SilverStar real estate questions, answered

Yes, you can live year round at SilverStar, a four-season resort with full-time residents and year-round utilities. Water comes from the Regional District of North Okanagan’s Silver Star Water Utility and sewer from private Silverhawk Utilities Inc. The regional district has approval to buy the sewer system, but as of October 2026 its latest update (June 2026) says negotiations are ongoing, with no agreement or timeline.

Winter lasts longer and summer is shorter but about 10°C cooler than Vernon, with hiking, biking and walking right out the door, a small village grocery store and easy grocery delivery from town. If you have school-age kids or commute to town daily, the foothills, close to Vernon and the mountain, may suit you better.

No. School District 22 buses don’t run up the mountain. Families living at SilverStar usually drive their kids down to the nearest bus stop in the foothills below the resort.

The Regional District of North Okanagan's Silver Star Water Utility bills water at SilverStar, and Silverhawk Utilities Inc. bills sewer. SilverStar is in Electoral Area C of the Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO), so property taxes are set at rural rates rather than by the City of Vernon. For more detail, see utilities and services at SilverStar.

Confirm current tax rates and utility billing with the Regional District of North Okanagan.

SilverStar owners who offer their property for rent at any time of year pay an annual fee to Destination SilverStar, the resort association. All owners in the designated Silver Star Resort Promotion Area are automatically members, and the fee applies if a unit is offered for rent to anyone. If a property is never offered as a rental, no fee is payable, but a Declaration of Use must be filed by February 28.

Residential rates (the latest published rates as of October 2026, effective April 1, 2025):

• Never offered as a rental: no fee
• 1 sleeping room: $410 a year
• 2 sleeping rooms: $666.25 a year
• 3 or more sleeping rooms: $820 a year
• Residential lodging and home-based business: $1,025 a year

Commercial rates run from $2,050 a year (under 800 sq. ft.) to $7,175 a year (over 2,500 sq. ft.). The full list is on Destination SilverStar’s membership page. Residential owners are billed once a year on April 1 for the year ahead. The fees fund marketing, sales and events that bring visitors to SilverStar. Confirm current rates and your obligations with Destination SilverStar.

No, SilverStar and Big White have not been affiliated since 2019, and the two resorts now operate completely separately.

The Schumann family, who own Big White, owned SilverStar from 2001 until they sold it to POWDR in 2019. In November 2025, POWDR sold SilverStar to Pacific Group Resorts, a Utah company that also owns Mount Washington and Jay Peak. Starting with the 2026/27 season, SilverStar is on the Ikon Pass.

Pacific Group Resorts, a Utah-based company, owns SilverStar Mountain Resort, with the sale from POWDR announced in November 2025. The company also owns Mount Washington on Vancouver Island and Jay Peak in Vermont.

POWDR owned SilverStar from 2019. Before that, the Schumann family (Big White) owned the resort from 2001 to 2019.

SilverStar Village is about 22 km from downtown Vernon, roughly a 30-minute drive, and about an hour or a little more from Kelowna International Airport (YLW).

The drive from Vernon is up Silver Star Road. For routes and travel options, see getting to SilverStar.

SilverStar condo and chalet prices are fairly similar to Big White's; the bigger difference is the vibe. Both resorts have homes across most price ranges, though entry-level options are limited at each. In general, Big White has more high-end homes and more homes overall.

See today’s SilverStar condo prices and the SilverStar vs Big White comparison.

SilverStar usually opens for skiing in mid to late November, depending on snow. For 2026/27, the resort's tentative dates are November 20 for Nordic and November 27 for alpine, closing April 4, 2027.

Check skisilverstar.com for any changes, and see season dates and lift hours.

Yes, you can generally rent your SilverStar property nightly on Airbnb or VRBO, because the resort is exempt from BC’s principal-residence requirement. As of October 2026, Silver Star Mountain Resort is on the Province’s list of exempt ski resort areas, so that requirement doesn’t apply inside the mapped boundary.

You still need to:

• Register with the provincial Short-Term Rental Registry
• Follow the RDNO zoning bylaw (up to five sleeping units)
• Meet any resort association and area rules
• Check your strata bylaws

Before listing, confirm your situation with the Province, the RDNO and your strata, or with a qualified professional.

Yes, short-term rental hosts at SilverStar must register with BC’s Short-Term Rental Registry, and show the registration number on their listings. As of October 2026, the yearly fee is:

• $100 to rent all or part of the home you live in
• $450 for a property you don’t live in, which covers most SilverStar second homes

A $1.50 service fee is added, and fees aren’t refunded if an application is denied. Confirm current requirements on the Province’s host registration page.

No, the rental exemption is not the same everywhere on Silver Star Road; it covers only the mapped SilverStar mountain resort area. That area is defined in B.C. Reg. 268/2023.

A property lower on Silver Star Road may be outside that area. If you plan to rent, check the parcel against the regulation map before you buy. Confirm the result with the Province or a qualified professional.

At SilverStar, rentals in Alpine Meadows must be managed through SilverStar Central Reservations. The Ridge allows short-term rentals with no mandatory management. Many hotel condos have their own rental pool or management agreement.

Owners who rent in the Village, The Knoll, Cabin Colony and Alpine Meadows are generally required to join the Silver Star Resort Association and pay its fee. Rental rules can change, so confirm the current requirements for a specific property with the resort association or a qualified professional before buying.

A SilverStar rental's earnings depend on the property, location, season and management, and no verified occupancy or nightly rate averages are published. For a realistic figure, use the rental income estimator on this site with numbers from a manager's projection or a comparable unit's actual history, and treat the result as an estimate.

No, the speculation and vacancy tax does not currently apply at SilverStar, as of September 2026. The City of Vernon is a taxable area, but the Regional District of North Okanagan’s rural areas, including SilverStar in Electoral Area C, are not on the list. The list can change, so confirm the current status with the BC government or a tax professional.

No, foreign buyers do not pay BC’s 20% additional property transfer tax at SilverStar, because the North Okanagan is not a taxed area. As of October 2026, that tax applies only in the Capital, Fraser Valley, Metro Vancouver, Central Okanagan and Nanaimo regional districts.

The federal ban on non-Canadians buying residential property is a separate rule, and it does reach SilverStar, which sits inside the Vernon census area. In its November 5, 2026 budget, Ottawa proposed keeping the ban on resale homes until January 1, 2029 while exempting newly built homes (not yet law), and it has exceptions. Get legal advice before you buy.

Property transfer tax on a $700,000 SilverStar home is $12,000 at BC’s general rates. That is 1% on the first $200,000 ($2,000) plus 2% on the remaining $500,000 ($10,000).

The rates, as of October 2026, are:

• 1% on the first $200,000
• 2% on the portion from $200,000 to $2,000,000
• 3% on the portion above $2,000,000
• An extra 2% on residential value over $3,000,000

A first-time buyer or the buyer of a newly built home may pay less, but the home must be your principal residence and price limits apply. Confirm your exact amount and eligibility with the BC government or a lawyer or notary.

The Province's Surveyor of Taxes sends the property tax bill for SilverStar, not a municipality. That is because SilverStar is an unincorporated rural area. The bill includes school tax, rural and regional levies and RDNO service charges. For questions about a specific bill, check with the Surveyor of Taxes or a tax professional.

The main residential areas at SilverStar are The Village, Cabin Colony, The Knoll, Alpine Meadows and The Ridge. Vance Creek and Putnam Creek are ski faces, not neighbourhoods. Rural acreages sit below the resort along Silver Star Road.

At SilverStar, suites are permitted in The Knoll and legal suites are allowed in Alpine Meadows, but The Ridge does not allow legal suites.

In the Village and Cabin Colony, it depends on the building, lot and zone. Before counting on a suite, check the Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) zoning map and the strata bylaws for the specific property.

At SilverStar, true ski-in/ski-out means skiing to a lift and back without taking your skis off, but the label varies by neighbourhood. Alpine Meadows is an example of true ski-in/ski-out. The Ridge uses connectors and two skier bridges, the Village is ski-through via Main Street, and some Knoll and Cabin Colony homes are ski-in with a walk out.

Walk the route before you pay for the label.

No, residential properties at SilverStar are generally fee simple or bare-land strata, not leasehold. Some of the resort’s development land is controlled by the Province, so check the title of any property you’re considering. A lawyer or notary can help you review it.

Yes, the Silver Star Zoning Bylaw requires snow storage for driveways and parking areas at single, duplex and townhouse properties in SilverStar.

The storage space must be within 10 m of the parking area and equal to 50% of the parking area's size. The requirement doesn't apply if you have an off-site snow dump arrangement or a heated parking surface.

Zoning rules can change, so confirm the current requirements with the local zoning authority before you plan a driveway or build.

Roofs at SilverStar must be designed for the snow load the BC Building Code sets for the specific location and elevation.

Before you design, add on or buy a home with a questionable roof, confirm the figure with RDNO Building Inspection (250-550-3700) and a local structural engineer.

Internet at SilverStar varies by building and area, so the answer depends on the exact address. Sean couldn't find a reliable public source on internet quality there, so it's best to verify each property:

• Check the exact address with providers.
• Ask the seller for a recent bill and speed test.
• Consider fixed wireless or satellite as a backup.

The Regional District of North Okanagan's (RDNO) Silver Star Water Utility supplies water at SilverStar. In January 2026, a main break on Silver Queen Road led to a short water quality advisory, which was lifted within three days.

Yes, SilverStar is busy in summer, with its bike park, cross-country trails and events. The bike park is described as Canada’s second largest, and there are about 70 km of cross-country trails.

Events in 2026 included Crankworx (Aug. 6 to 9), Pedalfest, Dark Horse and Wine Fest.

Condos at SilverStar were listed from $269,000 to $774,000 as of October 10, 2026, with a median of $369,000.

For more detail on what is currently listed, see the SilverStar condo price page.

SilverStar strata fees ran from $443 to $944 a month on active listings as of October 10, 2026. The amount depends on the building and the unit size, so monthly costs vary quite a bit across SilverStar.

For a building-by-building comparison, see SilverStar strata fees by building.

For the 2026/27 season, night skiing at SilverStar runs Friday and Saturday nights until 8:30 p.m., on lit beginner and intermediate terrain. Regular lift hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. until January 31, then 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. from February 1. Hours can change, so check the resort’s hours of operation before you go.

Yes, SilverStar has free guided tours led by volunteer Mountain Hosts, every day of the ski season. Tours start at 9:30 a.m. from Town Hall, so arrive by 9:20 a.m. There’s no charge to join, but you need a lift ticket or pass. The tours don’t run outside the ski season. For details, see the SilverStar Mountain Host tours page.

Yes, SilverStar is a good fit for families, with a car-free, ski-in/ski-out village at its centre. Lessons start from age 3, and Tube Town and skating at Brewer’s Pond give kids more to do beyond skiing. Check the resort’s ticket page for current kids’ rates.

For more detail, see the guide to SilverStar for families.

It depends: SilverStar suits buyers who want a car-free village and a huge Nordic network, while Big White sits at a higher elevation, about an hour from Kelowna. SilverStar is about 30 minutes from Vernon. For buyers from outside Canada, the rules differ: SilverStar is inside the Vernon census area, where the federal ban on non-Canadian buyers applies (the November 2026 federal budget proposes keeping it for resale homes until January 1, 2029 and exempting newly built homes), while Big White is generally reported to be outside the covered areas. Confirm your eligibility with a real estate lawyer. For a full side-by-side look, see SilverStar vs Big White.

No, this is not the official SilverStar website; it is an independent real estate guide by Sean Phillips. Sean is a REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker Executives Realty, and this site is not affiliated with SilverStar Mountain Resort. The resort’s own site is skisilverstar.com.

No, SilverStar season passholders don’t get the Ikon days; for 2026/27 those go to Ikon Pass holders, who get up to seven days at SilverStar. Ikon Base holders get up to five days, with blackout dates. A SilverStar season pass comes with its own reciprocal perks for 2026/27, including up to five free days at Mount Washington and two days each at Sun Peaks and Apex, plus access at other partner resorts. See the resort’s passholder benefits page for current terms and blackout dates.