Unrepresented Parties in Real Estate – Beware Consumers who choose to conduct a real estate transaction without a real estate professional are soon to be known as “unrepresented parties”. Following the Independent Advisory Group Review for the Office of the Superintendent of Real Estate (OSRE), consumer protection has been reaffirmed as the priority in real … Read more
What is Your Home and Property Really Worth? Making Sense of the BC Assessment It’s that time of year again. Every first week of January, BC Assessment, a Crown corporation, sends out its annual notifications of property assessments for owners throughout the province. And every January, homeowners scramble to make sense of the assessment. What … Read more
The Purrfect World of Port Moody: Cat Owner Responsibilities I believe true feline lovers everywhere would agree that all pet cats need to either be kept inside or completely controlled. The Port Moody townhome strata corporation where I have lived for over four years has very clear bylaws for the control of pets and the … Read more
Being a Responsible Pet Owner means Protecting Pets and People Responsibly As a Coquitlam council watcher in the early nineties, I see one topic still appearing on the municipal agendas today: irresponsible pet owners. Owning a dog is a joy – and it is also a big responsibility. Your best friend for life is there for … Read more
BUYER BEWARE: Public Seminar 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, January 20th With a wealth of information available, it’s clear that today’s consumer is quite capable when it comes to buying a home. The irony is that smart people are still buying homes and having problems as a result of relying on much of the … Read more
Buyer Beware Seminar (free): This unique real estate seminar will provide you with insights to avoid pitfalls and ways to protect yourself as a buyer. A mortgage broker, a REALTOR®, a lawyer and a financial planner in the same room at the same time, offering a FREE seminar, and answering all of your questions about … Read more
The warranty insurance program in is basically worthless to homeowners, and allows corners to be cut in construction. “Buyer beware” remains a challenge, and even the best due diligence conducted by a buyer still presents unreasonable uncertainty.
The CBC have reported that the Homeowner Protection Office (HPO) is ignoring consumers’ complaints and allowing builders to continue with “business as usual”. Builder relicensed despite unfinished homes This is a reminder that there is little if any protection for homeowners in BC. For more than 25 years before the HPO was even in existence … Read more
The sudden discontinuation on July 31, 2009, of the HPO Reconstruction Loan Program by Housing Minister, Rich Coleman and his government was unconscionable. They have now brought consumer protection to an all-time low in BC. In the Fall of 2007 the Homeowner Protection Office received an independent report from McClanaghan and Associates which clearly pointed … Read more
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