Last month, BC’s provincial government announced the official budget for 2018 - a highly anticipated release. Some of the key points include changes to MSP and reducing the cost of childcare, but what you might have missed are the big changes coming to real estate...
Local
Is The Market Unstable?
A few weeks ago the stock market saw its biggest weekly plunge since 2016 with the Dow Jones index falling almost 1,200 points. When stocks and bonds falter it’s only natural to wonder - how does this affect my investments? In a business report for CBC, correspondent...
A Generational Shift
With living costs in Vancouver continuing to soar, many young professionals who hail from the Lower Mainland are finding that Kelowna is the answer to their struggles. With the benefits of a 7.2% labour force growth, close amenities for a good work-life balance, and...
A Millennial’s Market
Despite a predicted cooling off for the end of 2017, it seems that British Columbia’s market has actually seen an uptick in sales for November! The BC Real Estate Association reported earlier this month that there has been a 20.4% increase in home sales over November...
New Year, New Mortgage Rules
Last year, the OSFI introduced mandatory stress tests for prospective home buyers who were required to insure their mortgage. The idea of these test was to measure whether or not the people looking to borrow could pay back their mortgage even if rates were to rise....
Auction vs. Realtor
Earlier this month, Kelowna made international news when a mansion previously listed at $6.5 million was put up for auction by Platinum Luxury Auctions. The 10,000 sq. ft. home, set on a scenic 14.5 acre lot, sold for $3.27 million - just over half its valuation -...
Dual Agency Law Changes
Michael Noseworthy, British Columbia's superintendent of real estate, has put in place changes that will see the end to dual agency. This practice, also called 'double-ending', is when one real estate agent represents both the buyer and the seller in a single sale....
BC’s Market at Center Stage
British Columbia's real estate market continues to turn heads as reports roll in analyzing the successes of 2016, as well as new activity surrounding the foreign buyer taxation regulations, and reports of a record-breaking February. The BC Supreme Court recently ruled...
Reviewing Mortgage Regulations
You may have heard that new mortgage regulations are coming to effect, and are probably asking how this might impact you as a buyer, seller, owner, or any combination of these. Well, here's a little summary to help clear things up for you. Currently, the best...