Local Kamloops News

Many homes in the Kamloops area built before 1957 were originally heated with furnace oil. When natural gas became available, the oil storage tanks, which were normally located underground in backyards, were filled with sand or capped.

However, as these unused buried oil tanks start to corrode and rust, the remaining oil can leak out and flow onto the rest of the owner's property, the neighbour's property, storm sumps and waterways, resulting in contamination of soil and water. Apart from the negative financial impact on the market value of the property, the owner can face substantial legal liability under various statutes and bylaws for such contamination.

The BC Fire Code and bylaws of twelve municipalities (including the City of Vancouver) all

Under new federal legislation, Canadians will be able to grow up to four marijuana plants in their private residence.

But a lack of protections and awareness could cost them thousands – or even their mortgage.

Sentiment on smoking and cultivating marijuana at home still largely negative, finds new Zoocasa survey.

With the new cannabis laws coming into force, would growing pot at home reduce your property’s value? What about smoking weed at home? Do you think a new cannabis store in the neighbourhood would help or hinder a home sale? A majority of Canadian homeowners (64 per cent) believe that a home where the owners smoked pot would see a decreased value, according to a survey released October 16 by real estate website Zoocasa.

And 57 per cent

New research forecasts which cities will outperform the rest of the province's markets, despite recent dramatic value increases

A new report released today shows Surrey, the second largest city in B.C. and the fastest growing, has the diversity and strength required to lead the province in real estate investment potential. The Top 10 Towns and Cities – British Columbia report helps home-buyers and sellers decide whether now is a good time to buy, or sell, a property.

The Real Estate Investment Network (REIN) is an independent research and analysis firm that has been producing reports on housing markets across Canada for 25 years and has earned its reputation as a dependable source in providing unbiased research and analysis.

Studying 36

BC Assessment notices arrive in the mail, giving some homeowners a big smile and a bit more spring in their step (increased property taxes aside), while others wilt and lament at a modest gain or decrease in assessed value. Do these numbers make you more interested in selling your home?

Wait a sec. Neither this assessment document, nor either parties’ emotions, are tied to a current true market value. In fact, provincial property assessments can be significantly too high or too low. Values are determined in July of the previous year, and properties are rarely visited in person by provincial appraisers.

For this reason, provincial property assessments should never be solely relied upon as any sort of relevant indicator of true market value for the

Guest article written by Karen Weeks from www.elderwellness.net

Aging in community is a popular way for seniors to focus on their health by staying active and social, but what exactly is it?

The definition can vary from person to person, but generally it simply means living at home or in a senior community that isn’t assisted by nurses or other caregivers. For many seniors, this is a big deal, as it means that they can continue to make decisions for themselves and live life on their own terms.

“As a matter of fact, a growing number of baby boomers are turning to shared living as an aging in place housing option. A 2014 AARP analysis of census data found approximately 132,000 households and 490,000 women over the age of 50 living with non-romantic

Fact or fiction in BC Real Estate.

The industry has been booming for well a while now. Low inventory has created bidding wars and fixer-uppers in some major cities are hitting seven figures. So how do you keep your head amid the frenzy? How can you wade through all the clutter and the chatter to suss out the info you need to make wise decisions?

How to interview your Realtor CLICK HERE

Well, you always have us in your back pocket. In the meantime lets look at some of the common misconceptions that we have all heard in real estate transactions.

#1: Question: Real estate contracts are standardized so just sign the paperwork and work out the details later.

Answer. Not on your life,. Each real estate contract is as unique as the pink and black

The housing market is crazy and out of balance right now.

It’s 2018 and interest rates are still low, home values are up, but something is lacking. It’s SELLERS! Inventory is down from this time last year, and we were thin on inventory at that time. What does this all mean? It means that we are seeing homes sell the first day they are on the market, with multiple offers, and with many offers over asking price. It is tough sledding for buyers right now. This makes for a hard time for people moving with their job to Kamloops and are forced to maybe overpay or cannot find a great home. So even with the new rules and regulations in the real estate market you can still get ahead of the game by following these tips....

There are always some steps you can

New Consumer Protection Rules:  Information for Consumers

The Superintendent of Real Estate has announced new rules for real estate licensees (Realtors) that will change the way a real estate professional can provide service to consumers. Under the new rules, real estate licensees will be required to:

• give consumers more information about commissions and fees —  in particular, how the commission is to be divided between a listing brokerage and cooperating brokerage, or when there is no cooperating brokerage, retained by the listing brokerage;
• before working with consumers, inform them of the duties and responsibilities owed to clients and unrepresented parties;  
• inform unrepresented consumers of the risks of dealing with a licensee who is

Despite slowing sales caused by government interventions, 12-year-low home listings means prices will “continue upward trajectory,” asserts real estate association.

The number of homes for sale across the province are at or near a 12-year low, pushing prices ever upwards, according to the B.C. Real Estate Association’s monthly statistical report released April 12.

Sales of homes on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) across the province in March were down 24.6 per cent from the same month last year. The BCREA said this was caused in large part by government measures to cool the housing market such as the strict new mortgage qualification rules launched in January, which typically removes about 20 per cent of home buyers’ purchasing power.

“More

Many homes in the Kamloops area built in the distant past were originally heated with furnace oil. When natural gas became available, the oil storage tanks, which were normally located underground in backyards, were filled with sand or capped.

However, as these unused buried oil tanks start to corrode and rust, the remaining oil can leak out and flow onto the rest of the owner's property, the neighbour's property, storm sumps and waterways, resulting in contamination of soil and water. Apart from the negative financial impact on the market value of the property, the owner can face substantial legal liability under various statutes and bylaws for such contamination. See the BC Government site dealing with these tanks here.

Exceptions

A very limited