Just an hour-and-a-half south of Calgary and only 30 minutes from the town of Vulcan lies a little-known gem. The Little Bow Resort and its collection of 250 bare land condominium properties is located along the sandy shores of Travers Reservoir, a 17-kilometre-long lake with crystal clear waters fed by the Little Bow River.

"It really is beautifully clean, and it is a deep lake and quiet, so you can really enjoy boating and all of the sports that go along with it," said Calgary real estate professional and Little Bow property owner Bill MacDougall.

Multiple offers, steady prices and lower inventories: the 2020 summer recreational property market in Western Canada is not what you might expect in the midst of a global pandemic and economic downturn.

If you thought owning a winter recreation property was out of reach, think again.

While a RE/MAX survey last winter of western Canadians found that 67 per cent believed they couldn't afford to purchase a ski resort property, that doesn't align with the actual situation.

Alberta's recreational property market will likely be soft this winter, creating opportunities for prospective buyers.

Elton Ash, regional vice-president for RE/MAX Western Canada, says older buyers have been the recreational market's strength for years, but millennials are growing in purchase numbers.

Despite a struggling economy, Calgarians are still buying mountain homes, whether in Alberta's playgrounds of Canmore and Kananaskis, or in nearby B.C. hotspots in the Kootenays and Okanagan.

Recreation properties still a hot commodity

Ask any Calgarian what they love most about the city they call home, and invariably you'll hear about the mountains, lakes and other attractions sitting well outside of city limits.

For those with the means, living life to the fullest often involves purchasing a second home situated closer to such locales and allowing owners the ability to ski, swim, golf or simply bask in the sunshine moments from their front door.