Pemberton, in my mind is synonymous  with family values and raising children.  I know that might not be true for everyone living in the valley, but let’s face it, a lot of party-hardy Whistlerites have moved on to become domestically driven Pembertonians.  Most of my friends moved to Pemberton because of the cost of housing.  A family could afford to live in a house with a yard in Pemberton.  And owning a house gives a sense of stability that improves the quality of family life, whether that family consists of two or twelve (kids, cats, dogs and horses being counted here).  We also know that generally, people who own their own home take better care of it than they do if they are renting.  Neighbourhoods where the majority of residents own their properties are generally safer.  All of these reasons are great reasons to buy a home and enhance our own lives, but home buying isn’t just good for us, home buying is good for our community.  When new home buyers buy into the market, whether first timers using the CMHC mortgage initiative or those who have been in the market before, they join the ranks of those who have invested in the community.  Building and buying homes are good for the economy. Construction of new homes and sales of those already built generate significant economic activity, whether it is through the movement of goods, creation of jobs, or government revenue.  I know that we all balk at having to pay taxes, but the revenue generated for the three levels of government go toward making Pemberton, and Canada, what we think a good community should be.  Another benefit for the community is the creation of jobs, not just in the construction industry, but in others as well. Every time a home changes hands, the transaction generates $42,000 in economic spin-offs and 2.8 jobs.  While 2.8 jobs may not sound like a lot, with 16,300 housing starts and $4.4billion in home renovations expected in Metro Vancouver in 2012, 70,000 jobs will be created and generate about $3.5 billion in wages.

With the lowest cost of borrowing in a generation and a buyer’s market, a perfect way to help build our community while at the same time better our own family lives is to buy into the residential real estate market.