Over the past couple of weeks you should have received in the mail the BC Assessment for your home.  If  you disagree with any changes to the value of your house and property you have the option of disputing your BC Assessment of your property.  You must issue this dispute before January 31st each year. […]

When it comes time to buy a home and you can’t buy on your own, buying a home with a friend may be an option.   With the higher costs of buying a home in the Vancouver lower mainland some buyers are looking to share the expenses and buy with a family member or friend. In […]

When a condominium community goes to war, everyone loses. The owners lose trust in the board of directors’ ability to manage the condominium. Necessary repairs go undone. Not enough money is collected to pay for future repairs. Nothing gets accomplished, and the value of the units decline. Often, disgruntled owners try to replace the directors. […]

Rocky Mountain House. Brossard South. Doon. These place-names may mean little to investors now, but they have just been listed in the coveted Canada’s Top 100 Neighbourhoods to invest. “Investors should seek local expertise to navigate the mortgage funding process. Familiarity with the real estate and mortgage financing markets is the key to a sound […]

It is a little known fact that in Canada cell phone providers are now reporting on credit bureaus.  In the past, only one of the agencies was reporting late payments and delinquencies on the bureau.  Now, both Equifax and Transunion are listing a trade line on the bureau for all and any cell phone contract […]

To help families start planning and saving early for their children’s education after high school, the Government of British Columbia announced a new $1,200 BC Training and Education Savings Grant. When a B.C. resident child turns six years old, the Province of British Columbia will put $1,200 into the child’s  Registered Education Savings Plan.  For […]

The Bank of Canada today announced that it is maintaining its target for the overnight rate at 1 per cent. The Bank Rate is correspondingly 1 1/4 per cent and the deposit rate is 3/4 per cent. The global economy continues to expand broadly as expected, but its dynamic has moderated. In the United States, […]

In April 2008 (only months before the credit crunch) an article written by Keith Woolhouse, Special to the Star, addressed the age old question “variable or fixed?” Since then borrowers with discounted variable rate mortgages have saved thousands of dollars in interest.   Woolhouse compares the two types of borrowers; the fixed rate camp, seeking security […]

One of the biggest challenges faced by home buyers and home owners is how to determine the value of a home – whether your own or the one you want to buy.  When you are a home buyer you usually rely on the price listed, you refer to your realtor for guidance and you may […]

Buying a new car or your first home, what makes the most sense? We all need a roof over our head and some means of transportation to get us to and from work.  Sometimes it can be a tough choice when there is only so much money.  “Do we buy the new car or our […]