Country Article / Postcards

Ahead of the Curve in Canada's Ocean Playground

Date: 04/14/2005

Dear International Living Reader,

It's been almost eight years since I first visited Nova Scotia, Canada. Since then I've bought property here, including an oceanfront home where my family spends as much time as we can each summer. It's become an important part of our lives, something we look forward to all year long.

Of course this phenomenon isn't limited to Nova Scotia; readers with second homes or summer homes know first-hand the good feeling I'm describing. Nova Scotia, however, has provided me with the added benefit of making lots of money on my real estate investments here.

In 1997, when I first visited, I wrote of three primary reasons why Nova Scotia made sense for property purchasers at that time. Here they are again:

*Natural Beauty. The most important factor to consider is Nova Scotia's 4,500 miles of unspoiled coastline and tremendous natural beauty. Canadians call Nova Scotia their ocean playground, and when you arrive you'll see why. Though I am recommending that buyers concentrate on one particular region of the province, the amount of exploring and day-tripping possible here is virtually unlimited, and you'll never be more than 35 minutes from the ocean no matter where you are in the province.

*Low Property Prices. Nova Scotia offers the lowest prices on comparable property anywhere in Canada. Generalizations can be a dangerous game, but a good rule of thumb is this: if Canadians are buying real estate in the market they know, well then it's a good time to buy. And I can assure you, fully 80% of the purchases in Nova Scotia today are made by Canadian buyers.

*Good Projected Appreciation. As people become more mobile---and more willing to spend money to ensure a high quality of life--they will move in droves to the quiet, secluded, unpolluted corners of the planet...and Nova Scotia is one of those places. Demand will increase as communications technology allows more executives and independent entrepreneurs to create virtual offices anywhere in the world.

I'm relieved to report that this was all true at the time...and it is still true today.

Much time has passed since then. The home I bought in 1997 has likely tripled in value…but that doesn't mean all the deals are gone.

My most recent search for property bargains began by heading south along the shoreline west of Lunenburg and toward Yarmouth, a town at the southwestern tip of the province where seasonal daily ferry traffic brings the majority of vacationers to Nova Scotia each summer.

During that journey I came upon Shelburne, an attractive harbor town where many of the last loyalists to the British crown from the Boston area were shipped by the British at the end of the Revolutionary War. Today Shelburne is a small town of less than 2,000, but it has the framework needed in my view for its growth over the next 20 years as tourism, summer home construction, and general seasonal interest accelerate in the area.

On the convenience side of the ledger, Shelburne has schools, a hospital, a few restaurants, grocery stores, pharmacies, and the like. Looking towards tourism potential, it has fantastic history, an attractive harbor and waterfront, and mid-18th century architecture and wooden buildings. (In fact, Shelburne is said to have the only cross street in North America where pre-18th-century wooden buildings in their exact locations still remain today.)

Shelburne also has the advantage of good proximity to the Yarmouth ferries that connect Bar Harbor and Portland, Maine to Nova Scotia. These seasonal ferries run daily and are the main route connecting the U.S. with Nova Scotia for land travelers. Shelburne is only one hour from the docks.

All of these advantages coincide with a key benefit for the property buyer looking ahead of the curve: property prices for oceanfront properties with beautiful vistas are still very low in this area. I would encourage everyone who has considered buying a vacation home or second home property from as far south as Virginia Beach, Virginia, all the way through coastal Maine to look at this area very closely right now.

It's always important to make sure you're dealing with the right person when looking at real estate in an area, and I've met someone here in whom I have great confidence. Andrew Kimball is an attorney and, like me, a real estate aficionado. I've worked with Andrew on different projects for the last several years and know him to be engaged, energetic, and most importantly, exceptionally thorough. If you have an interest in land in Nova Scotia, particularly around Shelburne and Lunenburg, Andrew can assist you through his knowledge of the area and his connections with local brokers. For purposes of full disclosure, I've been involved in a couple of projects in the area, and he may mention properties from these to you as well, but he'll always make certain you know which ones these are so that there is no confusion. You can contact Andrew Kimball by telephone: (902)543-1421; or by e-mail: akimball@fkdlaw.ns.ca.

Another real estate contact in the area that I recommend is Al Keith, representing Claussen Walters and Associates in the Shelburne area. Claussen Walters typically handles the most desirable properties in the region. You can contact Al Keith by telephone: (902) 875-8622; e-mail: akeith@claussenwalters.com; or visit the website: www.thinknovascotia.com.

For Americans in the mid-Atlantic and Northeastern U.S. as well as Canadians looking for a relaxing, beautiful, roomy place to spend their oceanfront vacations each summer, and perhaps several months a year in early or late retirement, the South Shore of Nova Scotia is worthy of your full exploration. In Shelburne county, opportunities await you right now.

Robert Fordi
For International Living