September 2014

Some Vancouver home sellers have been known to reject an offer without the courtesy of a response when they felt the offer was so low as to be insulting.   Some Vancouver home buyers have refrained from making an offer at what they considered to be fair market value because it was so far below the list price that they were afraid the sellers would be insulted.   In both cases, that's a shame, because an offer is nothing more than a starting point to negotiations.   Vancouver home sellers do need to realize that very few people will pay more than fair market value, so if offers are coming in low they need to take a hard look at their price and see if it is reasonable. Rather than be insulted by a low offer, they should realize that…

Some Vancouver home sellers are reluctant to "tell all" in their property condition reports. They fear that if potential buyers are informed about some defect in the house, no one will purchase.   They're right, of course. There are some defects that will prevent some buyers from going forward.   It's still wiser to be completely honest, especially when there's an ongoing problem that will affect a buyer's quiet enjoyment of the home.   It may take a few weeks or months, but the buyers will find out that the problem existed prior to the purchase. And in most cases, they will bring suit against the sellers for nondisclosure.   Courts don't look favorably upon people who lie, so damages are generally significant.   In one case…