John Grasty - Homeowner Advocate

The origins of the National Certification Program (NCP) for home inspectors in Canada stretch back to 1997 when a report was issued by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) that uncovered noteworthy inconsistencies in the skill and diligence of home inspectors across the country that still persist today.

With the support of CMHC, Human Resources and Social Development Canada and the Construction Sector Council, a voluntary national accreditation and certification program was developed by the Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors (CAHPI) in an attempt to help ensure the competency and professionalism of home inspectors. Home inspectors who have met the requirements of this national certification program are designated National Certificate Holders.

Unfortunately we continue to hear the widespread complaints of consumers and other stakeholders more than 10 years later regarding the services of home inspectors, some with designations.

Given growing consumer protests, especially regarding the poor quality of newly built homes, better consumer protection for home buyers is essential. A Pre-Delivery Inspection Protocol needs to be a priority. more here [...]

John in Port Moody

This week I returned from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. While home sales might have slowed down slightly, asset appreciation is still happening in PV, and it is clear that those with money continue to buy there including many Canadians.

I suspect that as paper portfolios diminish in North America, hard assets such as homes offer an attractive option for refuge.

More here [...]

John in Port Moody

http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2005-2009/2008HSD0079-001459.pdf

It is difficult to understand the motivation of our provincial government to throw so much of the housing ministry's resources into another initiative (this time 6-storey wood frame buildings) that does nothing to improve homeowner protection in BC.

How are the same people that can't build a 4-storey building right, possibly going to achieve a defect-free and safe 6-storey building?

According to reports from the Homeowner Protection Office (HPO), home buying is still very risky business, and British Columbians are being lulled into a false sense of security with a home warranty insurance program full of exclusions, limitations, and other "weasel-worded" disclaimers and representations.

The 2-5-10 warranty insurance excludes coverage for settling of 3 and 4 storey buildings and provides consumers little protection as it exists, requiring homeowner to deal with issues by their own means. If we start building 6-storey, effectively adding 50%, with so much settling (wood shrinking) already being experienced, it seems that we could be on the brink of yet another building industry faux pas.

Furthermore, it would be absolutely scandalous to discover that the industry has had the technology and solutions to prevent settling all along but haven't been using it to protect British Columbians.

A 6-storey building vs. a 3-storey building, is a very scary proposition given the disastrous track record...

more here [...]

John in Port Moody

One year ago the following article I wrote was published in the "pros & condos" section of Western Living Condo. Since then I have made it available to the public and other Realtors through my website and seminars. From feedback received I know it has already helped buyers so I thought it would be a good idea to blog post it.

How do I avoid buying a leaky condo?

The number of blue and green tarps sprouting on older condos grows every year. "The only way to minimize the risks is through the buyers' own due diligence," says John Grasty, a licensed real estate representative and advocate for homeowners.

He offers the following tips to avoid buying a leaky condo: more here [...]

BURNABY, BC- A prominent real estate company with offices in the Lower Mainland, including Prudential Sterling Realty in Burnaby, has earned top points from J.D. Power and Associates, a global market research company.

In its 2008 Home Buyer/Seller Study, J.D. Power and Associates named Prudential Real Estate as having the "Highest Satisfaction for Home Sellers Among National Full Services Real Estate Firms."

The inaugural study was based on customer satisfaction for home buyers and sellers and was measured by four factors in selling a home: agent, marketing, office and services. The study included 3,670 evaluations from 3,205 respondents who had bought or sold a home between April 2007 and June 2008.

Prudential scored 793 out of 1,000 for home selling, and garnered high marks in the marketing and office categories.

Randy Ryalls, manager of Prudential Sterling Realty, which serves Burnaby, the Tri-Cities, Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge, said, "We are very proud of this distinction, as it underscores the quality of our hard-working sales professionals. In the current challenging market, our clients want all the expertise and market knowledge we can offer - and by leveraging Prudential's brand strength, its wide array of product and service offerings, and its strong Internet marketing programs, we can provide sellers with the increased exposure they need - along with providing exceptional, attentive service."

According to the J.D. Power study, REALTORS® are key to the success of the real estate industry - despite the ease of the Internet, where home buying and selling resources abound. The study states that professional advice from REALTORS® can be especially valuable to buyers and sellers.

Based in Westlake, California, J.D. Power and Associates (JDPower.com) is part of The McGraw-Hill Companies and focuses on marketing information services including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction.

Prudential Real Estate is one of the largest real estate brokerage franchise networks in North America with 2,100 franchise offices and 64,000 sales professionals.

For more information, contact Randy Ryalls at 604-421-1010 or visit http://www.psr.ca/.