A fascinating dollop of Hollywood glitz and glam comes along with the opening of Kelowna’s newest franchise real estate office.
The local angle is that ‘The Agency Kelowna’ is headed up by veteran Kelowna realtor Alexandra Axsen as managing partner.
<img alt=”Kelowna realtor Alexandra Axsen is the managing partner at The Agency Kelowna.” class=”img-responsive” src=”https://www.kelownanow.com/files/files/images/Blank%20850%20x%20446%20-%202023-08-03T154549_461.png”>
The Hollywood is that CEO and founder of ‘The Agency’ is Los Angeles-based Mauricio Umansky, who has appeared in popular reality TV series ‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,’ ‘Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles,’ and ‘Buying Beverly Hill.’
Umansky popped up frequently on ‘Housewives’ as the husband of housewife Kyle Richards, whose sister, Kathy Hilton (and Paris’ mom), was also on the show.
He was a regular on ‘Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles’ and he also has his own show — ‘Buying Beverly Hills’
Umansky has sold more than $5 billion worth of real estate and represented such famous properties and stars as the Playboy Mansion, the Walt Disney Estate, Prince, Michael Jackson and Michael Jordan.
Currently, Umansky’s priciest listing is the $113-million, 10-bedroom, 19-bathroom, 21,000-square-foot The Reserve, a glassy, modern estate in LA’s Holmby Hills.
He also works with resort and hotel brands such as Ritz-Carlton, One&Only and Rosewood.
<img alt=” Mauricio Umansky is the Los Angeles-based CEO and founder of The Agency.” class=”img-responsive” src=”https://www.kelownanow.com/files/files/images/Mauricio%20Umansky.JPG”>
“We’re thrilled to continue our expansion throughout British Columbia with the unveiling of our new office in Kelowna,” said Umansky.
“Alexandra Axsen is one of the most celebrated real estate authorities in her region and we are confident that she will be an incredible steward of our brand and culture.”
‘The Agency’ has a network of 97 offices in the US, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe, including franchises in Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary and Toronto.
It is billed as one of the fastest-growing luxury boutique brokerages in the world.
Axsen, formerly of Lake Okanagan Realty, has been a realtor and broker in Kelowna for 17 years with expertise helping clients buy and sell residential and commercial real estate, sell new residential developments and buy and sell investment properties.
“It’s an honour to be part of ‘The Agency’s’ growth in Canada and lead the new office in Kelowna,” she said.
“The Kelowna market holds incredible synergy with ‘The Agency’s’ boutique, global brand and we look forward to continuing to elevate our service offering in this next chapter.”
Axsen’s had a string of successes locally — setting Okanagan records for selling the highest-priced lot of under one acre and the priciest non-lakefront, single-family property, being named a Top 40 Under 40 by the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, a Top 10 Kelowna Realtor and a People’s Choice Award for small business in BC.
She’s originally from South Carolina and earned her degree in public relations from private university Pepperdine in the tony LA oceanside suburb of Malibu.
Axsen moved to Kelowna 20 years ago and stayed to build a career in real estate, raise her family and enjoy the lifestyle that, for her, includes running marathons, skiing in the winter and boating in the summer.
‘The Agency’ Kelowna is located at 1152 Ellis St. in the base of the city’s tallest building, the 36-storey One Water Street condominium complex.
HALIFAX – A village of tiny homes is set to open next month in a Halifax suburb, the latest project by the provincial government to address homelessness.
Located in Lower Sackville, N.S., the tiny home community will house up to 34 people when the first 26 units open Nov. 4.
Another 35 people are scheduled to move in when construction on another 29 units should be complete in December, under a partnership between the province, the Halifax Regional Municipality, United Way Halifax, The Shaw Group and Dexter Construction.
The province invested $9.4 million to build the village and will contribute $935,000 annually for operating costs.
Residents have been chosen from a list of people experiencing homelessness maintained by the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia.
They will pay rent that is tied to their income for a unit that is fully furnished with a private bathroom, shower and a kitchen equipped with a cooktop, small fridge and microwave.
The Atlantic Community Shelters Society will also provide support to residents, ranging from counselling and mental health supports to employment and educational services.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2024.
Housing affordability is a key issue in the provincial election campaign in British Columbia, particularly in major centres.
Here are some statistics about housing in B.C. from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s 2024 Rental Market Report, issued in January, and the B.C. Real Estate Association’s August 2024 report.
Average residential home price in B.C.: $938,500
Average price in greater Vancouver (2024 year to date): $1,304,438
Average price in greater Victoria (2024 year to date): $979,103
Average price in the Okanagan (2024 year to date): $748,015
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Vancouver: $2,181
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Victoria: $1,839
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Canada: $1,359
Rental vacancy rate in Vancouver: 0.9 per cent
How much more do new renters in Vancouver pay compared with renters who have occupied their home for at least a year: 27 per cent
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Voters along the south coast of British Columbia who have not cast their ballots yet will have to contend with heavy rain and high winds from an incoming atmospheric river weather system on election day.
Environment Canada says the weather system will bring prolonged heavy rain to Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast, Fraser Valley, Howe Sound, Whistler and Vancouver Island starting Friday.
The agency says strong winds with gusts up to 80 kilometres an hour will also develop on Saturday — the day thousands are expected to go to the polls across B.C. — in parts of Vancouver Island and Metro Vancouver.
Wednesday was the last day for advance voting, which started on Oct. 10.
More than 180,000 voters cast their votes Wednesday — the most ever on an advance voting day in B.C., beating the record set just days earlier on Oct. 10 of more than 170,000 votes.
Environment Canada says voters in the area of the atmospheric river can expect around 70 millimetres of precipitation generally and up to 100 millimetres along the coastal mountains, while parts of Vancouver Island could see as much as 200 millimetres of rainfall for the weekend.
An atmospheric river system in November 2021 created severe flooding and landslides that at one point severed most rail links between Vancouver’s port and the rest of Canada while inundating communities in the Fraser Valley and B.C. Interior.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.