Week after week we get new announcements from both the provincial and federal governments about new initiatives to fix our housing problem. (Could there be an election on the horizon?) The Federal fall financial update (mini budget) tabled last week had a range of...

Amid the November blues, a reflection on teamwork Longtime readers of this blog will know that November is not my favorite month, largely due to the dreary weather and the short days, which, combined, keep me indoors way too much. But the malaise is punctuated, in my...

It’s time to set up your FHSA Have you ever owned a home before? If not, you, for once, have an advantage over those who have. It’s time to do something about that advantage, and save yourself a ton of income tax! It’s time to open up your FHSA. Though there are still...

Another government initiative for renters? This week our BC premier made another move in his campaign to address the rental housing supply and affordability challenge. It’s the third major move in the past year. The first major move was to declare all rental and age...

When rent-2-own programs are operated ethically and professionally, and the clients act responsibly, the result is almost always successful. It’s exciting for the new homeowners, many for the first timers, when they complete the program, but also for us, for having...

Do governments really want housing prices to moderate? One sometimes wonders. Wednesday our federal minister of housing abruptly cancelled a housing funding announcement for two Metro Vancouver municipalities. The reason: Metro Vancouver plans to substantially...

So, I’ve again missed a few of these (almost) weekly posts. But, rest assured, I’m not terminating them. The truth is: this wandering soul just had to get in another international adventure before the curling season starts. With some limitations in place, I decided to...

Rarely, it seems, does the weather co-operate with the timelines we schedule our lives around. This year may be the exception. So, as we turn our calendars from a summer that was everything we normally hope summer to be—except for those impacted by the fires, of...

Priorities. We all know about those things. Most of us are conscientious about trying to get them right, I would think. And many of us find that that resolve leads, at times, to considerable stress: difficult decisions, choosing the less attractive alternative,...

Messages on our 800 number frequently request simply to get more details on our program. I happily respond, also referring them to the website, where there are plenty of details. So, a recent call of that nature seemed normal. . . at first. She feigned interest in a...