Kelowna General Practice Blog

Property prices have finally dropped in Vancouver -- for the first time in many years. Prices in British Columbia's largest West Coast city have been climbing, until now, since 2013. The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver said the numbers do not come as a shock, considering additional inventory and a decrease in sales. Still, Vancouver and the surrounding region is one of the most expensive in the country for real estate, with the average home priced at more than $1 million. 

There were more than 1,600 in sales in Vancouver in November -- a decrease of more than 18 per cent in October. Those sales translate into more than a 42 per cent decline from the same time in 2017. The number of sales this past November marked the fewest the city has seen since 2008.

Love and marriage. Divorce and mortgage. The rules that govern the marital playing field are fuelled by family law in British Columbia. Homeowners who have decided to divorce may be wondering what happens with their mortgage if they're carrying one. In most provinces, assets acquired during the marriage are divided equally between the partners, and that holds true for a matrimonial home.

A bank or mortgage company doesn't care that you're getting divorced, who's going to live in the house or who has the right to live there. All it cares about is that the mortgage will continue to get paid. There are a few ways to make sure that happens.      

Domestic violence can rip families apart. Family law in British Columbia has rules in place to safeguard individuals against violence, such as protection or restraining orders. But, do they really work? This directive orders the alleged violent person to stay away from his or her intended target who is named in the order. Perpetrators are not to have any interaction or communication with their victims, nor are they allowed to frequent areas where they are known to frequent like places of employment, schools, etc They also must turn in all weapons they own to the authorities.

But if the alleged abusive person has no intention of following the order, how effective can it be? What protective orders can do is to give an alleged victim of abuse some recourse should the person accused of violence violate order. The authorities should be notified immediately if someone has broken that order. This is the real reason for issuing a protective order.

There is nothing that can cause more hurt and anxiety than being left out of a loved one's will. A lot of feelings can be enmeshed in wills and estates. When a British Columbia resident finds that he or she has been left out of a will, there are things that can be done even though it may take some time.

Contesting a will is becoming more common these days. The rationale behind increased litigation is because more people are amassing more wealth and there is more at stake in being left out of a loved one's will. People are living longer, too. With added longevity comes the increased likelihood that the testator could have had some cognitive problems and simply forgot to include someone in his or her estate plans.