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
I listened to a CBC Radio One discussion on November 3rd, 2010, between The Current host, Anna Maria Tremonti and Bernadette Lonnegan, who paid a flat-fee for a REALTOR® to list her Calgary home on the local MLS® in June. Although Bernadette had previously sold a number of homes over the years and always with … Read more
In his late night TV address on May 1, 2011, Stephen Harper reaffirmed that, “Protection of the public is the first and most important duty of government.” He was of course stating this in the context of the news of bin Laden’s death. I don’t know about you but I found this interesting because clearly … Read more
To the consumer a warranty should insure that a product meets their quality expectations, and the word quality is understood to mean the absence of any defect. A warranty usually addresses the integrity of a product and the responsibility for the repair or replacement of defective parts by the supplier. So how is a defect … Read more
Information savvy consumers have long expected a builder to provide specific maintenance and warranty details in a format that is easy to use and access. Besides, the warranty coverage itself will be dependent upon the homeowner being compliant and doing proper maintenance, which usually requires being able to refer to the manufacturer’s instructions, and regardless … 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
The origins of the National Certification Program (NCP) for home inspectors stretch back to 1997 when a report was issued by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) that uncovered noteworthy inconsistencies in the skill and diligence of home inspectors across the country that still persist today. With the support of CMHC, Human Resources and Social … Read more
http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2005-2009/2008HSD0079-001459.pdf It is difficult to understand the motivation of our provincial government to throw so much of the housing ministry’s resources into another initiative (this time 6-storey wood frame buildings) that does nothing to improve homeowner protection in BC. How are the same people that can’t build a 4-storey building right, possibly going to achieve … Read more
As a British Columbian outsider I am utterly disgusted reading this article on the plight of the Shuman’s. I have a great deal of difficulty comprehending how a certain percentage of performance value or work disqualifies a claim for sub-standard workmanship or materials. Okay, so it is none of my business poking my BC nose … Read more
Has Lower Mainland real estate evolved? The simple answer is yes, and our local housing market continues to change. Since 1996, the development of regional and municipal town centres has been the focus of Metro Vancouver’s Liveable Region Strategic Plan. This growth strategy was adopted to make complete communities with amenities and jobs convenient to … Read more