Buying real estate at Big White: the 2026 guide

Taxes that do, and don’t, apply

• Property Transfer Tax applies. 1% on the first $200,000, 2% to $2 million, 3% above that, plus 2% more on residential value over $3 million. First-time buyer and new-build exemptions only help if the home will be your principal residence. Try the cost-of-ownership calculator.
• No 20% foreign buyers’ tax. That tax applies only in the Capital, Fraser Valley, Metro Vancouver, Central Okanagan and Nanaimo regional districts. Big White is in the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary.
• No Speculation and Vacancy Tax. Big White is not in a taxable area as of September 2026 (nearby Kelowna, West Kelowna and Vernon are).
• Outside the federal foreign-buyer ban. The federal ban on non-Canadians buying residential property applies only in census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations. BCREA and the Association of Interior REALTORS® report that Big White is outside those areas, while SilverStar, Sun Peaks and Apex are caught. The ban currently runs to January 1, 2027. International buyers should confirm their eligibility with a lawyer before writing an offer.
• GST on new homes. New construction usually carries 5% GST. Rebates mostly depend on the home being a primary residence, so most recreational buyers won’t qualify. Ask your accountant.

Local government and services

Big White is an unincorporated community in Electoral Area E of the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, with about 1,000 year-round residents. Property tax is billed by the Province’s Surveyor of Taxes. Water, sewer and propane come from Big White Utilities; the RDKB runs the Big White Fire Department and a staffed transfer station for garbage and recycling (there is no curbside pickup). See living at Big White for schools, health care and getting around.

If you plan to rent it out

Big White is inside a mountain resort area that is exempt from B.C.’s principal-residence rule for short-term rentals, so you can rent a second home nightly. You still need a provincial short-term rental registration number, and strata bylaws can still restrict rentals. Details on the short-term rentals page.

The steps, from first look to keys

1. Get pre-approved. Lenders treat recreational and rental properties differently from a home in town. Pre-approval explained.
2. Shortlist areas and buildings with Sean based on how you ski and whether you’ll rent. See Big White areas.
3. View in person or on video, ideally in winter, and walk the ski route.
4. Write an offer with subjects for financing, inspection, strata documents and insurance. Most B.C. home purchases include a three-business-day rescission period after acceptance.
5. Review strata documents: minutes, bylaws, depreciation report, financial statements and the Form B.
6. Complete with a lawyer or notary, pay the transfer tax, and set up utilities, insurance and any rental registration.

Common questions

Sources: B.C. Property Transfer Tax; additional (foreign buyers’) transfer tax; SVT taxable areas; BCREA and AIR on the foreign buyer ban (Jan. 2026); RDKB Big White OCP review; rural property tax.