Whitehorse Daily Star

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Demand was heavy for Whistle Bend lots

Monday’s Yukon government land lottery for 55 single-family lots in phase four of the Whistle Bend subdivision drew 244 applications.

By Chuck Tobin on January 28, 2020

Monday’s Yukon government land lottery for 55 single-family lots in phase four of the Whistle Bend subdivision drew 244 applications.

The lots ranged in value from $104,262 to $228,863 plus the GST but not including the $3,641 development cost charge applicants will have to pay the city when they finalize the sale with the government.

A minimum 20 per cent down payment plus the GST is required.

The 25 smallest lots in Monday’s lottery will front onto the first green street development in Whistle Bend.

Instead of a regular paved street, there will be a green streetscape for pedestrian use only.

Vehicle access will be along the laneways at the rear of the lots.

The last 63 or so lots in phase four – 33 single-family, 27 townhouse units and three or more multi-family lots – are expected to be available this summer or fall.

Phase five lots could be available this fall, according to the government.

When the first 52 phase-four lots were sold by lottery last summer, there were 246 applicants.

The Yukon government is expected in February to release a number of multi-family lots for development in Whistle Bend.

Meanwhile, the City of Whitehorse will hold a lottery on Feb. 12 for two single-family lots on Sandpiper Drive in the Arkell subdivision valued at $127,300 and $137,900.

The application deadline is 3 p.m. Feb. 5.

Comments (13)

Up 13 Down 3

Salt on Feb 1, 2020 at 2:46 pm

@some guy
You should Google, ‘straw-man argument’. Literally no one is suggesting that kids fresh out of high school should expect to be able to buy a house. The reality is that the vast majority of them couldn’t afford to rent even a shi**y basement apartment at today’s prices. While you were saving for that down payment, housing prices did not increase over 130%, like they have done over the last 15 years.

Up 11 Down 2

Wilf Carter on Jan 31, 2020 at 6:23 pm

In 1986 housing prices were very low and we purchased and half duplex in Riverdale for $35,000. Faro mines opened up and we sold for $75,000. Supply and demand is the issue plus development cost are too high

Up 6 Down 5

Wilf Carter on Jan 31, 2020 at 6:13 pm

BNR I have lived in Yukon since 1986 and have been involved with developing land in different parts of the Yukon over the years. Yes COW does not have good land to develop. I've been saying that for years. Then let's focus on Teslin or Haines Junction communities to develop and supply cheaper land development to support the growth of the Yukon. I lived in both communities and was involved with land and housing.
Or we expand the city up to the Mayo road where there are 1,000's of great lots for land development which should have been done 30 years ago or more.
I am sure this will piss off some people but we either develop or build tent city or camps. I worked in Fort Mac on housing starting in 1977 and it was a mess. Let's get our heads together and look at all the options and move forward. Looking at our feet does nothing for our City or Yukon's future.
It's about doing things, not sitting on our hands and doing nothing.

Up 3 Down 3

Curiousity on Jan 31, 2020 at 11:07 am

@some guy - So is your place worth more or less now than what you bought it? That's what I was referring to.

Up 15 Down 2

Crunch on Jan 30, 2020 at 11:12 pm

@ Curiousity
Very short answer. It's The Yukon. There's no market forces at work here. In Disneyland the prices never go down.

Up 26 Down 5

some guy on Jan 30, 2020 at 2:55 pm

@ Curiousity

I don't know about you but my first places were s#ithole basement apartments. I slowly saved, got better skills and jobs until I was able to save a down payment. I never expected to walk out of grade 12 and buy a house, it took me 15 years.

Up 23 Down 2

Curiousity on Jan 29, 2020 at 10:34 pm

@Jim, I've wondered the same thing, at least if there isn't a chance that development could be deliberately slowed enough to make leasing more attractive.

What a mess real estate has become. It's hard to see how it's a good investment, when you're spending $500,000 on your first house. It seems more risky, because unless this era is totally unique, prices go up and down. There is no room for anything to go wrong at these prices.

Is it really just supply and demand, though? The same thing is happening in cities like Toronto, no matter how many condos they throw up.

Up 38 Down 5

Jim on Jan 29, 2020 at 12:13 pm

I think the numbers are a little misleading as far as the quantity of applicants. From what I heard commercial builders load the ballot boxes with wives, mothers, fathers, co-workers to increase their odds on having a lot or two to build on. But they have to to keep their crews working. Bottom line is the the lots available are not sufficient. One may wonder if the powers that be are keeping a shortage so that First Nation land leases seem more viable.

Up 22 Down 10

Josey Wales on Jan 29, 2020 at 9:37 am

Gee...ya mean those folks were not interested in any of the other “development opportunities “
Given the clear engineered tactics used, clearly the land developers have the understanding we are mere subjects, transfer payment reps, the common unwashed masses that from time to time...must mingle with us lowly reprehensible transfer payment representatives.

Gee wizards if we are all outta land, stop importing more subjects to “your lands”

Oh yeah....ya need those liberal votes.

Up 38 Down 5

Exciting times.. not on Jan 29, 2020 at 9:11 am

Disclaimer..this is not a rant, just facts...

What exciting times we live in where a sub 5000 square foot lot in a small town of less than 30,000 starts at over $100k.
Even the most modest of homes, when built by a local builder will run you $200/sq.ft. and I am really being generous with that number as it's more like $230 to $250.

Oh well, times they are a changin' eh? Glad I bought a 100x200 Porter Creek lot with a nice house for $220k, and that wasn't "in the olden days" it was 2010. I feel bad for my kids, they won't know what it means to have a house and money left over for a life, fingers crossed they end up in a lucrative career.

Up 22 Down 16

BnR on Jan 29, 2020 at 7:33 am

Wilf, maybe they can make developable land appear like magic back east where you’re from, but it’s a little more difficult here.
The fact is there is not that much land available in the city area. Just because the CofW encompasses 416 sqkm doesn’t mean every square meter is developable. The large tracts that are left are First Nation settlement lands and 100 year leases for residential areas haven't proven very popular.

Up 24 Down 2

Jayne W on Jan 28, 2020 at 8:00 pm

Is the demand heavy or are residents left with no choice. It is/will be a great neighbourhood once all phases are finished, if that is the type of homestead you desire. I would like to add there were 4 lots available (2 in Cowley and 2 and ML) that drew 122 applicants total in the past. That to me tells us where the demand is.

Up 33 Down 7

Wilf Carter on Jan 28, 2020 at 4:30 pm

People who are in development have been saying for 8 years COW needs at least 150 lots a year to keep up with demand but they are not meeting demand. Less lots needed means less housing for all Yukoners. City should have an inventory of 300 to 400 lots available.
Because of supply not meeting demand it drives up cost of housing where 35% to 40% of residents can't afford to buy a home.
Housing and land development is number one item if we are to have a strong economy in Yukon.
This problem is already sending the benefits of income to BC and AB not Yukon in mining sector.
There were six supply companies in the mining sector who looked at moving to the City.
They would have serviced mining in Yukon, northern BC, NWT and Alaska etc.
Economic development needs to be widened so it can give advice to governments on potential economic development opportunities.

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