All Blog Entries by Steve Harmer

Still trying to figure out this RRSP thing? You’re not alone.

It's that time of year again - time to make the most of your RRSP contributions before the clock strikes twelve on March 2, 2020

The Registered Retirement Savings Plan, known simply as the RRSP to most, is a great tool for saving money. RRSP contributions are tax-deductible, which allows you to delay paying taxes on that income until you retire, when you’ll likely be in a lower tax bracket.  If you don’t know a lot about RRSPs, it’s time to educate yourself.  Unfortunately, our high cost of living and competing financial demands can make it challenging putting money aside. But hopefully that won’t deter you from figuring out how to make the most of what you have.

There are times when

Find out how much the median single-family home in your municipality went up (or down) in value last year

Housing assessments are in the mail for nearly two million homeowners in British Columbia, but those in Vancouver who may have searched their properties online have already learned that values have fallen dramatically.

The figures released January by B.C. Assessment show the typical value of a single-family home in Vancouver has dropped 11 per cent, from $1.76 million to $1.57 million, as of July 1, 2019.

Here are a few answers to questions you might have about property values across the province. 

• How much did things change in Kamloops?

While property values dropped by four to 15 per cent across Metro Vancouver, it was a

Rent-to-own is an alternative route to home ownership for those who can’t obtain financing due to poor credit or because they don’t have enough money for a down payment (or both).

Most Canadians probably haven’t heard about rent-to-own housing. Unlike the U.S., this arrangement is still not that common in Canada.

What is a rent to own home?  It’s pretty much exactly as it sounds.  It’s where an investor, or home owner, rents out their property to a tenant, but gives the tenant the “option” to purchase the home after a certain period of time at a predetermined price. The idea is that you rent a home for a certain period of time with the goal of buying the property at the end of your lease. If all goes according to plan, by then you’ll have repaired

The Province is proposing more residential flexibility for people living in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) as outlined in a new policy intentions paper released Jan. 27, 2020, by the Ministry of Agriculture.

In order to support farmers and non-farmers living in the ALR, government is considering regulatory changes to enable landowners to have both a principal residence and a small secondary residence on their property, provided they have approval from their local government. ALR property owners would not be required to apply to the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) for approval.

“We are continuing to do the work necessary to help farmers farm and protect farmland for future generations,” said Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture. “The ALR is

Are your instincts telling you that you have the wrong Realtor? Trust those instincts and watch out for these telltale signs you’re working with the wrong person

There are many wonderful REALTORS® out there who work hard for their clients and help them with every detail of their transaction, but this type of service isn't always guaranteed.

Perhaps you’re preparing to list your home or currently searching for a new one. Either way, it’s absolutely essential that you hire the right Realtor for the job. The home purchase and sale process can stress out buyers and sellers, including their agents and brokers. This stress can be caused or amplified when personalities clash or when the real estate transaction does not go as planned.

Your agent will

This article provides you with advice for people who are considering the purchase of a home with a private septic system, both in terms of testing and inspecting the system to make sure that it is functional and passes local standards of operation.

Obviously, there is no test that will guarantee that all of the defects have been purged from a septic system. However, regular inspections can minimize your chances of getting septic failure – which can lead to hazardous conditions and significant cost for repairs – not to mention provincial fines that come when you have let your system get out of inspection.

So, as the buyer, there are several questions you should ask about the system.

1. How long ago was the property built?
2. Does anyone occupy the

Buying your first house can feel overwhelming, but it’s oh-so-worth-it to leave the rental life behind.

We break down the process for you to help get you on the right path to living in your dream home.

1. Save, save, save

First things first: You need to start a savings fund for your home purchase. “Home buyers should have at least 10 percent of the purchase price of the home in their savings account,” says Randall Yates, CEO, The Lenders Network. “In addition, lenders like to see at least two to three months’ worth of mortgage payments in reserves.”

There are also different types of mortgage programs available for new or low-income buyers that require a lower down payment, so be sure to research your qualifications for these programs while

Getting ready to sell your home in Kamloops?

Here are a few real estate tips to think about before you do.

Know your local Real Estate Market –  What are the driving forces in the current Kamloops real estate market? If you do not know, make sure your Realtor knows, if they do not know, find one who does. The focus in Real Estate always has and always will be local, and in order to sell your home, it is vital to know what the local trends here in Kamloops are.

There is nothing convenient about selling a home – You're going to have to get your home ready to sell. You're going to have to do some packing. Your normal living schedule will be interrupted by prospective buyers. The upfront knowledge that you are going to be inconvenienced once you have

The cost of owning a house and starting a family just might be the lost opportunity to get a good head start on saving for retirement.

With the March 1 deadline for contributions to registered retirement savings plans just ahead, it’s a good time to look at how to balance life’s biggest financial responsibilities. Home ownership, starting a family and retirement saving – can you do it all?

In cities with reasonably priced housing, you certainly can. But in expensive markets such as Toronto, Vancouver and their satellite cities, only high earners will manage this balance. Something will have to give in the household budgets of everyone else, and it’s probably going to be retirement saving.

There’s more to this than the average $770,745 cost of a

BCREA 2020 First Quarter Housing Forecast Update

Vancouver, BC – January 23, 2020. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) released its 2020 First Quarter Housing Forecast Update today.

Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) residential sales in the province are forecast to increase 10.3 per cent to 85,290 units this year, after recording 77,349 residential sales in 2019. MLS® residential sales are forecast to increase 6.3 per cent to 90,700 units in 2021. 

“The outlook for home sales in 2020 is considerably brighter than the past two years,” said Brendon Ogmundson, BCREA Chief Economist. “Momentum carried through from the end of 2019 to 2020 will put the housing market on more solid footing, aided by low interest rates and an improving