Property Assessment Notices

Submitted by aislynnR on Thu, 09/20/2007 - 18:37.
One common question people have around property assessments is “Why is my assessed value so different from what property is selling for in the area?”

Your BC Assessment is an estimate of a property’s value as of July the year before. A real estate agent will use current information from recent sales in the area, usually data is no more than 6 months old. A difference of a few months can mean a difference of several thousands of dollars.
  

Maintaining your Credit Scores

Submitted by aislynnR on Thu, 09/20/2007 - 18:30.
Many people do not understand the factors that establish a good credit rating or damage your credit score. Here are some factors to pay attention to when monitoring your credit:

Credit cards: Avoid applying for in-store credit cards that offer discounts on purchases. They are often responsible for lowering your credit score. Well known credit cards like Mastercard, Visa and AMEX are looked at as positive credit vehicles.
  

Buying Property with Foreign Funds

Submitted by aislynnR on Thu, 09/20/2007 - 18:25.
Buying property with foreign funds can be a nail-biting experience if you are relying on your financial institution to transfer your funds for you. Foreign funds do not always make it to their destinations on time leaving the purchasers in a vulnerable legal position. There are companies that offer quick and efficient transfers for currencies around the world, often at a cheaper cost to the purchaser.

One company you can check out is www.customhouse.com.
  

Title Insurance Can Protect You Too

Submitted by aislynnR on Thu, 09/20/2007 - 17:10.
Many home buyers will purchase title insurance because it was required by their mortgage company at the time of closing. Despite the fact that you may have paid for the title insurance, the policy will only cover your mortgage company if a defect is discovered once you become the registered owners.

Now there is title insurance available that will protect the homeowner. You can purchase title insurance to protect yourself when you first purchase your home or in some cases you can request to obtain insurance even if you have owned the home for several years.
  

Vancouver Ranked the World’s Most Liveable City

Submitted by daveto on Tue, 08/28/2007 - 07:00.

The Economist Intelligence Unit, an international business intelligence firm and a unit of the Economist Group graded 127 cities on 40 indicators in 5 groups including stability, health, care, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.

The survey is part of a Worldwide Cost of Living Survey and Vancouver ranked first for the second year in a row.

The top ten cities were rated as follows: