Big White is AWESOME! True Story... But beware of Scams if you're coming for the season.

Scams.

Sadly the sophistication of scammers is increasing; I write this to try and save maybe you or your friends from falling victim to these characters. I wanted to use a different word but you know... PC n' stuff...

I've lived at Big White for 26+ years, I got married here, my kids grew up here, went to school here... heck, their big yellow school bus was the big yellow gondola... well, during the ski season anyway. Want more? I'm a ski instructor (Whistler these days), so is wifey, so is my son (who was also a senior freestyle coach), so is my daughter and my daughter is also working ski patrol these days.

Even more...?

I was a realtor for a couple years in the early 2000's and I developed & built around a 100 properties at Big White... including The Timbers, The Raven, Glacier Lodge and The Edge (you know the ones with the funny roofs) and and and... this is where this blog was born... I started Solido Properties Ltd - a property management company looking after property catering to seasonal staff only.

So my point...? 

Well I'm very familiar with Big White and I've seen lots; Including different variations on scams... so, if you are coming for the season, I have some tips for you (or your friends).

Too good to be true...

If it sounds too good to be true, it is. Nobody is going to rent you something below market value - they won't. Think about it for a minute, would you pay $1.50 for something you can get the exact same thing for a $1? Same with a property owners, they know market value. If it sounds too good to be true... it is. End of story.

Found on Facebook?

Not a bad thing, you gotta find them somewhere, right? And I post mine on Facebook, well I do things like this blog and provide links to my crappy website. But, my crappy website has this blog which I have been writing for almost 13 years - you can see every blog I've ever written. Yeah, my website needs work but I can't fake 13 years of blog posts... and most of the blog posts lead to my website, Facebook page and include some legitimate way to contact me.

The thing is, scammers are phishing on Facebook too - it is where most of their targets are spending time looking.

And Facebook is easy these days. Especially with AI stuff. Imagine telling an AI engine "go and find X properties, download 10 pictures from each, create a website promoting these properties as seasonal rentals. Fabricate a new Facebook profile, join the Big White Facebook groups and start advertising on these groups. Pretty easy eh?

So... Things to look out for with Facebook...

• Brand new Facebook profile?
• No, or few Facebook friends?
• None or few posts - i.e. no pictures. 
• No actual pictures of the person?  
• In truth, these could all be legitimate, but they do warrant further investigation.
• The owner/landlord is away, or lives out of country...? Rubbish, they have a cleaner, friends, building manager, property manager. If they won't let you do a video walkthrough then it probably does not exist.

If they won't let you or your friends see it...? Again probably doesn't exist. 

Which leads to... 

Fake Websites.

I was once contacted by a renter who had 'found' a place. "Is this legitimate?" she asked. There was a website, 50+ images, address at Big White, Kelowna office and phone number, email, Facebook profile... the only problem was the unit did not exist. The office didn't exist, the phone number was fake... the email worked. The building existed (The Legacy if you want to know) but the actual unit, not so much.

Deposits and Pre-payments.

Don't pay anything until you or someone has seen the place - anyone asking for a 'security' deposit without a viewing? Find out why, and don't believe any crappy excuse.

Too Easy...?

Your landlord may have a lifetime of savings and work tied up in their property. They are going to want to protect their asset, they don't want party animal druggies... (wait, am I allowed to say druggies these days?) They will want referrals, they will want to know the names of anyone staying in their property. Some landlords I know have demanded to know Social Security numbers and others have requested passports - I don't, but I'm not everyone.

So, if your 'potential' landlord is not that cautious and more interested in getting money out of you rather than checking you out... that's another red flag for me.

Video Walkthroughs

With my places I always do a video walk-through... for two reasons. 

• One, I want my potential tenants to see the property, I want potential tenants to know exactly what to expect. I show them everything, including outside. It is impossible (as far as I know) to fake a live, video walk through. 
• The second reason - I want to see my potential tenant and I want them to see me. 

Before you commit to paying anything, do a video walk through - they only take 10 minutes... and you will feel far more confident about your new place... and your new landlord... true story.

Find a Friend...

Get a friend to see the place - there are lots of people living on the mountain. Businesses, trades people, restaurants. You are probably gonna find a job ask your boss or supervisor - if they don't know the place or the owner be cautious. Not always, but you know, time for you to do more checking. 

Get referrals.

Find people who have been, find out where they stayed, where they worked, who was their boss/supervisor etc. Who their landlord was...

Staff Accommodation.

What about Staff Accommodation? Great question, Big White is by far the largest employer on the mountain - my recommendation if this is your first season, get a job with Big White and ask about accommodation - Big White prioritizes first timers in helping find places to live. And and and... if you work for Big White, you would qualify for a season pass - of course there are limitations, but they are not that onerous. 1500 people a year can't be wrong.

Finally... if you are looking for my recommendations... I think the best advice is pay attention to your gut, if it feels somewhat 'off' then do more investigation. Ooh... I'll tell you a little story :) 

One season I had a young couple come stay in our, one-bedroom suite, in our house. It was their first time to Big White, they were coming from Australia, he worked the mines in Western... he (I'll call him Lachy) was very nervous. So what Lachy started doing was to follow me on Strava... he could see what I'd done, and tell his girlfriend "Look, he's just been for a bike-ride again." We found out later she didn't care at all.

Lachy was nervous but his 'detective' work wasn't bad - pretty hard to fake Strava bike rides... no? The downside for you guys, if you're thinking 'I'll do that with Christof Lummy Pie'... I stopped riding in October... but I do hike every day... but that's not on Strava... but my yoga is, obviously yoga is a bit static in location... but but but... you can see where I live... hmmm do I really want that?

Lastly...
Cos' I didn't think I should use 'finally' again... if you are coming to Big White I am just starting to take enquiries - this link will take you to our 'contact' page. You may notice that I am rubbish at responding... but keep chasing, you know the old idiom 'squeaky wheel gets the oil'. This link will take you to my Facebook stuff.

Work...

Alright, now I promise this probably the last 'last' bit... I hope anyway. If you are looking for accommodation and work then look at these businesses. It's not a comprehensive list but not a bad place to start. But, you gotta do some work yourself by doing a search...

• Trades - especially plumbers contact Billy's Waterworks. Or for this one you can message me at Solido hopefully that email works. The only downside is Billy can be a little chaotic... he's one of my best friends but you know. Added bonus with Billy, he has some staff accomm.
• Ski instruction, ski patrol, lifties, Big White direct - they also have a ton of serving jobs.
• Bars and Restaurants. Try Black Diamond (Don and Theresa), Fourth Ace and Bullwheel (Heighten Management - they may have accomm), Six Degrees, Underground Pizza and Fat Marmot (find Mooney Supply), The Cabin (Russ)... Snowshoe Sams - find Gio.
• The Market hires 50+/- every season. Mark and Patty will look after you if you do your job but if you don't... well, you won't have one. True story.
• Cleaning - Okanagan Vacation Rentals (Eti) and then there is Luxury Mountain Vacation Rentals. There are others, do a search.
• Hot Tub maintenance - try Snowy Nights.
• Snow shovelling - BWB Services. Find Reuben.

And no, this list is not comprehensive.

So, if you're looking for Accommodation contact me through my website if you are a property owner looking for...

• Risk free rental streams.
• Guaranteed income - we've never missed a rent payment in 13 seasons.
• Comprehensive due diligence.
• Full season or part season rentals (minimum 12 week blocks)

Then you can email me direct at me.

Big White is AWESOME!!! Non seasonal staff are... sometimes worthy of a story, or two...

I've been looking after and renting/managing property at Big White since 2003... well for the first ten years it was very casual, starting with my brother's place in Glacier Lodge. In 2013 I incorporated Solido Properties (or www.solido-rentals.com) and started doing it commercially.

12 years later, and suddenly 12 years have passed - true story.

Now, I have had some really really good tenants... and some on the other side of that spectrum...

My Business model.

Now, I only do (if it is a real thing) medium term rentals, you know six months in the winter and four-five months in the summer, so everything has a fixed ending; sometimes I'll extend but everything that starts, has that fixed finish. 

Here are a couple of examples some of the 'fun' tenants I have had... 

The deaf alcoholic...

She arrived with her mother who seemed really really angry with her. She drove her up to Big White with all her stuff, she helped unload and take everything up the entrance stairs to the place. 

We only met as she moved in, everything had been done via email. Anyway she told me she was a teacher... then told me she was deaf... she had a dog - cool, I like dogs... she was incredibly thin - like sickly thin... she had just bought a new car... and because she was a teacher was going to tutor from her new place 'huh? this is Big White', I thought, but whatever. 

Her mother left, well, stormed off actually and left her with me. She kept mentioning "new start, new start, private tutoring, I'll build up my client base" etc. Again 'huh?' I thought, 'you're only here for four months... but' again, 'whatever.'

Deaf...? Well, she combined a hearing aid with lip reading.

Her mother had given me her number in case of emergencies... a bit weird I thought because this woman must have been mid 40's... but again, whatever.

Yes, Alcoholic...

It probably was a week before she 'fell off the wagon'... and started screaming... (yep, screaming or maybe wailing would be a better word) usually at night, occasionally in the middle of the day... with her door locked... and her hearing aid out... banging on the door didn't work cos you know, deaf. Calling her cell didn't work because ditto. I lost count the number of times the fire department were called. They would come, break in, find her screaming and completely drunk, almost passed out drunk (but still screaming) in her bedroom...

Bad? It was so bad an ambulance came to take her to the hospital numerous times... but she would just check herself out... find more alcohol... come back up the mountain... drink more... start screaming.

And that car...? Oh yes. I was driving up Big White road one time and I see it half on and half off a forestry road. Apparently she had run out of alcohol, driven into Kelowna, bought more alcohol and then driven off the road... hitch hiked back up to the village, nope not to go home... but to go find more alcohol...

Obviously I realized why her mom had given me her number... I realized why her mom was so angry when I first met them... and I realized why her mom was so angry when she came to pick her up, and take her away...

The Roofer.

'Never rent to roofers.' A number of people had told me. "Ha! What are they talking about? I know roofers, my friend's son is a roofer, those people know nothing."

I cannot remember his real name so I'll call him Jon.

Jon came from Vancouver, had just split with his wife (er those alarm bells didn't ring...) had a contract in Kelowna, needed a place for a few months - great.

The rent.

Jon paid his first month, but his debit card didn't work when he needed to pay his second month... 'his wife had emptied his account' apparently. "Don't worry." He said, "I'll sort it out..." He said... ha! I don't think I saw another penny.

The brother... and his family.

I went to Jon's place; someone else was living there. "Who are you?"

"I'm Dave, my brother said we" (a family of four apparently) "could stay for a while." He said.

"Where is your brother? He's not paid rent."

"He'll be back... tomorrow, a few days, next week... never."

The brother and family seemed really nice... at the start. But after a couple weeks, a month, with no rent  being paid, or electric, gas, insurance, water, cable, internet... I'm getting concerned. I don't want to kick this young family out, but you know, I have my own family to try and support. "You can't just kick renters out." He told me.

"You are not a renter, you're a trespasser... your brother was a renter and he has disappeared back to Vancouver."

"Well, we've go nowhere to go..."

I thought I was really nice to them, I let them stay for months, they never paid any rent... of course they promised numerous times but you know... He told me he was struggling with Bi-polar disorder... okay, but I still cannot afford to support you and your family.

Eventually I convinced them to leave - it was kind of amicable... "we've left some garbage" he told me "sorry". I didn't really care at the time, I just needed him out.

Now you think after parasiting off of me for four months they could at least clean... or even take the garbage down to the garage waste bins... or not steal my furniture... or electronics (x-box and a bunch of games...) you'd think eh?

He called me up all mad "Why did you call the police!??"

"You stole from me."

"Well... you didn't have to call the police!"

"What should I have done? You owe me thousands in rent, thousands in stolen goods, and you're not answering, my calls or emails?"

He promised to return the stolen items... ha!.

But that story didn't end there. A few weeks later after not returning the $1000's of stolen items, he calls me up. "My son left some remote control cars there..." He tells me.

"Pick them up when you bring my stuff back." I suggest.

He's mad again "Can you not send them?!!"

"I'll send them when you send me my stuff, or you pay for it."

And just in case you're wondering... nope I never got anything back, the police never did anything and he never paid me... fun times.

Seasonal Staff.

It is what I started with. Yes I have had some challenging ones but 12 years of as many as 25 properties under management each year... I've decided, they are the best - you guys are the best! I don't rent to anyone but seasonal staff these days.

They are AWESOME!

If you're still reading, thanks! But back to my business model. 

• I rent direct from owners.
• I guarantee the owners rent - my company still pays the owner even if the tenants are delinquent.
• Because I guarantee rent, I am very careful with the tenants I choose. Really? Yep, true story.

Solido Properties Ltd has been renting, owning, buying, selling, managing, renovating, suffering, enjoying, repairing and and and... cleaning... lots... since 2012. If you're looking for an alternative to vacation rentals or looking for longer mid season (5-12 week) bookings. Contact us through our (what you will discover) rubbish website or via email at solidorentals@gmail.com or even through our Facebook page here.

And if you are seasonal staff looking for summer or seasonal rentals, reach out to us too.

Big White is AWESOME! Do we live in a Blue Zone?

Is Big White a mini, Blue Zone?

Maybe I should define ‘Blue Zone’ first. Well, maybe I’ll just let Wikipedia do it.

And this is Poody... he's 89!

A blue zone is a region in the world where people are claimed to have exceptionally long lives beyond the age of 80 due to a lifestyle combining physical activity, low stress, rich social interactions, a local whole-foods diet, and low disease incidence.[1] Examples of blue zones include Okinawa Prefecture, Japan; Nuoro Province, Sardinia, Italy; the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica; and Icaria, Greece.[1] The name "blue zones" derived simply during the original survey by scientists, who "used a blue pen on a map to mark the villages with long-lived population."[2]

So, active, social, low stress, good food, and low incidence of disease...

How does Big White compare?

Wifey and I were talking about the the annual, long term, seasonal visitors to Big White. You know the retired or semi retired, singles and or couples that come for the whole season, every year… and whether their lifestyles match or mimics the lifestyles of the people living in the recognized ‘Blue Zones’

Let's start with Physical Activity.

Skiing - they all come to ski and you see them every day. Sometimes it is just a couple of ‘em’ sometimes it is a group of up to ten. No their exercise is not that intense, but skiing is still an ‘extreme’ sport… ergo it is a challenging sport. And because they come for the season and are all retired, and, they motivate each other to ski almost every day they are getting that exercise daily... a couple hours each day and it is every day, a lot of exercise.

Gavin... 126!

Social.

These groups come to Big White and they ski together, they have social nights together - dinners, wine tastings, coffees, lunches etc etc. The point is they have the social support system and or group. 

A local Whole-foods diet... nope.

This obviously, is missing. Whole or healthy foods. The Standard American Diet (aptly acronym-ed SAD) is imo killing us. The global obesademic (yes, a term now being used) is a result of our diet. Ultra Processed Foods - UPF’s in some countries is unbelievably high. This graphic is taken from a recent edition of The Economist. The study was published in 2021 so this graphic is already four years out of date.

Big White does not have a natural, local whole foods lifestyle. Yes, it is an option if you are very very very careful. Of course correlation is not causality - other lifestyle factors undoubtedly play a role. There are some options, we buy beef in bulk from a farm in Princeton - it works out far better value than Costco.

I have been trying to figure out healthy eating, on and off, for a number of years now (I struggled with my weight since childhood). Keto works for me, but what most scientists agree on is that ultra processed foods (UPF’s) are bad. 

Low Stress.

The last Blue Zone factor is the low stress element. Is Big White a low stress area? I guess that would depend. If you’re retired and coming here for the season… skiing daily is not that stressful. On the other hand if you have a business that is struggling… or are say a ski instructor trying to make rent... 

Low Incident of Disease.

I was talking to Blue Griffiths on the chairlift a couple days ago. If you know Blue you know he doesn’t look his age… Anyhoo, Blue commented that he, after 25 years living here, he did not know anyone who had got cancer living at Big White... I looked cancer statistics, statistically over a lifetime, men have a 42% and women a 37% chance of getting cancer. 

Actually I do recall one person getting cancer at Big White, but, you would think that over 25 years of living at Big White, I would know more than one person?

A modified Blue Zone?

The Blue Zones idea was first established in 1999 by scientists looking at why certain populations were living, constantly to the ripe old age of a 100. Science has evolved since the first assessment, since then other elements have proven to be beneficial - sunlight and spending time/living at elevation.

Very Blue...

Sunlight.

Recently (published in 2011) a study in Sweden that was started between 1990 and 1996 looked at 38,000 women asking four questions - 

• Do you sunbathe?
• Do you go on sun vacations to sunbathe in the winter?
• Do you use a sun bed?
• And, do you go on sun vacations in the summer?

I won’t go into the details but you can read the study here-

https://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/scheer/docs/sunbeds_co158_en.pdf

Or for something less taxing than reading... this is Dr. Max Gulhane talking about the study.

If you don't want to read or watch... the study expected to find that sunlight/sunbathing increased the chances of skin cancer - makes sense right? But, the results showed something surprising, basically, it showed that sunlight reduced all cause mortality. All cause! 

So, back to Big White. Our groups of visiting sunbirds getting sunlight every day... every day reducing their risks of all cause mortality. 

Incidentally a typical North American lifestyle 'enjoys' getting just 2% of natural light every day. By the way, a window filters sunlight - being in a car or behind a window doesn't count.

So sunlight helps.

Elevation and reduced oxygen. 

From Gladstone.Org-

Sunlight helps -
here is some for you to bask in

Compared to those of us who live at sea level, the 2 million people worldwide who live above 4,500 meters (or 14,764 feet) of elevation—about the height of Mount Rainier, Mount Whitney, and many Colorado and Alaska peaks—have lower rates of metabolic diseases such as diabetes, coronary artery disease, hypercholesterolemia, and obesity.

Now, researchers at Gladstone Institutes have shed light on this phenomenon. They showed how chronically low oxygen levels, such as those experienced at high elevation, rewire how mice burn sugars and fats. The work, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, not only helps explain the metabolic differences of people who live at high altitude, but could also lead to new treatments for metabolic disease.

Cold... and Blue.

Metabolic diseases for those unaware consist of CVD, some cancers, obesity, type II diabetes etc etc. The takeaway here is that living at a higher elevation is better for your longevity.

And living at elevation helps.

So, Blue Zones.

Wikipedia defines five elements - low stress, rich social, physical activity, healthy diet, and low disease incidence. The outlier for me is the low disease - that is out of your control. In fact I would claim that low disease incidence is a result of the other four factors, which are within your control.

Four original factors, plus, for Big White two additional factors - sunlight and elevation.

Do you want to live in a Blue Zone?

Globally the life expectancy (2022 stats) is just over 72 years. Verses life expectancy  in a Blue Zone to be 100... Life expectancy is to live to 100. Let me repeat that - 100. 40% longer.

"But they don't live here year round." I hear you say. Yes, that is true. But how much does it take? People in Blue Zones live 40% longer... how much will living at Big White give you?

So, is Big White a Blue Zone? For me the answer is yes, we have four of the original five elements - social, active, low stress, low disease, plus we have an outdoor and elevated (literally) lifestyle.

What do you think?

Obsessed and Enthusiastic has been obsessed and enthusiastic (see what I did there?) about Big White for a while. We have owned, rented, bought, sold, built, renovated and managed property here since 2000... exactly! We are old. You can contact us Here!

Big White is AWESOME!!! Thinking of coming to Big White for a season...? And you're nervous...? Part Duh!

See what I did there with the 'Duh'? Well... "Duh! Of course we did... dumbass."

So, I have a little confession. That was really the first two days. I spent two nights in Switzerland - hitchhiking back and forth over the border... at midnight or 1am on the second night. You see, instead of being 'related to someone semi-smart' and getting my act together on day two... nope, I didn't. On the first day after arriving, I went skiing instead and then went to the bar... and then hitchhiked home at 1am... instead, instead of getting my act together - that is a true story. Actually, it's all true.

The previous story really happened over two days... but I have more details for that story... it is a little R rated... unfortunately not as R rated as I wanted it to be, but you know.

So... Michel says to me "Tonight you will stay with me and my wife." Obviously it was in a heavy French accent, a gravely French accent... he had, and still did, smoke Gauloises cigarettes... probably since he was 15, and by this time he was in his early 60's... Gauloises - who needs filters?

So, we get back and I meet Nicole, his wife. Obviously she is really pleased to see Michel, two hours late from work, drunk, with a dumb, none French speaking, English, homeless person... also drunk... who had also obviously led her completely innocent husband astray.

What is the problem?

We ate, I'm sure it was delish... no, I've no idea what it was - it was 31 years ago, and I was drunk. There wasn't much conversation as I recall, Nicole didn't speak any English... or, I believe, in the mood to speak French...

We finished dinner and it was getting late so obviously I had to get back to the bar - job hunting of course. "Au revoir..." I said, completing my total repertoire of French words. Leaving Michel to er... I'm guessing, to try and explain himself.

I did, I promise I did... well I had every intention... but you see Sam had just arrived and she needed a slobering wreck to bother her - that was where I came in. To be honest, I don't think she was bothered at all... I was pretty cute back then, fit (just out of the army, and a veteran) and I was also gonna say an ex-model... but that was before I did some modelling - true story... another.

But, like I said it was only kinda R rated cos not much happened.

But also what didn't happen was I didn't go back to Michel and Nicole's... not until 7am... and Michel had already left for work... and Nicole was just leaving...

Do you know how to apologize profusely in French? Nope, me neither. I know how to look embarrassed and shrug my shoulders and do that funny toothy grin... and say Au revoir... but it didn't seem to fit, not for me anyway.

Nicole, let me in, and she left... I'm thinking Michel was in even more trouble.

But, I didn't care, I was off to meet Sam to go skiing... Yay!!! Sam did not turn up... Boo!!!

Maybe I skied, maybe not. What I did do was go and find some gifts for Nicole and Michel; just to say thank you, sorry and probably,
good bye.

When I get to their place they are just getting ready to go out for a celebration dinner. To celebrate their very first, ever, brand new car. Nobody was in a bad mood... But I didn't realize Michel was in that much trouble...? Good job I wasn't a blonde, Swedish girl (I'm gonna add) model, (here, cos you know) who stayed out all night... with
Michel...

Anyway they were enthralled with my crappy gifts. Yep crappy. Not because I chose crappy gifts but because I was a dumbass... in reality the gift were very thoughtful - a cuddly toy for Nicole (who doesn't need a cuddly toy... eh?) and Michel had been using this crappy knife at work, so a new knife for Michel... it was pretty crappy too, but new.

Enthralled!!! I tell you, so much so that they invited me to their, no-longer, romantic French dinner. No, wait... it was still French, and Yum.

And me? Where did I sleep? I didn't ditch them that night, I didn't go to the bar to find a job, I didn't 'lose' my way home... I stayed with them... and slept. It had been a while.

Christmas Eve in France is the next dumb story.

Solido Properties has been renting seasonal properties from owners at Big White since forever!!! Well, I lie, since 2013... but, same thing. 

If you are looking for a place to stay... here are a couple of tips.

1. Staff accommodation - Big White have a number of beds, if this is your first season, and you work for the resort, you have a chance of resort accommodation.
2. Local businesses - a number of my properties go to local businesses for their staff. Ask if anything is available.
3. Coming late? February there is sometimes change over - life happens, people go home, move, split up... you may find something in Jan/Feb... maybe.
4. Keep looking and posting on Facebook - keep trying. After a day your post is long gone... keep posting. I'll say it again - keep trying.

Good luck.

Do you know, I written over a hundred of these posts? If I was smart I would have added, to all of them... please like and share... well, only if you did like, and wanted to share.

If you want to visit the website - it's rubbish, then you can do that here - www.solido-rentals.com our Instagram (also below par) is here ObsessedandEnthusiastic