When we moved to Kelowna in 2014 from Vancouver, we didn't know whether or not we were making the right decision. The Vancouver Real Estate Market was blowing up and I had personally been there for 10 years.

However, we knew this was where we wanted to be. Where we wanted to settle down and have a family. We have now been here 2 years and I can say without any doubt that this was one of the best decisions of our lives.

I get calls from Vancouverites quite frequently thinking about making the move. They are from all walks of life, empty nesters, retirees and young families.With the current state of the Vancouver Real Estate Market, many are concerned as to whether they will ever be able to afford a home.

There are a ton of good Reasons to move to Kelowna. These are my Top 5.

1) Traffic - NO MORE TRAFFIC. Well...at least the traffic isn't like it was when I was in Vancouver. Between the Massey Tunnel and the Oak street bridge in the same commute, I was pretty sick of it. We currently live in West Kelowna and I'm driving over the bridge into Kelowna every morning. With Traffic, im getting to the office in 25 Minutes. No traffic 15minutes. This is a breeze compared to what i used to experience. However, that doesn't stop the Kelowna locals from being reluctant to cross the bridge. You will learn quickly that people rarely like to travel between Kelowna and West Kelowna unless mandatory.

2) Home Prices - A single family home on the vurge of being a tear down in Vancouver costs easily over 1 million and climbing. While Kelowna is seeing record sales numbers and our entry level homes have spiked, I can currently say that depending on the area, you can get a fixer upper for as low as $350,000(prices currently climbing). You can get into New construction single family residences for the low 500,000's. Sounds good to me!

3) We are in a Tourism area - We used to come here for a local vacation. Now we live in a Vacation Destination!

We would come up and hang out by the lake or golf. Now we can do this whenever we want. Work has been redicuously busy so these times are few and far between, but to have the option to take advantage of these things is a dream.

4) Family - Kelowna is the perfect size to start a family. We are currently almost 5 months pregnant so I haven't lived this first hand. But all the clients and friends we have met with kids adore the Okanagan. There are so many sports and activities to take part in. There are great schools and programs, and in many areas, your kids can play outside without the worry of traffic and other big city issues.

5) Community - When we lived in Vancouver, there was no sense of Community. We had our circle of friends, but outside of that, there was little reason to get involved. Since we have moved to Kelowna, we have become involved in charity work, and community events. We take part in multiple networking groups and sports activities. People are typically friendly and interested in meeting new people. We love the community out here.

So there it is, my TOP 5 REASONS TO MOVE TO KELOWNA. Some may disagree or have there own top 5, but I think it is safe to say Kelowna is a wonderful place to live. For People in Vancouver thinking about making the move out here, please call me. I would love to discuss our experience in more detail with you.

David Delorme - Coldwell Banker Horizon Realty - 778-821-3885