At Intracorp, we are passionate about building timeless structures. We look to build homes that are as functional as they are beautiful. Towers that standout admirably in the city skyline, but are still warm and inviting. Good architecture, to us, is about understanding space, and the way people live.
In British Columbia especially, building is affected by the province’s naturally stunning surroundings.
Maurice Pez, Senior VP Development, talks further about what makes a great building in the following video.
Picture this: you move into your dream home, only to discover that the local school for your child or children is shockingly terrible. You start to seriously regret not researching a little before making such a major investment.
There can be no doubt that finding the right catchment area for your children is one of the most high-ranking decisions when it comes to buying a new home for your family. So knowing just where to find these facts and figures about the area are absolutely key to finding the right one.
Our new free book called Show and Tell: Unlocking The Secrets of New Home Buying reveals the key websites to turn to for the best schools – and a host of other information to look at before you pick an area in which to live.
Once you’ve seen the statistics in cyber space, don’t forget that there is nothing like a physical meeting. Arrange to visit the school, see the principal and get a feel for whether it is the right fit for your family.
Doing this research now will save a lot of headaches later.
Unless you’re a skilled tradesman or construction manager, there are certain structural details within a new home that you simply won’t know how to spot on the surface.
But there have been some key advances in construction in recent years, so it’s worth finding out whether your home has been built using them. We turned to Intracorp’s site superintendent, Jeff Saunders, for help.
Ask: Is the building sealed?
Look at the building envelope – the roof, walls, windows, etc. Rainscreen technology allows any water that enters the area between the building paper and the exterior siding to exit and dry before it can enter the building itself.
Check out what’s happening with rainwater. Is rainwater collected rather than being fed back into the storm system? More and more developments are taking water off the roof via downspouts, which is then entered into buried perforated pipes that seep the water back into the ground.
Look for: Good Workmanship
The attitude of the construction crew as well as the cleanliness and tidiness of the construction site is a good indication of a professional team.
Look at the visible aspects of the work. Is the drywall smooth? Is the caulking between surfaces clean and even? Do the baseboards come together perfectly in every corner of every room? You’ll be able to tell fairly quickly if these jobs have been slapped together.
Is their proper landscaping with a green belt and visitors’ parking? Landscaping may feel like eye candy, but it’s very important.
Look at the density or general crowdedness of the project. Good construction should never make you feel cramped.
Ever wish there was a list of all of the little extra costs associated with buying a new home? Look no further – we’ve included one below.
Mortgage loan insurance premium
Appraisal fee
Deposit
Down payment
Estoppel certificate fee (does not apply in Quebec – condominium or strata purchase only)
Home inspection fee
Land registration fees (sometimes called a property transfer tax, deed registration fee, tariff or property purchases tax)
Prepaid property taxes and/or utility bills
Condo/strata fees
Property insurance
Cost of survey or certificate of location
Legal fees and disbursements
Title insurance
New Home Warranty Program fee
Home and property insurance
Life insurance premium on outstanding mortgage
Moving expenses
Furnishings
Buying a home is one of biggest purchases you’ll make in your lifetime. Needless to say, remembering all of the little details that go into that purchase can be overwhelming. So we thought we’d create a compact guide that gave potential homebuyers the inside scoop. We hope you found the above list helpful. For more tips like this, register online to receive you free copy of our new book for new home buyers called Show & Tell: Unlocking the Secrets of New Home Buying.
It’s easy to be blinded by myriad mortgage terms – and find yourself utterly confused when deciding which product has your name on it.
In actual fact, however, in simplistic terms it all boils down to knowing yourself. Be really truthful (this is about you and you alone) when you are thinking about what suits you and your lifestyle. Then ask the question: are you a risk taker who easily copes with possible change each month, or do you want to know precisely what will happen?
As mortgage specialist Jason Chiang of TD Canada Trust explains in a our new free book called Show and Tell: New Home Buying Secrets (register here for your free copy), this is the starting point in working out whether a fixed or a variable rate mortgage works for you. “Mortgages,” Chiang emphasizes, “are really dependent on each individual situation.”
A fixed rate is for a set period – three or five years, perhaps – and affords the security of knowing what your payments will be – no matter how the bank rate fluctuates. “With a fixed term product you never have to worry during that term about interest rates moving, so your payments are set,” he says.
A variable rate brings more risk: your usually lower payments will be affected by any change in overall interest rates. Bank rates are based on the Federal interest rate and look out for press reports of expected shifts: is there an expectation that the rate may change significantly over the next year or two? If it does go up, will you still be able to make your payments?
Just remember, whichever you decide, it’s all about you.
