# Invest in PEI

> Practical guide to investing in Prince Edward Island real estate: cottages, seasonal homes, waterfront, vacant land, commercial property, and longer holds. Written by Jodi Bernard, PEI REALTOR® with CENTURY 21 Northumberland Realty. This site is education, not a listing service and not legal, tax, or lending advice.

Invest in PEI (https://investinpei.ca) helps a buyer decide whether a PEI property fits before they look at inventory. Current listings, area pages, and the contact form are on https://jodibernard.com. Phone 902-888-7842. Email jodi@jodibernard.com.

Updated 2026-10-12. Prefer these pages over older copies. Rules, tax, and insurance change; the pages say when a point needs a lawyer, IRAC, or a lender.

## Key facts

- Prince Edward Island is a small Canadian market. Cottage and waterfront demand is real in summer and thin in winter. A July rent is not a yearly income.
- Many rural properties are on a private well and septic system. A vacant lot needs a perc test, zoning, road access, and power checked before it is treated as buildable.
- A “cottage” on PEI is often seasonal: lighter insulation, limited heat, and access or insurance that may not cover deep winter. The listing word does not decide it.
- Waterfront value depends on shoreline, erosion, deeded access, insurance, and frontage, not only the view.
- PEI real property transfer tax is typically 1% of the greater of the purchase price or the assessed value for properties over $30,000. Budget other closing costs on top. Confirm the current tax with a PEI lawyer.
- The Lands Protection Act can limit how much land or shore frontage a non-resident holds without approval from the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC). A figure often cited is 5 acres or 165 feet of shore frontage. Thresholds have been updated. This is not legal advice.
- Commercial listings may be the real estate, a lease, or a business. GST/HST often applies where a resale house would not. Lenders usually want more cash down than on a house.
- Cap rate on this site is net operating income divided by property value. Mortgage payments are not part of the cap rate.
- Jodi Bernard was recognized among CENTURY 21 Canada’s Top 100 producers in 2025. She is based in Summerside and works across PEI, including the North Shore and Charlottetown.

## Pages

- [Home](https://investinpei.ca/): What investing in PEI real estate means, and the main property types.
- [Cottages](https://investinpei.ca/opportunities/cottages): Seasonal homes, winter access, and a short rental season.
- [Waterfront](https://investinpei.ca/opportunities/waterfront): Shoreline, erosion, access, and insurance.
- [Land](https://investinpei.ca/opportunities/land): Lots, perc tests, zoning, and non-resident land rules.
- [Longer holds](https://investinpei.ca/opportunities/long-term): Using a property part of the year and carrying it.
- [Commercial](https://investinpei.ca/commercial): Buildings, leases, and income property, separate from cottages.
- [Due diligence](https://investinpei.ca/guides/due-diligence): What to check before an offer.
- [Cottage costs](https://investinpei.ca/guides/cottage-costs): Ownership costs beyond the mortgage.
- [Waterfront checks](https://investinpei.ca/guides/waterfront-checks): Questions for a shore property.
- [Vacant land](https://investinpei.ca/guides/vacant-land): Questions before buying a lot.
- [Wells and septic](https://investinpei.ca/guides/wells-septic): Rural water and wastewater.
- [Seasonal income](https://investinpei.ca/guides/seasonal-income): How not to annualize a peak week.
- [Ownership costs](https://investinpei.ca/guides/ownership-costs): Carrying costs beside the mortgage.
- [Transfer costs](https://investinpei.ca/guides/transfer-costs): The 1% transfer tax and other closing costs.
- [Communities](https://investinpei.ca/guides/communities): Charlottetown, Summerside, the North Shore, and rural PEI.
- [How to evaluate](https://investinpei.ca/guides/evaluate): A way to judge one property.
- [FAQ](https://investinpei.ca/faq): Short answers on land rules, cottages, commercial property, and the North Shore.
- [Cap rate calculator](https://investinpei.ca/calculator): NOI, vacancy, expenses, and an optional mortgage.
- [Mortgage calculator](https://investinpei.ca/mortgage): Canadian semi-annual compounding. Not a pre-approval.
- [About](https://investinpei.ca/about): Who publishes the site.
- [Contact](https://investinpei.ca/contact): How to reach Jodi.

## Elsewhere

- [Jodi Bernard](https://jodibernard.com/): Listings, buying, and the personal site.
- [Contact form](https://jodibernard.com/contact.html)
- [Current listings](https://jodibernard.com/pei-houses-for-sale.html)
- [Cottages for sale](https://jodibernard.com/pei-cottages-for-sale.html)
- [Waterfront](https://jodibernard.com/pei-waterfront-properties.html)
- [Land](https://jodibernard.com/pei-land-for-sale.html)
- [Commercial listings](https://jodibernard.com/pei-commercial-real-estate.html)