Expanding the Meaning of Latent Defect
A latent defect is a defect in a property you are buying or selling that cannot be detected through a reasonable but thorough inspection of the property. That’s not a perfect definition, but good enough for this article. A hole in the wall behind a door or damaged shingles on a roof are not latent [...]
Wintershines Festival
I took my son and neice to the Potash Corp Wintershines Festival Sunday. It gave me the excuse to go for a sleigh ride. The driver was friendly and when I commented on his harnesses, he told me he makes them himself. I asked him for permission to take his photo. He agreed but suggested [...]
My Father’s Pocketwatch
My father gave me this watch a short while before he died. His name was Thorsten. His father, Per, had given it to him. One of the first things my mother did after she started working when I was in grade 7 was to get this watch repaired so it would run again and purchase [...]
Mortgage Amortizations Shortened in Canada
Today, the federal government / finance minister announced that they will be changing CMHC rules to help discourage homeowners from overextending themselves on mortgage loans. As soon as the policy is implemented shortly, CMHC will only insure mortgages with amortization periods of 30 years or less. 35 year insured mortgages will no longer be available [...]
Selling on MLS without A Realtor – Sort Of
Most people have probably heard that there will be changes allowing people to sell without a realtor on the MLS system. The voluntary agreement was reached because of some pressure from the public and Canadian Competition Bureau. Most people don’t really understand how it will work. This is my understanding. Previously, only realtors could list [...]
PST on Sale of Business Equipment
I do a lot of sale of business transactions. Most often, buyers and sellers are not aware that the province of Saskatchewan requires the buyer to pay PST on any used equipment they are purchasing from the seller when they are purchasing the assets of a business. The seller has 2 options. They can charge [...]