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Going one-on-one with Rudy Nielsen, the
godfather of Western Canadian recreational real
estate
There are real estate agents, and then there’s
Rudy Nielsen. Fit, trim and appearing far
younger than his 65 years of age (probably
something to do with having more recreational
properties than you have pens), he’s a 40-year
real estate veteran who says he’s never seen a
hotter recreational property market. His New
Westminster, B.C.-based Niho Land and Cattle Co.
Ltd. sells everything from lakefront lots to
last year’s headline-grabber: the sale of an
entire ghost town in northern B.C.
Who are your customers and where are they
buying?
A lot of people are looking for their little
place away from it all, but they’re still
working, so they have to drive. To use Vancouver
as an example, [the most expensive properties]
are the closest—about a two-hour drive around
Merritt. Buyers here want a recreational
property that they can now use on weekends but
will eventually develop as a full-time home.
Are the rumours true? Are Albertans buying up
B.C.?
You look at the same driving-time recreational
theory from Calgary and Edmonton. So you draw
circles around [Calgary, Edmonton and
Vancouver], and what you get is what I call the
Golden Circle—the region around Osoyoos and the
southern B.C. interior where everyone living in
the three cities can drive to. This is the most
sought-after place to buy land.
What are some of the secret spots not yet
discovered?
The Queen Charlotte Islands is the most
beautiful spot there is—its mystique, large
old-growth timber, beautiful sandy beaches… and
the best fishing in the world. The Crowsnest
Pass is going to be a hot area, and along the
whole Kootenay trench. —TG |
