There is no better way to get a sense of the place than to speak to those who own there. Meet Ann and Chip Forster from Scottsdale, Arizona who bought a home in Whistler in 2001.
They had just sold a business and were looking to make a usable yet practical investment that provided personal and family enjoyment for them and their two children. We fell in love with the beautiful natural setting and all the surrounding mountains, says Ann. From our travel experience in the U.S. Rockies, we had never seen such a gorgeous mountain setting such as the one Whistler has to offer. The small town and slow pace of life was very attractive to us. We never thought it would be possible for us to own a rental property at a world-famous international ski resort.
The Forsters did their research beforehand. Continues Ann, we noticed that at all the ski resorts we had been to in the U.S. or Canada, real estate values rarely went down, unless there was a blip in the real estate cycle. Although we had never owned rental property before, we felt comfortable with the risk, and were committed to make it work. The Forsters bought a home in Montebello, a location where one can buy a quarter interest in a luxury townhouse. The Forster’s own the whole townhouse however, as they bought all four quarters, plus a quarter interest in another townhouse.
The Forsters found Whistler’s charms irresistible. For us, says Ann, it is the summer climate, when we spend about two months at Whistler to get out of the heat of Scottsdale. We have practically a limitless list of recreational activities that we can choose from and, best of all, be outdoors. In the winter, we spend two weeks at Whistler when we are not renting out our home. The downhill and cross-country skiing and snowboarding is phenomenal. I can see why Whistler is frequently rated # 1 in North America as well as internationally year after year, in so many areas and in all seasons. The accolades are well deserved. We feel that Whistler is our heaven on earth, with the most spectacular natural setting. It was beyond our wildest dreams.
The purchase of a home in Whistler has had a major positive impact on the Forsters. “Many times we make investments to help us achieve a comfortable retirement, but how many of those investments affect your lifestyle and quality of life? Many people would likely answer none or at best few”, says Ann. “This is the type of investment that has changed our lives for the better. Six months after buying our property, I quit my job and started working full-time setting up a website, marketing the property, and booking rentals for guest vacations through our website. I enjoy sharing Whistler with others so much, that it is hard to contain my enthusiasm”.
Enthusiasm is a familiar trait of people who own property in Whistler. In fact, it is downright contagious. Building a home there also caused a major change in the lives of Michael and Vicki Rivera, two dentists from Prince George. “We loved to ski and play at Whistler after hearing from relatives who raved about their experiences there”, says Michael. “We looked at a number of resorts, but nothing matched Whistler’s beauty, location, and recreational opportunities. We purchased a lot in 1995 and built our dream home that was ready for Christmas 1997. Our reason for owning property in Whistler came from a lifestyle choice, not a financial choice. Having said that, we wish we had bought two or three lots because Whistler has been an excellent investment”.
