Nanaimo Real Estate

Nanaimo is a small city of 79,000 residents on the island of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. Although considered small by most demographic standards, Nanaimo is actually the second largest city on Vancouver Island, and commonly referred to as “Hub City” because of its central location on the island and the layout of adjacent roads in a wheel spoke pattern, all leading to Nanaimo. Nanaimo is culturally rich, boasting a flourishing artists community, a successful university-college and easy access to British Columbia’s thriving metropolitan areas. The Port Theatre is the islands largest performing arts centre, hosting many varieties of musical guests with a focus in jazz artists. As home to hundreds of artists including writers, musicians and talented craftsmen, Nanaimo has a reputation for being a thriving cultural center.

Attracting students from all over the world, Nanaimo’s Vancouver Island University offers undergraduate university degrees, degrees and certificates in a variety of career programs in technical and trade related fields. With the world’s largest artificial reef, Nanaimo is internationally renowned for it’s scuba diving, and has an avenue for every type of outdoor enthusiast to explore from kayaking, rock climbing and cave exploring to fishing, golfing and hiking in any one of the island’s ten major parks.

With all that Nanaimo has to offer, it’s no wonder that this little piece of heaven is becoming the place of dreams for potential home buyers. The real estate market is gaining in popularity in Nanaimo, with it’s commercial real estate industry being a source of economic resurgence for the island. The reputation of it’s small town atmosphere, combined with the sophistication of higher education and a love of the arts is spreading. With the convenience of three airports and three ferry services to the mainland, Nanaimo is the best of resort style living with the benefit of easy accessibility to the metropolitan areas on the mainland.

Real estate opportunities are becoming more available on the island, with a concentration in the development of cohousing areas, which are the equivalent of detached condominium communities in the United States. With the help of a local real estate agent, a list of available properties can be obtained, complete with an amenities list and asking prices. If currently residing in the U.S., contact your local CoHousing Real Estate Agent for advice and direction to an agent who is versed in handling of international properties. Upon introduction to an international agent, let him know which communities you are interested in and why. Since this is an international proposition, your perception of what is available and what to expect from a particular community may not be accurate. Be sure your agent is familiar with the areas you would like to review, as he will be able to cut out a lot of the unnecessary legwork for you if it is determined that the particulars of a certain community will not meet your desires.

Of course, after narrowing down your list of areas for investigation, a trip to Nanaimo is required to visit the specific properties and explore the surrounding areas. Thanks to the internet, international real estate web sites will contain multiple photos of each property you are interested in, so you can weed out any undesirables before you make your trip.