Why should I maintain my strata home or single family home?  We all know that home maintenance can be a chore, however it is your biggest investment and being pro-active with maintenance can give you good returns in the future.  Doing regular tasks can help extend the longevity of a house and may even defer the need for major repairs. Doing a regular inspection of your home's attic, crawl spa ...

Did you know a family of 4 can add moisture to the air in our homes, equivalent to 30-40 litres of water per week? Showering, cooking, bathing and drying clothes indoors can add another 30 litres of moisture.  Take preventative steps to avoid condensation build up in your home and to help prevent avoidable and expensive problems in the future.  

When we collect statistical sale data on homes in Greater Vancouver, the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) considers a lot more than just average prices.  It also looks at: lot size, age, number of rooms, etc to determine a 'typical home in the area.'  The most expensive neighbourhood is in West Vancouver-Whitby Estates, which is an area of luxury homes which stretches across the ...

If you are considering purchasing a new condo in a "multifunctional" building, such as one with: commercial units on the bottom, hotel units in the middle and residential strata homes on the top, then you may want to double check the Disclosure Statement and Title for an "Air Space Parcel" Agreement.  This could have a large impact on the residential strata lots in terms of shared costs and c ...

Breaking a mortgage is not a minor issue when you consider 9% of borrowers end up refinancing their mortgage before the term is up, according to the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals.  Know before you buy a home!!  Ask pertinent questions of your banker or mortgage broker abour the mortgage penalties in advance of signing your documents. If you have an "open" mortgage, ...

If you can interpret what the various sequences of digits and asterisks mean on Costco Wholesale Club price signs, you’re on your way to scoring serious bargains. Here’s how it works, according to Costco shoppers spreading the word online: If a price at Costco ends in .99, you’re paying full price. But if it ends in, say, a .97, it represents a deal with a special price decided by the manage ...

Did you know that there is a First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit of $5,000 that you can claim on your income tax return on a qualifying home if: you or your spouse or common-law partner acquired a qualifying home; and you did not live in another home owned by you or your spouse or common-law partner in the year of acquisition or in any of the four preceding years (first-time home buyer). Singl ...

Why must I avoid condensation problems?  Condensation can cause serious damage to the interior and structural elements of your home.  If left unchecked, condensation can cause: crumbling of drywall, decay in wood framing, corrosion of steel frames, peeling paint, damage to insulation and finally mould and mildew problems.   Mould and mildew can lead to health concerns.  Keep a watchful eye ou ...

Spring is the time of plans and projects! No matter how long our winter, thankfully, Spring is sure to follow.  We all get “itchy” this time of year and we all can’t wait to get out in our gardens and tackle those household tasks that we have been putting off for months.  Over the winter, I had a chance to watch some of the popular home renovation shows. The professionals make it all seem so ...

How does an Insurance Broker help me in a home purchase transaction?  Whether you are buying a single family or strata-type property, you will need home insurance.  If you are purchasing a single family home, the Bank will require a copy of the insurance policy before they will advance the mortgage funds.  If you are purchasing a strata home, you will only need to purchase 'contents' insuranc ...