and this home is priced to sell at $447,500.

We've just reduced the price on this fantastic detached rancher in friendly Canyon Ridge...down from $517,700 to $498,900, it's priced to move!

278-4035 Gellatly Road, West Kelowna, BC - you can have a look at all of the details and photos under "Properties" & the "My Listings" tab at www.traceyboorman.com

* Compared to May, there was more migration from Lower Mainland/Vancouver Island (12.4% of purchases compared to 7.7%) and from Saskatchewan and Manitoba (3.6% compared to 0.9%) this month.

The long awaited new Landmark Cinemas in West Kelowna has opened to the public!  I have heard that the stadium style seating allows for unobstructed views and that it's the highest-tech movie theatre in the Okanagan.   I would love to check it out, but now that summer is here I would rather be enjoying the lovely Okanagan outdoors!

Also on the Westside throughout the entire summer, the District of West Kelowna is hosting "Music In The Park", a free and family-friendly night of music.  Concerts will take place in Memorial Park (in the green space beside Johnson Bentley Community Centre) each Friday between 7:00-9:00 pm from July 6-August 31.  This Friday kicks off the summer concert series with Duelling Pianos.  There is a wide range of musicians and styles that will be taking the stage all summer long!

Over the Canada Day long weekend we participated in both the Westside Daze and Peachland Canada Day parades.  What a great weekend to be out celebrating!  I hope that you had a chance to celebrate our country's birthday with your family & friends!

This Canada Day long weekend our RE/MAX Kelowna Westside office will be participating in 2 parades to celebrate our community and this fine country! 

Watch for us at the Westside Daze on Saturday, July 30th in West Kelowna.  The parade starts at 10:30am and is a part of the many festivities that they have running throughout the weekend.  Visit www.westsidedaze.com for a complete schedule of events...concerts, crafts, games, fireworks...it's a great family event!

On Sunday, July 1st we will be marching in the Peachland Parade starting at 5:00 pm.  There are many activities going on in gorgeous Peachland during the day as well.  There is a pancake breakfast, the Peachland Beach Run, dance performances, the Farmer's Market, concerts, plus the patios and restaurants along Beach Ave will be open for business!  The evening wraps up with fireworks put on by the Peachland Fire and Rescue Service.  Visit www.peachland.ca for more information.

We hope to see you out this coming weekend...fingers crossed for some sun and heat!  Look out for the RE/MAX float and be sure to say hi!  Happy Canada Day everyone!!

Last week I listed 2 properties which have something special in common - outstanding outdoor living space!   It's the perfect time of year for listings like these....the flowers are in bloom, the patio furniture is set up, the gardens are ready to flourish & the Okanagan sun is shining and showing the best of these lovely outdoor spaces. 

This is 3555 Gates Road in West Kelowna that features dramatic and absolutely stunning panoramic lake and valley views. It's not just the views that are impressive at this property - it's the location and the privacy.  This really is a bird's eye view of some gorgeous Okanagan scenery!  There is a huge sundeck with a hot tub plus a covered patio surrounded by immaculate landscaping, truly an oasis!

The other listing is at 4996 Bradley Drive in Peachland and apart from featuring a true artist's studio, it boasts pathways, tranquil sitting areas, a large sun deck and covered patio, a variety of fruit and nut trees,  vegetable gardens and a beach volley ball court - how unique!! 

This is the time of year to make the most of our outdoor living spaces.  I hope you are enjoying yours and if you are in the market for a new home, I would love to show you either of these fantastic listings!  More information and photos are available at my website www.traceyboorman.com