Betsy Carstairs

Well as spring arrives & the snow falls on the local mountains summer seems a big jump away. I wonder should I head up the mountains for a few more days of skiing or get my kayak out & ready for a paddle up The Arm. Vancouver really is such a fun place to live. Think I will head up the slopes for a few more days of snow then ready the kayak next week for a fun filled summer a paddling with th ...

I have been going up to ski @ Whistler since the 60's & always enjoy being up in the mountains summer or winter. This last weekend I discovered the new spa called Scandinave Spa & it has taken WHistler to a whole new level of decadence. Outdoor pools & waterfalls right in the middle of the forrest. It is a real treat after a day on the slopes

I was visiting with a friend discussing the Olympics & finances over coffee. The topic of mortgages & monthly bills came into the conversation. I was surprised that she had no idea that she could defer her property taxes. I think that for people over 50 who have a mortgage that this program is very useful. Defer your property taxes & use that money to pay down your mortgage Here is the inform ...

600 miles off the East coast lies a beautiful island....Bermuda. Our youngest daughter is going to school here so what's a good mom to do but go for a visit. Tis a bit of a flight to get here. Takes 11hours but well worth the investment in time. I left Vancouver's fall cooler climate & arrived to 80 degree weather. Swimming & kayaking daily in crystal clear water. Today I swam over to a small ...

Fall began with a bang.  I attended the 3 day BOLD conference.  We had great workshops and fun activities and made some new friends.  Here we are Dragon Boating.  Two paddlers from Sisters In Sync, Tracy and Julie, generously volunteered their time and took 20 of us out a-paddling for the afternoon.  A great time was had by all.

My mortgage is coming up for renewal sooooo what to do. Interest rates are at a all time low with a 1 year @2.5% & a 2 year fixed @ 2.8% or variable  rates @ prime(today @2.25%) +.8 Such great deals as compared to the 16% mortgage we held in the 80's.  After 1 month of working numbers backwards & forwards I decided that I wanted the flexibility & the lowest rate so I decided to go for the che ...

This week started with a client who submitted an offer on a property in North Vancouver. We were 1 of 7 offers. This is a stressful situation for anyone to be in, especially for a first time buyer.  How do you decide how much over the asking price you will go??  In addition,  any subject clause in the offer in this case would have eliminated their offer no matter how high they would have gon ...

I love to start my day kayaking. In Vancouver I feel you must take advantage of the hot summer days by being out on the water or in the water. I am definately a water baby. It is a paddling meditation for me. To go out 1st thing in the morning before the boat traffic stirs up the water is ideal. The sun is just cresting over the peaks of the mountain, the seals are slapping the water with the ...

I love showing off the magic of Indian Arm. It is definately the best kept secret  in Vancouver. Yesterday I took a friend & her children up to play on "The Arm". We hopped on my boat went up to Coldwell Beach...15 minutes in my boat from the Deep Cove Marina. Had a picnic lunch there & a swim in the beach. After 2 hour at Coldwell we pulled ourselves away to head up to one of the falls at th ...

This weekend i am up @ WHistler for this amazing bike event  This is the ultimate for super trixter mountain bikers. Events from down hilling through jumps, teeter totters & boulders. It is amazing what these athletes can do on their bikes! The last month the bottom part of the ski hill has been transformed to a maze of jumps AND can these guys & gals jump & twirl YES flip & twirl in the air! ...