After taking some time with family and enjoying our deliveries to all our wonderful clients over the holidays our team has hit the ground running for the exciting New Year ahead.  During December we created our Mission Statement to keep us on track with the values which are key to how we serve our clients and our Community. We are so happy to share that with you:  

“Our passion is to Empower and Connect with our clients to help them achieve their desired outcome while making it an enjoyable process.  We take great pride in our work and care deeply about every client.”

On a more personal note each member of our team created a Vision Board including our personal and professional goals and dreams for 2021.  Vision Boards are a fun way to discover your “why?”  A vision board focuses on the things you want and also displays the feelings you want to have in your life which fall in line with your values. When you are working on small tasks, day to day business, and generally a busy life – it is helpful to keep your BIG dreams and goals front and centre so they stay top of mind.  This a fun task, a study following Harvard students conducted in 1979 proved that setting clear goals and writing them down in words or with images makes people more successful than just thinking about your goals. Many of us had similar images/meanings on our boards with other team members!!  It is a fact that we’d all love to drink more water, connect with the people, and visit a warm sandy beach in 2021! Dream Big, Visualize & GO!

Mortgage rates are at all time historic lows. With a conventional purchase, more than 20% down payment, 30 year amortization at 1.94% 5 year fixed rate and variable rate of 1.70%* (*Rate will fluctuate with prime rate). Insured, high ratio mortgages, with less than 20% down payment and a maximum 25 year amortization are as low as 1.74%. It is best to speak with a licensed Mortgage Broker about your specific situation as there are many factors that affect the mortgage rate: purchase price, down payment, credit score, amortization, etc. It is important to understand the mortgage product being offered in detail, including any restrictions on the mortgage, prepayment privileges, and most importantly understanding the lenders penalty calculation. I am always happy to help even if you just need a second opinion on your mortgage for a new home purchase or advice about best rate offers when you are renewing your current mortgage.

– Laura MacCormack — Licensed Mortgage Broker with Verico Compass Mortgage- www.cleverlending.com or 778-388-4240 

We were so lucky to have enjoyed a fun-filled snowy morning with our friends at Canadian Wilderness Adventures.  As we wrapped up in our snow-gear, our guide Sean lined up the Snowmobiles for our tour. Safety is always a priority at Canadian Wilderness Adventures and we received a full safety briefing and lessons in braking and taking turns on the Snowmobiles – very important information!!  After “snowmobile class” was over we set off on our journey through the pristine Callaghan Valley with the sounds of our laughter audible through our helmets and the roaring sound of engines!  Sean was a fantastic guide and made sure we were all comfortable and feeling confident on our snowmobiles.  We felt like we were flying along on the fresh snow through the wide tree-lined trail and enjoyed a stop at the lake next to the historic NorthAir Goldmine site for a snowball fight and the obligatory creation of fresh snow angels!  It was a comfortable ride for beginners, relaxed enough to enjoy the scenery and really got  the adrenaline flowing!

After, we strapped on snow-shoes and wandered into the trails to admire the peace and tranquility of the beautiful old-growth forest.  Tree’s very much worth hugging!  Sean told us about the plant life and stories of our local bears.  Thankfully we didn’t disturb any Bears taking their long winter naps!  Sean took us to a trapper’s cabin on a frozen lake which was very Instagram worthy, we had brilliant local photographer Emily Serrell with us to take care of that!  We whole-heartedly recommend joining Canadian Wilderness Adventures for your next trip to the backcountry whether it be on a Snowmobile, Snowshoe or Dogsled tour.  The Yukon Breakfast and Steak Night at their cabin on Sproatt Mountain are delicious so those are on our list for next time, we are excited to go back!

 SPECIAL OFFER for our Newsletter subscribers 10% off any Canadian Wilderness Adventures tour when you book online:  Promo code is MEG2020

We hope you’ve been tuning into our Instagram and Facebook stories this month – we’ve been featuring some of our favorite Sea to Sky businesses! Wonderful places to shop for Christmas gifts, order your takeout, buy gift cards or just support with your follows, likes & reviews!

This is just a small taste of what we’ve been sharing, check out our Holiday Faves highlight reel on Instagram for the full listing – we will be adding businesses right up until December 23rd!

This month is a great time to begin preparing your home for Winter and make sure that you are ready to embrace the fast approaching holiday season. While she was putting the finishing touches on our office redesign we asked Kerri Nicol from KLN Interiors for her Top 5 Design Tips for the Holidays:

1. Make it Cozy – Add soft throws and pillows to create an inviting space.

2. Bring in Nature – Venture outdoors and collect fallen cedar branches and pine cones. These can be easily displayed on your mantle or in a bowl as a table centre piece.

3. Stick to a Colour Scheme – Limit yourself to 3 – 4 colours for a consistent and clean look, don’t get carried away with all the colourful, bright lights.

4. Keep it Simple – The holidays are busy enough, don’t let your designs overwhelm you. Simplify your spaces, and allow room for presents, egg nog, and family.

5. Have Fun! – Feeling inspired by a magazine or TV show but think it’s too outside of the box? Now is the time to go for it, the Holidays are meant for fun and laughter!

If you need more help with your design needs get in touch with Kerri, she really works magic in every space!  We LOVE our fresh office, with functionality, fun and of course great style, it truly is a joyful place to work hard serving our clients. 

What better way to escape the rainy weather than heading to one of our favourite indoor activities – Escape Whistler.  At our recent visit, The Pinball Machine Room certainly sent us back to the 80s with this impressive fully immersive experience. There were some tense moments where we thought we would never make it out but also laughter as we worked together with our usual spirit of fun while getting the job done!!  And YES, we escaped and with minutes to spare, reminded us of those nail-biting moments in some Real Estate deals we have put together!

Starting Friday, July 10, the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre is extending hours of operation on Friday and Saturday evenings for Summer 2020. Guests are invited to explore the museum and gift shop until 9pm, and either dine in or take-out dinner options from the Thunderbird Café until 8pm. 

In the museum, the immersive guest experience during the day will be extended until 9pm: hand drumming at the top of every hour, a fifteen minute film screening, and self-guided tour with knowledgeable Cultural Ambassadors on hand to answer questions.

At Thunderbird Café, the menu will transition from sandwiches and soups to a more dinner focused offering with beer and wine available for purchase (dine in only).

The SLCC offers Guided Forest Walks, where you learn from Cultural Ambassadors about local flora and fauna found along the Salish Stroll, has a gift shop where purchases support local Squamish & Lil’Wat artists, as well as hosts private events!

The SLCC is open Thursday through Sunday 10am – 5pm with an additional 2 for 1 evening openings on Friday and Saturday from 5pm – 8pm.

To learn more visit https://slcc.ca/