Dean Birks

Have a great week! Pat Bell  http://www.patbellmla.bc.ca/

1.      The University of Northern British Columbia!  As McLean Magazine’s Best Small School in the West, I ventured to Prince George in January 2006 for my first semester of University in hopes of only staying one semester. Almost five years later I am proud to call Canada’s Green University my own! The growth of UNBC over the past 5 years, including the Northern Medical Program, the Northern Sports Center, and the Northern University Student Center has truly helped shape our wonderful city.

2.      The array of hiking trails is enough to keep one busy all summer and winter long! I was never much of a hiker until I moved to Prince George, since than I have discovered beautiful trails including the Forest of the Worlds behind UNBC, Fort George Canyon west of Prince George and teapot mountain just to name a few that I have done recently but one hike that I am anxious to do still is Bijoux Falls closer to Mackenzie.

3.       What would summer in Prince George be without River Floating? This is one of my favorite activities in the summer months. Each year there are a group of friends that bond together to river float day in and day out. The best place to launch is from Wilkinson Park off Miworth road and float all the way down to Wilson Park off Ospika but make sure that you are all being safe and have enough time to complete the float in the day light. This route usually takes around 5 hours.

4.      British Columbia has over 1000 forestry camping sites, many of which are in Northern British Columbia.  On Vancouver Island these sites are so difficult to find that this is another one of my favorite things about Prince George.  By car I can make it to many different sites and lakes for a weekend of camping. Did I mention forestry sites are beautiful and free!

5.      The first time I made a visit to Northern British Columbia, I went to Fort Nelson in March and it was quite dark and there wasn’t a lot of daylight. The first summer I spent in Prince George I just couldn’t get over how early the sun rose and how late it set! With long days, visiting with your friends around a campfire can last for so long and makes summer in the North truly remarkable.

6.      Prince George is full of recreational sports for athletes of all different levels. This year I had the opportunity to join the PG Mix Slo-Pitch league which is just one of the many different sports available throughout the summer not to mention the winter sports you can play including curling, hockey, swimming just to name a few. For a list of contacts for the different clubs and teams around town visit: http://www.city.pg.bc.ca/rec_culture/communityrec/contact/

7.      Saturdays rain or shine are Farmers Market days in Prince George. You can visit the farmers market every Saturday year round now for everything from fresh bread, jams, meats, vegetables and fruit.  The Farmers Market is open from 8:30-2:00pm every Saturday and usually you can find live music and good friends!

8.      Where else in British Columbia can you find some of the best powder in the country? Powder King! Northern BC’s mountain for champagne powder and pristine conditions. PK is not the largest mountain but when people ask me if there is any good skiing or snowboarding my answer is always a quick yes! The conditions are some of the best I have ever experienced and you don’t have to wait in line for an hour each time you ride the chair lift.

9.      Living in Northern British Columbia is very different than living on the ocean, and some days I miss that. However, when its -20 outside and you wake up to start your day in the dark, watch the sun rise and the day turn into a beautiful sunny crisp afternoon you can’t help but smile. I love how the sun shines all winter long and you need your sunglasses every morning on your way to work or school.

10.  Prince George is the Northern Capital of BC and offers endless entertainment. From the Park-Drive in Movie theatre to live music in Fort George Park or at UNBC for the Back Yard BBQ. Let’s not forget the world famous shows CN Center can bring including Sir Elton John and The Blue Man group. With entertainment like this there is never a dull evening in Prince George.

Dean Birks

The last 4 weeks has been very quiet here in the Prince George Real Estate market. It normally slows down once the kids are out of school and will pick up come the end of August. But this summer has been a little slower overall. In my opinion the fact HST kicked in at the beginning of July (which by the way, has no effect on the Prince George market except by way of the many misunderstandings), HST 'Only Applies' to the new home construction market and that is a very very small percentage of sales here. The fact we are having one of the best summers weather wise has not only the buyers and sellers heading out of town to lakes & holidays but allot of the Realtors as well. Things will pick up in the next few weeks and off we go again.

On another note, I don't see prices moving up here until we see some new employment. PG has done great job holding its own but we do need new industry etc and that appears to be coming along (see my other blogs and whats happening in Prince George). So for the buyers out there it is and will continue to be a great time to buy with rates low and not a ton of pressure to buy today gives them a chance to find that 'right' home for them.

I wish you all a great summer and feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments about the Prince George Real Estate market.

Cheers
Dean Birks