5 of Vancouver’s Most Popular Winter Activities

Matt Chan • February 19, 2016

Skiing & Snowboarding (Not Included)

Do you live in or near Vancouver? Are you an outdoors lover, minus the whole skiing and snowboarding thing? Are you wondering how to spend your free time during the long, dreary winter months? Well, wonder no longer! The following are five non-skiing/snowboarding adventures that will get you outside and near (but not on) the slopes this winter…exactly where you want to be:

Ice skating (Robson Square)

Got the ice skating bug? If so, you have options. You could fire up your classic Nintendo and play some Blades of Steel (truly a classic of our time). Additionally, you could retrieve and play your copy of Blades of Glory, starring Will Ferrell. However, provided these excellent, albeit lazy, options don’t satisfy- if you simply must have the real thing, then look no further than the ice rink and plaza at Robson Square (sponsored and maintained by the Government of British Columbia).

This popular family attraction opens on December 1st of each year, and boasts extended holiday hours (closing for good at the end of February). Skating is free (which is a rarity these days) provided you bring your own skates. Otherwise the skate rental, with rental helmet included (safety first!), will set you back $4.00. A great deal by any standard.

This winter adventure, for which you don’t even need to leave the city, is fun for the whole family! It’s an afternoon complete with rosy cheeks, hot chocolate (fresh from the on-site concession stand) and a whole lot of laughs.

Snow Tubing (Grouse/Cypress/Whistler)

Rated a “2” out of “5” on the adventure scale, but a “5” out of “5” on the fun scale, we find snow tubing. This is a popular winter option across this great country of ours; however, the west, (according to many) does it best, with superbly maintained runs at some of the most well known mountains to grace the known landscape. Here are three options:

Squamish (Sea to Sky Gondola)
It’ll cost you five bucks to use the tubing hill in addition to $12 to $34 (depending on your age) for a gondola ticket, but the thrill is there, if you want it!

Cypress Mountain
Located a mere hop, skip and a jump from Vancouver proper, Cypress Mountain boasts six “tube shoots” from which to choose, varying in extremes from: your grandma’s tubing hill to “strap in and hold on tight”. The choice is truly yours.

Mount Seymour
The cost at this hill is a little steeper than the others (coming in at between $20 and $22 for two hours), but the fun, for many, is worth the price of admission. Also, Seymour includes a “tube tow”, so depending on who you are, an easy ride back to the top may very well be worth the extra few dollars. There is a sliding hill at this location as well, but this also costs a pretty penny- $10 is the standard rate, here, no time restrictions.

Snowshoeing

Continuing on our winter activities tour (minus the skiing and snowboarding), we come upon the sport (?) of snowshoeing. This is a touch more adventurous than snow tubing in addition to being a load more physically taxing, but the rewards: that of finding yourself in the great outdoors while clocking valuable exercise, are worth it to many snowshoe junkies. “Official” trails are available at most of the major ski hills (Cypress, Grouse, Seymour, Whistler, and Blackcomb) in addition to free trails in and throughout the lower mainland.

Cross Country Skiing (Cypress/Whistler’s Olympic Park)

Combine the physicality of snowshoeing with a heightened level of skill, and what do you get? That’s right…cross country skiing. Of note here, Cypress Mountain includes several kilometres of groomed trails complete with stunning views of the surrounding landscape, and delicious meals at their lodge. Additionally, if you don’t mind driving the extra distance, Whistler’s Olympic Park is a state of the art, cross country skiing heaven.

Visit Vancouver Island

Finally, We’d be remissed if we didn’t mention the beauty that is Vancouver Island. When the January/February doldrums hit, what better than cross the channel into green grass, rain forests, surfing and hiking. BC Ferries terminals in Tsawwassen and Departure Bay give quick access to this mid-winter hideaway. It’s like winter never existed.

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Mortgage Advice to Help You Through a Separation

By Matthew Chan • February 19, 2025

With the latest stats claiming that about half of marriages end in divorce and with around three-quarters of Canadians being homeowners, it’s important to know how to handle your mortgage if you decide to separate. Here’s a quick list of things to consider. Keep making your payments. A mortgage is a legally binding contract between you and the lender. It doesn’t take marriage into account. If your name appears on the mortgage, you're responsible for making sure the regular payments are made. A marital breakdown does not give you an excuse not to make your mortgage payments. If, during your marriage, you've relied on your spouse to make the mortgage payments and you aren’t certain payments are being made after separating, it's in your best interest to contact the lender directly to verify your mortgage is being paid. If payments aren't being made, it could affect your credit score or worse; the lender could start foreclosure proceedings. There is always a financial cost to break your mortgage. When working through how to split your finances, you decided to either refinance your mortgage, remove someone from the title, or sell the property, keep in mind that you will incur legal costs. If you’re in the middle of a term, the penalty for breaking your mortgage might be significant, especially if you have a fixed-rate mortgage. It’s certainly worth contacting your mortgage lender directly to verify the cost of breaking your mortgage. Having that information accessible when writing out your separation agreement will provide increased clarity. Listing your marital status as separated or divorced. When completing a mortgage application for securing new mortgage financing, when you list your marital status as separated or divorced, you can expect that a lender will want to see your legal separation agreement or your divorce papers. The lender wants to make sure you aren’t responsible for support payments. So if you haven’t finalized the paperwork, expect delays in securing mortgage financing. It could be harder to qualify for a new mortgage. With the separation of assets also comes the separation of incomes. If you qualified for your existing mortgage on a double income, you might find it hard to maintain the same quality of lifestyle post-separation. This is where careful planning comes in. Working closely with your independent mortgage professional will ensure you understand exactly where you stand. You’ll want to put together a plan for how to handle the mortgage on the matrimonial home. Purchasing the matrimonial home from your ex. There are special considerations given to people going through a separation to buy out the matrimonial home. Instead of looking at the transaction like a refinance where you can only borrow up to 80% of the property’s value, lenders will consider one spouse buying out the other up to a 95% loan to value ratio. This comes in handy when dividing assets and liabilities. Navigating the ins and outs of mortgage financing isn’t something you have to do alone. If you're going through a separation and you’d like to discuss all your mortgage options, please connect anytime. It would be a pleasure to walk you through the process.

What is a Second Mortgage?

By Matthew Chan • February 12, 2025

If you're not all that familiar with the ins and outs of mortgage financing, the term "second mortgage" might cause a bit of confusion. Many people incorrectly assume that a second mortgage is arranged when your first term is up for renewal or when you sell your first home. They think that the next mortgage you get is your "second mortgage." This is not the case. A second mortgage is an additional mortgage on a single property, not the second mortgage you get in your lifetime. When you borrow money to buy a house, your lawyer or notary will register your mortgage on the property title in what is called first position. This means that your mortgage lender has the first claim against the sale proceeds if you sell your property. If you happen to default on your mortgage, this is the security the lender has in repossessing your property. A second mortgage falls in behind the first mortgage on your property title. When you sell your property, the lawyers will use the sale proceeds to pay off your mortgages in sequence, the first position mortgage is paid out first, and the second mortgage is paid out second. After both mortgages are paid off completely, you get the remaining equity. When you secure a second mortgage, you continue making payments on your first mortgage as per your mortgage agreement. You must also then fulfill the terms of the second mortgage. So why would you want a second mortgage? Well, a second mortgage comes in handy when you're looking to access some of your home equity, but you either have excellent terms on your first mortgage that you don't want to break, or you’d incur a huge penalty to break your first mortgage. Instead of refinancing the first mortgage, a second mortgage can be a better option. A second mortgage is often used as a short-term debt consolidation tool to help provide you with better cash flow. If you’ve accumulated a considerable amount of high-interest unsecured debt, and you have equity in your home, you can secure a second mortgage to lower your overall cost of borrowing. If you'd like to know more about how a second mortgage works, or if you'd like to discuss anything related to mortgage financing, please connect anytime!

Unsure About the Housing Market? Let's Talk.

By Matthew Chan • February 5, 2025

If you’ve been thinking about buying a property, whether that be your first home, next home, forever home, or a home to retire into, the current state of the Canadian economy might have you wondering: Is this really the right time to make a move? There is certainly no shortage of doom and gloom in the news out there. The truth is, that’s a tough question to answer in the best of times. It’s nearly impossible to know for sure what’s going to happen next with the housing market in Canada. It could heat up or it could cool down. So here’s some advice. Instead of basing your buying decision entirely on external market factors, like the economy or housing market, consider looking for the answers internally. When you stop looking at the market to determine your timing to buy a home, and instead examine the personal reasons you have for wanting to buy a home, the picture can become much clearer. Here are some questions to consider. Although they are subjective, they will help bring you clarity. Ask yourself: Does buying a property now put me in a better financial position? Do I make enough money now to afford a new home and maintain my lifestyle? Do I feel confident with my current employment status? Have I saved enough money for a down payment? How long do I plan on living in this new home? Is there any scenario where I might have to sell quickly and potentially lose money? Does buying a property now move me closer to my life goals? Do I really want to buy now or am I just feeling a lot of pressure to just buy something? Am I holding back because I'm scared property prices might drop soon? There’s no doubt that buying a home can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. Having a plan in place is the best course of action to help you make good decisions and alleviate that stress. If you’d like to have a conversation to discuss your plans, ask some questions, and map out what buying a home looks like for you, we can address many of the unknowns together. The best place to start is to work through a mortgage pre-approval. There is no cost for this service, you’ll learn exactly what you can qualify for, and it will provide a lot of clarity about your situation. You might decide that it’s best to wait before buying, and that’s just fine. You might find that now’s a perfect time for you to buy! If you'd like to talk, please connect anytime. You’re not in this alone. We can work through everything together.