"Big White" Buyers Are Brits, Aussies

Brokers know that with the dollar so weak, overseas visitors to the US are buying second homes and vacation homes in Florida and pieds-a-terre in New York like they are, well, tee shirts. Same thing up North. At Big White, a wonderful ski area above Kelowna, British Columbia in Canada, Gary Turner of Royal LePage told me Tuesday that his biggest new market for buyers is Britain. With Australia not far behind. Why not? It's almost as easy to fly to Big White from London or Sydney as it is to go the Alps, except the Canadian snow is soooo much better. And their kids love the idea of ski/snowboard instruction in English. Handsome two-BR strata (condo) at Sundance can be had for under $465,000. Budget 2-BRs? Under $200,000. No wonder the slogan is "Tired of Tee Shirts? Come home with the ultimate souvenir!"