Urban Realty Group

A few years ago, a group called the Clean Air Coalition was formed, and decided to declare the month of June to be Smoke Free Multi-Unit Housing Month. This coalition is a partnership between the BC Lung Association and the Heart and Stroke Foundation BC & Yukon with the goal of raising awareness about the harmful effects of second hand smoke. These days people are generally pretty conscientious about this, and awareness has certainly increased substantially from a decade ago. But what about smoking in your own home? The goal of this coalition would like to see all multi-unit housing become smoke free. The Federal Government is also considering banning smoking in shared housing such as condos and apartment buildings. While this initiative is being debated more strongly in some provinces than others, it’s something to think about regardless of which province or territory you call home. Here are a few issues the coalition have identified and changes they are working toward.

The health risks of second hand cigarette smoke have been well researched. With more people living in apartments, condos, and other forms of shared housing, drifting cigarette smoke from a neighbouring unit can cause health concerns, especially in children. So the concern is that even though the neighbours in Unit A are non-smokers, they are still affected by the second hand smoke of their neighbours in Unit B. So whose rights should be legally defended, the right to clean air for the people living in Unit A, or the rights of the people in Unit B to pursue lawful activities in the privacy of their home?

The coalition is also asking that buildings be given a smoking status. If landlords and strata corporations were required to provide tenants or buyers with a building’s smoking status, people would know where the smoking units were located before they moved in and they could be spaced or grouped accordingly.

For new strata properties, some proposed changes would include possible amendments to legislation requiring that all new shared housing buildings be smoke free, unless owners pass a 3/4 vote to allow smoking. Incentives to this end could include lower insurance, or possible tax credits.

Stale smoke odours can be a real turn off for non-smoking buyers. Smoking can reduce the resale value of a property by as much as 29% according to a 2013 survey published by CBC, Smoke particulates are so small they can cling to any surface including wall surfaces, carpets, and furniture. Before you spray air fresheners, read this blog post, which offers some helpful tips for getting the smoke smell out of your home in preparation to sell.

If you’re considering selling you home, talk to our Urban Realty Group. We can provide you with more tips to get your home clean, staged, and ready for market. Let’s get started!

Moving is a big job and if you’re lucky you have people offering to help. The right pre-planning can make things go smoother and can actually make it easier for your helpers to pitch in to get the job done. If you have a move coming up, consider these 6 tips for packing smart and delegating the work.

1. Weight! There’s more! Be sure to pack your heavy items at the bottom of the box. It’s a good idea to use small boxes for heavy items and to mark them with a bright coloured sticker so that the boxes will be loaded onto the moving truck accordingly. If you can pack heavy boxes closer to the front of the truck, your load will have better balance and a smoother ride.
2. Where did I pack the… If you pack your boxes by room you can keep similar items together. Chances are you remember where you used to look for things, so unpacking boxes by room will help narrow down the search when you’re looking for items. It also makes it easier for your helpers to pitch in if they know they can focus on one room at a time.
3. Advance Planning – Think of what you’ll need to access first when you get to your new home and mark those boxes as “last to load” for easy access later. That way you easily unload them first to have all the essentials in one place.
4. Impulse Packing – If you can, try to finish all of the packing before the day of the actual move. That’ll let you avoid impulse packing, and adding things randomly into boxes. It’ll also let you get a good rest so you can focus on moving boxes not filling them to help reduce stress.
5. Multi Size Approach – Choose a variety of box sizes so that you can pack your load more securely. Larger boxes are great for lighter items, or to place smaller boxes inside to save on packing chips and extra filler.
6. Put it in writing – Label your boxes clearly listing key items, the room you want to box to go to, which side is up, whether the items are fragile and whether or not it’s heavy. The advantage of a good labeling system is that it will make it easier for your helpers to be actually be helpful. They’ll know exactly which person should be moving the box and where it’s going.

If you’re planning a move to or from the Whitehorse area, here are some companies that can help you get your belongings from Point A to Point B.

U-Haul Moving Truck Rental
K&K Truck Rentals
Pacific Northwest Moving
Kluane Freight Lines
Budget Car and Truck Rental

October was cyber security month, which got us thinking about fraud and how it can pertain to real estate transactions.There are people who consider real estate commissions to be an added and unncessary cost, and who would prefer to sell their home through a private sale. Working with an experienced real estate agent is the easiest way to notice any unusual activity in your transaction. Because these transactions are familiar to us, it’s easier to spot read flags that could be trouble.Here are a few examples of how identity theft can be a threat to home owners and potential buyers.

If the identity of a legitimate property owner is stolen, the fraudster may gain access to financial and personal information. Pretending they are the homeowner, they can list the property for sale and even pose as the owners to potential buyers. The buyer is not expecting any fraudulent activity and so obtains the financing they need to purchase the home. Once they’ve moved in, they later face the cost and stress of defending their right of ownership to the legitimate owners. Not only is that bad news for the buyer who has obtained the financing, but the legitimate owner may also be subject to the debt of the new mortgages that have been added to the land title. Both are stuck with legal bills to defend the damages resulting from the fraud.

Another circumstance of real estate fraud includes using a stolen identity to obtain financing against the equity of a property, rather than trying to sell it. This can involve including an accomplice to impersonate a spouse. It’s important to monitor your statements each month to ensure that you’re fully aware of all transactions that affect your home and title. Though not as common, there are those who pose as professionals committing fraud as well. While the title to the property may have been transferred to the purchaser, it is still bound to the prior mortgage until the mortgage is discharged. So, if the lawyer or notary absconds the funds, the previous owner remains liable.

You can reduce your risk of land title fraud with a few simple steps:
1. Ensure that the land registry office in your area lists you as the owner of your home.
2. Obtain a residential title insurance policy. It can protect homeowners and lenders from the costs and stress of land title fraud.
3. Ask for references. You can reduce the risk of being affected by choosing to work with reputable professionals who are licensed to work on your behalf.
4. Retirees who have paid off their homes and have a good credit rating may be more at risk as they may be less familiar with the odious nature of cyber crime.

The insurance bureau of Canada recommends these additional tips for safeguarding your online identity. If you have questions about land title insurance give us a call. You can also learn more about land titles at the Land Title Office here in Whitehorse.