North Shore Buying and Selling Guides
North Shore buying and selling guides

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Every guide I have written about buying and selling on the North Shore, in one place. Each one is checked against the City, the District, the Province or the Canada Revenue Agency before it goes up, and dated so you can see how fresh it is.

BuyingA building scheme on your title: what it stops you doingWhere it appears on a BC title, what it costs to read, and why the new density rules did not cancel it→If the seller dies before completion day in BCThe contract survives. Who can sign, why the deposit freezes, and how long probate takes.→Signing from outside CanadaWho can witness your transfer or mortgage abroad, whether you need an apostille, and the section 49 route.→The three-day cooling-off periodWhat the Home Buyer Rescission Period covers, how the three days are counted, and what it cannot get you.→Signing a contract when English is not your first languageWhat Land Title Act section 47 certifies, when it applies, and the 3-day way out.→Buying a BC home when someone else signs for the sellerPowers of attorney, committees and the Public Guardian and Trustee: which document can actually sell a home, and what to check.→Title insurance in BC: what it covers, and what it will not pay forWhat the policy actually pays for, the exclusions that matter, and why your lender’s policy is not yours.→Buying a house from an estate in BCWho can actually sign, the 180-day spousal home rule, and why the completion date is the real risk.→Builders liens and holdbacks when you buy a new or renovated homeThe 7% and 10% holdbacks, the 45 and 55 day clocks, and what to check first→What a covenant on title means before you buySection 219 covenants, rights of way and building schemes — what they stop, what they can force you to do, and how to check.→Buying a foreclosure in BC: what court approval meansWho you are really buying from, how a sealed bid in the courtroom can outbid you, and what you inherit.→If the appraisal comes in lowWhat lending value is, how a low appraisal shrinks your loan and can raise your down payment, and your options→What happens to your deposit if a BC deal falls apartWho may release it, what it costs to fight for it, and how long it takes.→Property Disclosure Statement: what it does not coverVoluntary, not a warranty, and six decided BC cases showing what a buyer can actually recover.→Lawyer or notary: who should close your purchase?What each one may legally do, the land title fees that never change, and the two differences that actually matter.→From accepted offer to completion dayThe three dates in your contract, the rescission myth, strata deadlines and your deposit→Moving from Tehran to North VancouverWhat a newcomer from Iran can buy, the 20% extra tax, and the ban that ends 1 January 2027→First-time buyer in North Vancouver: what completion day really costsWhy the first-time buyers’ exemption is worth nothing above $860,000, and the two municipal bills you inherit.→BC property transfer tax in 2026The rates, the $835,000 first-time buyer cliff, the newly built home exemption, and what North Shore buyers actually pay→Buying a presale on the North Shore, and what an assignment really costsWhy an assignment buyer has no cooling-off period, and the tax the premium attracts.→First-time home buyer guide for BCThe programs, the tax rules and the steps, checked against the government pages.→What it costs to buy a home in North VancouverTransfer tax at North Vancouver prices, the first-time buyer exemption and City vs District bills.→Rent or buy in North Vancouver?CMHC rents, BC rent rules and what it takes to buy, side by side.→What it costs to buy a home in West VancouverTransfer tax at West Vancouver prices, down payments and the two taxes rising in 2027.→Simple steps for Vancouver buyersThe buying process in order, from pre-approval to keys.→Is it a buyer’s market in North Vancouver?How to read the market numbers before you make an offer.→North Vancouver investment propertyWhat to check before you buy a home to rent out.→BC rent increase cap, 2026 and 20272.3% then 2.2%, the three-month notice rule, and the one route that lawfully goes higher→North Shore school catchments: how to check which school a home is inWhy the address, not the neighbourhood, decides the school, and the 2027–28 registration dates.→Your offer was accepted: what happens in the first seven daysThe day-one checks on a house and on a condo, when the inspection happens, and the three things we need from you.→Commuting from the North Shore to downtown, crossing by crossingScheduled morning times by SeaBus, Lions Gate and Ironworkers, from ten North Shore stops.→Buying a home on the North Shore when you are new to CanadaThe federal ban and its exceptions, BC’s 20% extra tax, and what CMHC accepts instead of Canadian credit history.→Downsizing on the North ShoreThe principal residence exemption, BC’s deferment program for 55 and over, and the seniors’ grant.→Moving to the North Shore from another provinceHow buying in BC is different, from the cooling-off period to the speculation and vacancy tax.→

Photos on Unsplash by Viktor Kirichenko, Trish Reader, Julien Kettmann, DD Contact, Rohit D’Silva, Glen Jackson, Gabe, Masaru Suzuki, Veronica Dudarev, Kelen Loewen, Sergio Rios and Vlad Namashko.

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Send it to me and I will pull the sale history, the permits and the strata or lot details before we talk.