GUEST BOOK VACATION RENTALS INC.

Meet Karen, an Associate Broker, Personal Real Estate Corporation, specializing in Sicamous and Mara Lake real estate. With over 27 years of experience and a decorated career, Karen boasts 175M in gross dollar volume sales and 126M in property sales in the Shuswap and North Okanagan. Karen's accolades include Past Broker Owner of RE/MAX Shuswap & RE/MAX at Mara Lake offices, RE/MAX Hall of Fame (2006), RE/MAX Top 100 Western Canada, RLP President's Gold Award (2019-2020, 2022), RLP Diamond Award (2021), #1 Agent in RLP Sicamous (2018-2023) and induction into the Calgary Million Dollar Club (1999-2004). A former Provincial Real Estate Instructor with BCREA and past President of the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board, Karen brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the table. After being a cast member on Big Brother Canada Season 5, Karen returned to her roots in Mara Lake to serve the Sicamous and Mara Lake community. Choose Karen for a trusted, knowledgeable, and dedicated real estate agent who is committed to helping you buy or sell property in Sicamous and the Mara Lake area. Call her on her cell 250-804-3939 or find her at the RE/MAX office in Sicamous. View Karen's Listings

I feel the frustration, especially on long weekends when there is more traffic than usual on the water. The inexperience boat driver has turned your boat fun into a day of mayhem, putting you and your family in danger. #BoatEtiquitte It's a driver that isn't paying attention and cuts in front of you while you are pulling a surfer behind your boat and you suddenly have to throttle down; rider goes down. Or, this is fun... trying to pull up to a dock to pick up passengers, but the waves from passing boats are threatening to toss your kid, cooler, phone, towels and your senior mom in the water. Here are some helpful tips to educate those that are oblivious to Boating Etiquette! Tow Riders In a Safe and Appropriate Manner Don't pull riders through narrow channels, close to other boats or fishing boats, float areas where many boats congregate (like Turtle Bay in Mara Lake), no wake zones or close to boat launches or docks. This also goes for driving fast and creating wakes when not pulling riders. Specifically, pulling riders through narrow channels puts your rider at risk should they fall in a high traffic area. Your boat throws huge waves that disrupt the peace of people floating and is dangerous for swimmers in the float area, your waves scare fish away from the fisherman, puts boats on docks and buoys at risk and creates havoc at docks and boat launches for people loading and unloading. Be an Aware Driver Constantly look around you. Make sure your path is clear. Shoulder check before changing course. Pass on the right side, just like when driving a car, when you are passing other boats through channels and high traffic areas. Boat drivers need to exercise extreme caution and be courteous of boats towing riders. Don't come to close to a boat towing a rider. Your wake carries for several hundred meters in each direction which causes complications for both the boat driver and the rider being towed behind the boat. Respect the Environment and Other Boaters Don't throw your garbage overboard. Even if it is organic. Others have to swim there and they don't want to do it in your lunch! Bring a garbage bag like other civilized humans and do your composting at home. Help Out your Fellow Boater that is in Need If you see someone struggling to pull their boat onto the dock; lets say... when there are a lot of waves and they need assistance holding onto the boat/dock while loading or unloading passengers. A storm is coming and a family is having trouble loading the their boat onto the trailer, get right in there and lend a hand. It could be you one day! Check it out... I took this video of a community coming together during a storm. They all came together to help someone put their boat on the trailer at the Swansea Point Boat launch a couple years back. Keep your Music to Yourself It is all well and fine to pump your favorite tunes while you are out for a surf, ski or wake board. Everyone wants to feel that wave while grooving to a sick beat. I personally think it enhances your performance! But other boats don't need to hear your overpowering music while floating among other boats, in high traffic areas, no wake zones, docks or marinas. Be respectful of your neighbors... seriously, they don't dig your tunes! Safety Equipment, License & Insurance Remember you must carry all required safety equipment, your pleasure craft license paper work and your pleasure craft operator competency card.... you are required by law to operate in a safe manner to keep those on board and other waterway users safe. Follow the collision regulations.” I am sure that there are more pet peeves out there. Please feel free to leave a comment on other boating etiquette tips, like and share! Lets get our fellow boaters educated so we can have some peace of mind on the water.

It is truly a science when it comes to setting the right price that will attract potential guests to your home and generate a healthy income for home owners as well. There are many factors to consider when setting the appropriate rental rate for your home. Comparable Properties - Understanding the Rate Metric I list your home a multitude of 3rd party rental sites to maximize your home's exposure to potential guests. These 3rd party rental sites offer some powerful tools and market place analytics that stack your property up to comparable properties in the area. I can easily scan the rates of comparable properties and dive into their vacancy rate vs your homes vacancy rate and quickly adjust rates as required. Unique Qualities & Amenities Marketplace analytics typically display comparable properties that have the same amount of bedrooms, bathrooms and occupancy. Unfortunately, they are not sophisticated enough to discern your property's unique qualities or amenities. For instance your property may come with a buoy or boat slip, or it is located in a more desirable location, new constructions vs old construction, lakefront or nice view. We must consider these factors when setting your home's rental rate. Vacancy Rate During peak season your home should be rented 95 - 100% or we are doing something wrong. We typically start booking up by the end of January for the summer season and thus, we list the highest price for summer. Low and Mid Season, the rate fluctuates more. I look at the vacancy rate of your home and comparable properties and adjust rates up or down continually to try and attract potential guests. Season Rates will fluctuate significantly based on peak, mid and low season here in Mara Lake & Shuswap. Additionally, when considering seasonal rates, we don't want set your min rate too low that it would attract undesirable guests and we don't want to set your rate too high that it will not book at all. Peak Season July and August call for the rental maximum rate for your home. Dec 22 through Jan 4 May Long Weekend Low Season September 5 through Dec 22 April 1st through to second week of May Mid Season Jan 4 through March 31 - Here come the sledders! End of May through June Contributing Outside Forces Contributing outside forces that are out of ones control, such as Covid-19 pandemic, forest fires and the economy have greatly changed the way that people travel, when they travel, how far in advance guests will book their stay and how much guests are willing to spend. Thus, these outside forces influence how we as property managers set the rental rate. For instance, in the initial days of Covid-19 pandemic, cancellations were rampant and rates went down. During the height of the pandemic, bookings increased as travelers worked remotely, allowing people to work from any location and rates went back up to pre-Covid rates, even increasing in low and mid seasons. In summer of 2022, we entered the summer months with availability in August, which I had never experienced before. Typically summer months are 85% booked by the end of February. Peak season availability in summer 2022 was because travelers were worried about forest fires like we had experienced in 2021. As a result, we experienced fluctuations in peak summer rates in order to attract last minute bookings. What will your vacation rental rate be? Let us take a look!

The Town of Sicamous had their 3rd public hearing on Dec 14th on the proposed rezoning Bylaw 1000 for short-term vacation rentals.. The District is referring the bylaw to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure for approval and is expected that the new bylaw will be adopted early in the New Year, which means that home owners will be required to apply for a business license in the near future. The current Zoning Bylaw No. 101, 1993 does not address “short-term rentals”. However, interpretation does allow for the operation of tourist accommodations in certain areas. With a valid Business License, Short-Term Rentals are permitted in the following zones: C.1, C.2, C.3, C.4A, CDZ.06. If your Short-Term Rental is in an area where they are not permitted R1/R2, home owners will have to apply for temporary rezoning. Each short-term rental will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, factoring the neighborhood impact of the short-term rental and the ability for the operator to meet the conditions to operate. Click HERE to view zoning map. You may click on your location for a pop up of your current zoning. If this bylaw is passed, there will be a grace period, which is yet to be determined. Regulations for Short-Term Rentals will be addressed within Zoning Bylaw No. 1000, 2022. Requirement for a Business License Provision of Off-Street Parking Requirement for a Local Responsible Person who has authority to make decisions for the property and can attend the premise within one-hour in response to complaints. Maximum occupancy limited to 2 adults per bedroom Business license Requirements Each home owner in the right zone must apply for their own business license, for a cost of $95 dollars. Appropriate Zoning Completion of a Pre-Application Checklist (ie. smoke alarms & emergency exists) Fire Safety Plan Off-street Parking Plan List of booking platforms that will be used Requirement to include the following on all booking platforms: business licence number, number of bedrooms, number of parking spaces, maximum quest occupancy, maximum number of vehicles permitted Contact details posted to District hosted short term rental map (for designated Local Responsible Person) Requirement to provide guest registry to enforcement as requested, in response to a complaint You can apply for your license HERE. It is a District priority to ensure short-term rental operators comply with all applicable regulations and operators may face fines if compliance efforts require escalation. Additional Taxes Additional taxes will be levied as well over and above GST. 8% PST and 3% MRDT are required to be charged, reported and submitted. Guest are now looking at being charged 16% tax. This additional tax will negatively affect our nightly, weekly and monthly rental rates as guests ability to pay diminishes with the increase in tax. For full details please visit the the Sicamous webpage. How Will These Changes Affect Local Economy? I fear that the economy in Sicamous will be drastically impacted by these changes. Sicamous is a resort town that relies on tourist dollars all year round. Home owners who do not fall within the Zone and are not approved for temporary rezoning, may face the sad reality that they can no longer afford to keep their vacation home without the rental income. We may see fire sales of vacation homes as a result, which I anticipate would bring down property values in the region.

What Are the Financial Tax Implications of Owning Vacation Property? If you own a principle residence and own a vacation property, there will be tax implications that you need to be aware of when you decide to sell. As well, there are tax implications for the individuals who inherit your vacation property should you pass away or when you gift property. What are Capital Gains? Capital gains are what tax payers must pay as personal income tax upon the sale of property that is not considered their primary residence. Capital gains are currently calculated at 50% of the increase in value from the time of purchase. Capital Gains is calculated by: Sale price A - Purchase Price B = Capital Gain C x 50% What is The Adjusted Cost Base? The Adjusted Cost Base or ACB is the cost of any improvements made to the property that can be deducted from the income tax liability or Capital Gain from the sale of the property. For example, the ACB considers the costs incurred by the home owner, when they build new structures, pave the driveway, put in a new septic system or renovate the home. The higher the ACB (costs), the lower the capital gain. It is important for the home owner to retain all receipts and evidence of these expenses for the Canada Revenue Agency should they ask for it. The ACB is calculated by: Sale price A - Original Purchase Price B - Expenses Incurred C = Total Capital Gain D x 50% What is My Principle or Secondary Residence? Generally speaking, most individuals claim their principle residence as where they live and reside most of the time, not where they go to vacation. However, home owners could claim their vacation home as their primary residence if they so choose, as a tax shelter if they plan on selling and reinvesting into another vacation home. In this instance, their home in the city where they predominantly reside is deemed as their secondary residence. Additionally, married or common law couples cannot individually claim the vacation home has their principle residence and the other the second home as their principle residence as they equally share both the principle and secondary residences. Tax Implications to Gifting or Inheritance of Vacation Property If the home owner gifts their vacation property, they are still responsible for the tax liability as if it were sold at current fair market value, although no funds were exchanged. The home owner must be aware of this before gifting property, and perhaps come to an agreement with the receiver of the property to pay the tax liability. Upon the home owners death, and the property is inherited by a surviving child for instance, the tax liability of the capital gain is calculated on the current fair market value and payable out of the estate of the deceased. If there are no funds in the estate of the deceased, and the individual who inherited the property does not have the funds to pay the tax liability, the property must be sold in order to pay the tax. It is recommended that you speak with your accountant to ensure the best option for you and your family!

I am thankful Guest Book had the privilege to volunteer and support the Breakman Foundation's Zero Hungry Kids program in conjunction with Rubrik's VIP Chuckwagon and Charity Auction at the Calgary Stampede 2022. The event and silent auction proved to be a huge success, raising $10,120.00 for the program! Zero Hungry Kids is community based, run 100% by volunteers, and funded through exciting and fun filled events throughout the year. In Calgary alone there are over 5000 children EVERY DAY that go without nutrition. The program focuses on the most vulnerable, Kindergarten to Grade 6 schools and provides an industrial fridge full of milk throughout the school year. Guest Book purchased "The Moose" painting by 13yr old Hennessey Raine Krivak for $500 and $500 in brand development with Filter Marketing at the silent auction. Hennessey Raine Krivak is a young and talented artist that has sold her artwork since the age of 10 years old, raising enough funds to feed over 30,000 children and counting! See the Moose painting by Hennessey below. Filter Marketing is working with us on a NEW and improved logo for brand identity development. Stay tuned for our fresh new look! A huge thank you to the home owners who donated a three night stay at their properties. Combined, Guest Book Vacation Rentals raised a total of $2417 for the initiative!

Beach Chik Boutique Located on Main Street in Sicamous, Beach Chik sells an amazing selection of quality top brands of women, men and children's apparel and accessories that radiate the beach vibe. Linda’s Gifts Linda's Gift's is located on Main Street in Sicamous next to Licks & Splits, and offers a variety of gift-wares; pottery, jewelry, souvenirs, cottage décor, apparel and artwork. Hooked Decor & What Knots Hooked Décor is located in the Houseboat just off of Trans Canada Hwy in Sicamous, right before the bridge. The unique building and landscape is inspiring enough to bring visitors to this store. They have fantastic nautical décor and furniture. 1416 Silver Sands Road, Sicamous Shuswap Ski & Board Your one stop shop for lake toys and accessories, beach apparel and lessons. 302 Main St, Sicamous Fruit World Locally sourced seasonal fruit and produce, including apples, peaches, cherries and BC berries, and complemented with a full selection of healthy snacks, preserves, juice, cider and drinks. 1330 Maier Rd, Sicamous Moose Mulligans Fresh Food Market Specialty grocery store featuring local products and some international foods. 1122 Riverside Ave, Sicamous Loonie Toonie & More Need some what nots, odds and sods? Selling a variety of giftware, cards, kitchenware, cell accessories, cleaning, hardware, home décor, crafts/paints, toys, pet supplies, summer inflatables, & much more! 436 Main Street, Sicamous JB Marine Supplying marine accessories and parts 202 Finlayson St, Sicamous The Bargain Shop Food, clothing, home décor, office supplies and more! 1133 Eagle Pass Way, Sicamous

Beach Chik recently opened up their new location on Main Street in Sicamous this past spring. They did an amazing job creating a shopping experience that makes you feel like you are on a tropical island inside and out! The wrap around deck offers big bean bag loungers, sprinkled with potted plants and store that almost fully opens up to the outside. Beach Chik sells an amazing selection of quality top brands of women, men and children's apparel and accessories that radiate the beach vibe. Every time my girls and I head to town, they beg me to go inside for a shop... and I of course, I oblige and have been known to treat myself to a summer dress, sandals, and a beach hat! The staff is super friendly, helpful and they have a sweet little pug named Sophie to greet shoppers and sneak a loving pet. I highly recommend a visit! #BeachChik

If you are wondering where to dine while visiting Sicamous... here is your complete guide to the restaurants in our charming town! Moose Mulligans Marine Pub Moose Mulligan's location overlooking the channel between Mara Lake and Shuswap lake make this Restaurant a Must-Dine-In when visiting Sicamous. Sit on the patio this summer and enjoy their extensive menu that is sure to impress any pallet. 1122 Riverside Avenue, Sicamous (250) 836 3603 Brothers Tavern & Liquor Store Located on Main Street in Sicamous, Brothers Pub features fantastic pub fare and daily specials. The roll up garage doors that open up to the outdoor patio creates a great dining vibe. Brother's has been a staple of entertainment in the community with live music and Karaoke. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, entertainment will be on hold until this all blows over. 420 Main Street, Sicamous (250) 836 2337 Joe Schmucks Roadhouse Joe's offers an array of delish pub fare and comfort food. Personally, I think this is the best place in town to get an amazing breakfast! You will sure to be entertained by tall the funny signs that decorate the walls inside this cozy restaurant. And, it is rider and sledder friendly! 734 Trans-Canada Hwy, Sicamous (250) 836 4906 The Narrows Smoke House Sicamous' original Smoke House, serving up brisket, pulled pork, pork & beans, corn bread & more! Nice outdoor patio & indoor dining. 221 Main Street, Unit 2, Sicamous. (236) 836-0608 Grandma's & Grandpa's Kitchen & Tap G&G is the best value for money for great food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They have a very extensive menu of appetizers, salads, entrees and pizza. They have a large outdoor patio full of hanging potted flowers for a very colorful and bright setting. 1133 Eagle Pass Way, Sicamous (250) 836 2713 Jin Yuan Chinese Restaurant Head to Jun Yuan for some authentic Chinese food and you will not be disappointed. 1213 Eagle Pass Way, Sicamous (250) 836-4646 La Cantina Mexican Restaurant We are very happy to welcome La Cantina Restaurant to Sicamous this past year. Cantina Vallarta in Salmon Arm was their first location and because of their amazing Mexican cuisine, they have expanded to our lovely town. La Cantina dishes up a variety of traditional homemade Mexican dishes for dine in, take out and delivery. And... they are now fully licenses so you can enjoy a Cerveza with your tacos! #3, 44 Main Street, Sicamous (250) 836-3486 Hyde Mountain Loggers Restaurant Loggers serves up delicious food for lunch and dinner and some amazing cocktails! It is not only their great food and drinks that keep patrons coming back; they offer a world class view overlooking Mara Lake. It is a must see! 9851 Old Spallumcheen Rd, Sicamous (250) 836-4689 Riverfront Pub & Grill The Riverfront Pub is known for its live entertainment, great atmosphere! 6927 Highway 97A, Grindrod Aroy Maak Thai Cuisine Its rave reviews for the new Thai Restaurant that opened up in Sicamous! Aroy Maak (Very Tasty) emphasises on light dishes with aromatic components. The menu captures the four fundamental flavors: spicy, sweet, salty and sour! 1133 Eagle Pass way (250) 253-6368

If you are looking for a place to rent a snowmobile or you broke your sled, here is your guide for rentals and repairs in Sicamous. Snowmobile Rentals Full Speed Rentals Snowmobile, snowbike & avi gear rentals. Call: (250) 836-4406 located at 810 Riverside Ave, Sicamous Extreme Power Sports Ski-Doo Snowbmobile & Yamaha Snowbike Rentals Call: (250) 801-8443 located at 938 Trans-Canada Hwy, Sicamous Sic Riderz Holdings LTD Snowmobile, Motorcycle & ATV Rentals & Repairs Call: (250) 836-0095 located at 938 Seed Frontage Rd, Sicamous Snowmobile Repairs Powder lights Snowmobile, ATV and Marine repair Call: (250) 836-4422 located at 725 Frontage Rd, Sicamous, Owlhead Garage Specializing in motorcycles and Snowbike maintenance and repair. Call: (250) 836-0078 located at 1308 Nordin Ct, Sicamous

If you have never seen the annual fish migration of Salmon swimming up stream to spawn in the upper reaches of the shallow river, it is quite a sight! Come on down to the Shuswap, BC. Every year the salmon spawn from the end of September through 3rd week of October and check it out!

Thank you to everyone that submitted a photo for our guest photo contest. There were some great submissions of you all enjoying the sun and snow in Sicamous, Mara Lake and area. Your photos truly capture why we love this region and keeps you coming back for more adventures! Congratulations to Leanne S. for winning our Guest Photo Contest that ended May 1st, 2021 with the picture below. Leanne has won a 3 night stay at the Cedar Lake House in Swansea Point, BC. A total value of $900! Take A Look at Our Other Fabulous Submissions!