After nearly four years on the market, Turnagain Island, a 94.55-acre private estate in Secret Cove on the Sunshine Coast, has sold for $13 million after 1,425 days on the market, down from its original asking price of $14.75 million. The transaction sets a new record for the highest-value residential property sale ever recorded on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast through the Multiple Listing Service.
The property
Property type: Island, Single Family Residence
Neighbourhood: Secret Cove, Halfmoon Bay
Beds: 4
Baths: 3
Year built: 2004
Parking: 10 total spaces (3 covered)
Size of land: 94.55 acres
Original sale price: $14,749,000
Final sale price: $13,000,000
Days on market: 1,425
Taxes: $21,088
The sale demonstrates how a balance between accessibility and seclusion continues to drive demand for properties in the region. According to Sotheby’s International Realty Canada listing agent Gina Stockwell, the Sunshine Coast’s second-home market has remained resilient despite broader market uncertainty. “I think all markets have had a bit of a challenging time, but the Sunshine Coast has been robust, especially the second-home market,” says Stockwell.
“The Sunshine Coast is part of the mainland, but it feels like an island,” she says. “You’ve got that easy link to Vancouver, but you also have that sense of isolation and seclusion, while still having all the amenities, like hospitals and restaurants.”
Located in Halfmoon Bay’s sheltered Secret Cove, Turnagain Island had been owned by the same family for more than 60 years. The estate includes a four-bedroom, three-bathroom residence built in 2004, alongside a second character home. The homes overlook protected docks tucked in the cove, while the island’s opposite shoreline opens onto sweeping southwest-facing ocean views.
“It’s almost its own microclimate,” says Stockwell. “You go to areas that are a little bit wet where you see a lot of cedar trees, and then there are dry areas where you see a lot of arbutus.”
As a private island, the new owners’ only neighbours will be wildlife instead of people, with deer, bears, bobcats and whales often spotted in the surrounding landscape and waters. Access is equally unique, with the property including a main lot where owners can park before making the short crossing by boat. At low tide, a narrow strip of land connects the island to the mainland, while helicopters and floatplanes can offer access from further away.
Though luxury properties can require years of patience to find the right buyer, the record-breaking sale of Turnagain Island demonstrates that recreational properties continue to recieve interest from buyers willing to invest on the West Coast.
