Whistler Real Estate

Whistler has several types of property available for investment. The available land is strictly controlled and is at a 85% capacity, so prices have remained steady and are expected to rise in the near future, unless more land is made available for development.

In land types, there are bare land lots, chalets on separate lots, and townhomes or condominium style units that are part of strata title ownership. Under strata title ownership in B.C., you own your separate unit and share ownership in the common property, such as walkways, hot tubs, ski lockers, driveways, etc. Because of the common property share, you pay a monthly fee to maintain the property. Under the other type of ownership, the land and/or chalet attached, is your complete property which you are responsible for as with any single, detached dwelling.

By far, the most popular style of living is the strata title units because of the convenience of simply locking it up when your vacation is over and allowing a management company to handle the caretaking while you're away.

In Whistler, strata titled (condominium) units are slightly more complicated then elsewhere because there are what they call "Phase I" and "Phase II" types.

Phase I ownership is a straightforward ownership system in which you own a unit in a complex outright. Under Phase II type ownership you essentially purchase a share in a unit; rather than the unit outright. Some Phase II ownership titles are associated with hotels as well.

When considering either type of ownership at Whistler, some considerations to evaluate are: proximity to ski hills. Can you ski in and ski out from the home? These properties are at a premium and are usually the most saught-after for people looking to rent your property. What are the monthly fees? What are the annual taxes? What are the covenants? Fixtures or chattels? Is the strata title available, if strata titled? What is the contingency reserve position? Is the Property Condition Disclosure properly completed to protect the buyer?