The Similkameen News Leader
Editorial
January 29, 2008
BY THE WAY, ARE YOU A DOCTOR?
I've been kicking this thought around for days.
If I were a realtor, how would I do at 'working the phones' when it was my day to be on call?
I can hear it now.
INTERESTED BUYER: "So, why should I invest in your town?"
ME: "Because it's a great place to raise a family!"
"So there's a swimming pool, water slides, mini golf and other things to keep my two boys occupied?"
"We have what we like to call 'natural' attractions. We have rivers, lakes, trails and parks."
"What about schools?"
"We have those, too."
"What's the housing situation like?"
"We have some new construction currently underway with a great assortment of everything from low-maintenance housing to rustic dwellings suitable for the handyman or do-it-yourselfer."
"What's the pricing like?"
"Well, the market has made significant gains in the past couple of years with property values growing in proportion with the rest of the province."
"So it's climbing?"
"Let's just say there's been a lot of interest shown in the local market with promises of growth continuing on an uphill path."
"What's the job situation like?"
"Well, that's one of the oddities, to be honest with you. We have a mill that's just gone through a short shut down due to inventory and price-related matters with an interesting future as a result of those inventory and pricing issues along with a mine that could open any day, week, month or year from now, maybe, along with very strong indications of new services coming to town, maybe, along with major overtures of existing downtown services receiving upgrades and expansion work, maybe, although there have been no real concrete announcements made on any of them. But we are hopeful."
"What about medical services?"
"We have most of them."
"Didn't I hear your hospital closed?"
"Not all of it, just the parts that weren't being used anymore, like maternity and surgery and stuff like that. It's part of a trend."
"A trend?"
"Oh, for sure. Everything has a cycle. Like real estate. Before you know it we'll be a big ol' city in no time, providing there's enough houses and water and sewer services to those new houses and people with jobs to buy those houses, but it'll happen. I'm sure of it."
"So why would I want to invest there now?"
"Did I mention the 'natural' attractions including clean air and water? Those are a big draw today. No, really. They are."
"Well, thank you for your time I think ---."
"You never did say what you did for a living, maybe that'll help me to help you a little better."
"Actually, I'm in medicine."
"Why didn't you say so - have I got a deal for you!!!"
