By Susan Legge Shopping for a home online is a great way to narrow your search, but there’s nothing like visiting the sites, sales offices and model suites to get down to the nitty-gritty. Before you venture out, here are some pointers: First, be clear on what you want and expect in a new home and in your builder. Remember, the range of prices in the new-home market generally...[ read more ]
By Neil Mangan When it comes to sharing expenses under the Strata Property Act, the general principal is that all owners are “in it together.” For example, if there is a major leak on one side of the building, all owners will need to contribute to the cost of repairs, even if they live on the dry side. Sharing all common expenses regardless of who benefits can be a source...[ read more ]
By Neil Mangan Imagine the following scenario. You search the city looking for your dream home. You find it. You fall in love. It is a beautiful condo in your favourite neighbourhood. You were pre-approved for a mortgage and, just your luck, your dream home is just within your budget. Your offer to purchase is accepted, you send the details to your lender and start planning your move....[ read more ]
By Calum Ross Year over year, perhaps the most contested issue in the mortgage market is the age-old decision of choosing between a fixed and variable rate mortgage. Hundreds of thousands of dollars of personal financial research dollars has been poured into making the case and giving the final decisive pearl of wisdom to consumers. Here is some wisdom that will work in any...[ read more ]
By Susan M Boyce It’s the New Year, a time when it’s tradition to plan, dream and predict. This year, as industry watchers and insiders throughout the Lower Mainland spend some time gazing into the proverbial crystal ball, an underlying theme of gentle but solid stability and growth for our local real estate market is emerging — more of the same but a little bit...[ read more ]
By Cameron McNeill, MAC Marketing Solutions Purchasing a home prior to its construction has many benefits including selecting a colour scheme, customizations, spreading out deposits and much more. However, you also need to wait for your home to be built and only see it for the first time when you are invited for your inspection – sometimes called a Deficiency Walkthrough or Pre-Delivery Inspection. Therefore, I wanted to provide a...[ read more ]
By Susan M Boyce Consistently ranked among the world’s favourite places to live, Metro Vancouver is a metropolitan centre many aspire to emulate. Blessed with a temperate climate, trend-setting architecture, and abundant outdoor recreation, Vancouver just keeps getting better. “As a city, we’re becoming ever more refined — ‘shinier’ and more truly a cosmopolitan city of the world,” says Tracie McTavish, president of Rennie Marketing Systems....[ read more ]
Four out of 10 Canadians planning to enter the housing market over the next two years will be first-time homebuyers, according to the 20th annual RBC Home Ownership Poll. The poll found that the majority of Canadians are taking a wait-and-see approach to home purchases, with 15 per cent likely to buy in the next two years, down from 27 per cent in 2012. “The more...[ read more ]
By Cameron McNeill, Owner of MAC Marketing Solutions April 1st, 2013 marked the official switch back to GST/PST away from HST. For most industries, the change is immediate and you should have already seen a difference in your bills and receipts. For new housing however, it is a bit more complicated and can be confusing. Here are the basics: If you are...[ read more ]
By Anne McMullin, President and CEO, Urban Development Institute 2013 forecast: Another business-as-usual year for housing in BC and Metro Vancouver. About a year ago, in January 2012, I read an article in Maclean's Magazine entitled What happens when Canada's housing bubble pops? "The signs of a bubble are unequivocal," the author wrote. A year later, the same magazine released another...[ read more ]
