How these answers work
Each answer starts with a two or three sentence reply, then explains the rule in plain English, walks through the steps, lists exceptions and common mistakes, and links to the official source we checked.
Offers & contracts
What you are agreeing to when an offer is signed, how conditions and the rescission period work, and who represents whom.
4 answers- Conditional offersWhat is subject removal in BC?How conditions in an offer work, when a deal becomes firm, and what BC’s real estate regulator says buyers must do.
- Changing your mindCan you back out of an accepted offer in BC?The rescission period, subjects that cannot be met, and why sellers are generally bound once they sign.
- Seller disclosureWhat is a Property Disclosure Statement in BC?What sellers disclose, what “material latent defect” means, and why a No Disclosure form calls for more homework.
- RepresentationCan one realtor represent both the buyer and the seller in BC?Why BC ended dual agency, the narrow remote-area exemption, and your options if your agent has the listing.
Strata ownership
The documents and bylaws that decide what a condo or townhouse purchase really includes.
2 answers- Strata paperworkWhat is a Form B Information Certificate in a BC strata?The strata’s official snapshot of a unit and the building, and the questions it should prompt before you remove subjects.
- Strata bylawsCan a BC strata ban rentals or restrict residents by age?What changed on November 24, 2022, what stratas can still restrict, and what landlords and 55+ buyers need to know.
Taxes, grants & assessments
The provincial and federal rules that change what you pay when you buy, own or sell.
5 answers- Selling within two yearsHow does the BC home flipping tax work?The 730-day rule, the sliding rate, the $20,000 primary residence deduction, life-event exemptions and the 90-day return.
- Selling your homeDo you pay tax when you sell your home in BC?The principal residence exemption, the reporting step people miss, and the two short-hold rules that can override it.
- Buying from abroadCan non-Canadians buy a home in BC?The federal purchase ban, its exceptions and end date, and the BC additional transfer tax that can apply even when the ban does not.
- Lowering your property taxHow does the BC home owner grant work?Who qualifies, how the threshold and phase-out work, and the yearly application that is easy to forget.
- Your assessment noticeHow do you appeal your BC property assessment?The informal review, the January 31 complaint, what the review panel looks at, and the April 30 appeal.
Owning, renting & land use
Tenants, suites, short-term rentals, farmland and how you hold title.
5 answers- Tenanted homesWhat happens to the tenants when you buy a rented home in BC?Why the tenancy continues, how a purchaser’s use notice is given, and the timing that affects your completion date.
- Suites & laneway homesCan you add a suite or laneway home to a house in BC?What provincial law now requires councils to allow, how unit counts depend on lot size and transit, and a Surrey example.
- Short-term rentalsCan you run a short-term rental in Surrey, Langley, Abbotsford, Richmond or Coquitlam?Where the provincial principal residence requirement applies, what you can rent, and the registry and strata rules on top.
- Farmland & acreageWhat should you know before buying property in the Agricultural Land Reserve?How to confirm ALR status, why local zoning is not the last word, and the limits on homes, fill and subdivision.
- How you hold titleJoint tenancy or tenants in common: how should co-owners hold title in BC?Survivorship, shares, how a joint tenancy ends, and the land title and tax steps that follow.
Still working it out?
Buying and selling guidesFull walk-throughs of costs, steps and timelines.CalculatorsRun the numbers on payments, transfer tax and closing costs.The journalMarket notes and longer reads from the team.Ask Benny directlyDidn’t see your question? Tell us what you are deciding and we will point you to the right answer or the right professional.