This is not the place to cut corners in construction When I read this today it reminded me of what became clear during the Barrett Commission hearings over a decade ago in British Columbia. The many engineering assessments being conducted on leaky condos were turning up dozens, and sometimes hundreds, of building code violations. At one … Read more
Interfering with the rights of a neighbour… “My neighbour BBQ’s right beside my bedroom window which causes my entire suite to fill up with smoke when it is used. I’ve tried speaking to them and I’ve asked if they would consider moving it. The last time they sent me a text message advising they … Read more
After reading this: Fire chief cautions against changes – Stewart said. “These risks have all been studied. All of these issues can be managed and ultimately it will come down to a public policy decision as to whether or not we manage that issue in our community, not whether or not these buildings are safe, because … Read more
Times Colonist June 24, 2009 Condo victims deserve better The leaky condo debacle remains one of the greatest consumer ripoffs in Canadian history, costing British Columbians between $1.5 billion and $2 billion. Lives were devastated when people bought homes and found themselves facing huge repair costs. Now the provincial government, without warning, is halting an … Read more
Insurance companies not honouring new leaky condo warranties: owners Insurers say lack of maintenance by owners is source of some problems CBC – Monday, June 22, 2009 | 9:38 AM PT Thousands of B.C. condominum owners have had to live behind walls of plastic while their leaky buildings were repaired. (CBC) Some owners of recently … Read more
BC’s population grew by an impressive 14,440 individuals or 0.33 per cent from October to January 2009. This was the highest fourth quarter rate of growth since 1996 and reflected a net increase of 10,255 international immigrants, 64 per cent more than a year ago. In fact, net international was the highest on record in … Read more
We recently learned of “The Future of Housing”, an upcoming conference being hosted in Metro Vancouver on May 8, 2009, by the Canadian Home Builders’ Association’s BC chapter. The conference will be bringing together a diverse group of builder and real estate insiders to focus on the issues facing the housing market today and into the … Read more
Vancouver is regarded as one of the most desirable places to live in the world and as a result we have a net in-migration of >35,000 people each year. While the Vancouver pre-2010 Winter Olympics real estate market slowed down, the over-supply is dwindling and has returned to levels not seen for about 18 months. … Read more
The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic dates are February 12 to 28, followed on March 12 to 21 by the Paralympics Winter Games. Visitors to the Olympics are already starting to organize their trips and many will need to consider accommodation options in Vancouver’s surrounding areas such as the Tri-Cities of, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody. … Read more
A question asked by Chris in my previous blog post comments: Metro Vancouver Housing Inventory drops almost 37%… prompted this post. Did you know that a potential buyer of a new home walking into the developer’s pre-sale office without a professional REALTOR® is compromising their position by automatically limiting their representation? It is not possible … Read more