Livin’ in the Okanagan with Debra Formo

04/11/2026

Places to go while in Penticton!

02/12/2026

I live here 💜

12/30/2025

I was a first time buyer in 1981. My first mortgage was at 21.5% if I remember right.

Perspective is everything. Right now, everyone's waiting for rates to drop.

"I'll buy when rates get back to normal."

But what if 'normal' isn't what you think it is?

Let's talk about what mortgage rates have actually been throughout history:

1970s: Average rate around 8-9%
1980s: Hit 18.45% (yes, eighteen)
1990s: Hovered around 8-10%
2000s: Dropped to 6-7%
2010s: Historic lows of 3-4%

The 3% rates of 2020-2021?

That wasn't normal. That was a once-in-a-lifetime anomaly.

What everyone's calling "high" right now is actually what our parents' generation considered standard.

And they bought houses.
And built wealth.
And didn't wait for the "perfect rate."

Here's what they understood that we've forgotten:

You're not marrying the rate.
You can refinance when rates drop.

But you CAN'T refinance:

The price you paid (it's going up)
The equity you missed (appreciation compounds)
The rent you paid (gone forever)
The time you lost (can't get it back)

The buyer who waits for rates to drop misses this:

When rates drop, prices spike.

The buyer who acts now gets:

Negotiating power (less competition)
Better price (sellers are realistic)
Immediate equity building

Then refinances when rates drop
Wins twice

"Historically high" and "historically normal" are very different things.

We've been spoiled by historic lows.

Now we're back to historic norms.

And historic norms still create millionaires.

09/14/2025

Interesting statistic

Since NAR began collecting the data in 1985, single women have outpaced single men in purchasing homes. Despite working with lower incomes and being more likely to have children in the home, single women buyers are making it happen. https://t.co/KMBdUWBAE8

09/10/2025

Love living here!

It's the kind of place you never want to leave.

08/24/2025

It’s beautiful here all seasons.

Do you believe summer's the best time to travel? Think again. Discover why world-class vineyards, stunning scenery and charming culture shine brighter in the off-season in Penticton, B.C.

07/20/2025

I love living here!

07/13/2025

lol

07/12/2025

Open house this Saturday 11-12:30

07/11/2025

I love living here!

This small town is calling!1`

05/28/2025

Good information. Please don’t rely on Zillow to be giving factual information. The square footage of a home in BC is the “livable” square footage. That means it’s finished and heated and an area you would live in. Garages, decks or unfinished basements are not considered square footage for the purpose of listing. If a listing states an unfinished area that should be an unfinished area if the home that could be finished to be lived in. Unfinished area also does not include garages or decks.