Buying a ski home in B.C.: your questions answered

It depends on how you will use the place. Big White suits families who want the classic ski holiday and owners who plan to rent their place out. SilverStar suits people who want to live on the mountain and still be about 25 minutes from Vernon, and anyone who loves cross-country skiing. Sun Peaks is a full village with its own council, about 55 km from Kamloops. My Big White vs SilverStar comparison puts the two I cover most side by side.

Big White is outside the areas covered by the federal ban on non-Canadian buyers, according to BCREA (January 2026). The ban applies to most people who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Rules change, so confirm your own situation with a lawyer before you buy.

Both are inside the areas covered by the federal ban at the moment. The ban is scheduled to run to January 1, 2027, and as of October 26, 2026 no decision on what happens next had been reported. I explain where things stand in this short update.

Often yes, with conditions. The province lists Big White, SilverStar and Sun Peaks among the mountain resorts that are exempt from the principal-residence rule for short-term rentals, but you must still register with the provincial Short-Term Rental Registry. Your strata bylaws and the building's zoning can add their own limits, so I check both before you make an offer. Source: Province of B.C., principal residence requirement for short-term rentals. The province says the rules may change each year.

Big White is about 56 km (roughly 55 minutes) from Kelowna. SilverStar is about 22 km from Vernon. Sun Peaks is about 55 km from Kamloops, most often a drive of around 45 minutes.

SilverStar and Sun Peaks are on the Ikon Pass, and Big White is an Indy Pass partner (Indy Pass, 2026–27). Passes change from year to year, so check the resort's own site before you buy one.

Many people do. At SilverStar, Vernon is about 25 minutes away for groceries, schools and the hospital. Sun Peaks is its own municipality with about 1,400 permanent residents in the 2021 census. Big White is more of a holiday village, and it is a longer drive to Kelowna.

It is my own address-level measure of how easily you can get from a home to the snow and back. Longer walks lower the score, even inside the village. Scores are only compared with other homes at the same resort. I explain it in What a ski score tells you about a mountain home.

Ask for the strata minutes, the budget and the depreciation report, and read the bylaws on rentals and pets. Look closely at the strata fee and what it includes, and ask what repairs the building has coming up. A condo that is easy to ski from can still be an expensive one to own if the building needs major work.

Start with Sarah, my AI assistant, at 604-227-4810 any time of day. She answers questions about the resorts and takes down what you are looking for. I then follow up with you personally. I am an independent real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Executives Realty in Vernon, and I cover Big White, SilverStar and Sun Peaks.