[red-paladin]

Part of it really depends on taste.

If you want a coastal location, being a maritimer, and prefer a medium sized community that is easy to go to Victoria, Vancouver for the day, then I'd agree that Nanaimo or Squamish, or possibly further up the island would be good.

If you want a small community off the beaten path, Gibsons, Courtney/Comox, Powell River may be good.

If you aren't attached to the coastal idea, then there are many places you could live in the southern interior. Kelowna is on it's way to becoming a big city, but there are many cities and towns around, like you say Penticton, there's Kamloops, Vernon.. and tons of smaller places.

For the Lower mainland area... I could never afford to live in White Rock in a house, that's for sure. Chilliwack and east to hope, that is a very nice place, I have a relative that lives in the Chilliwack area and they love it, but they work out there too.