ARCHIVED BLOG POSTS
2008
How Would You Like a Free Cottgae in Muskoka? By Brian Madigan LL.B.This may not be as far-fetched as it seems! Well, of course there's a catch, but you don't have to buy a lottery ticket.All you have to do is pay your bills on-time.Let's consider the case of Bob, the general contractor. He pay...
06/17/2008
0
Comments
Legal Non-Conforming Use By Brian Madigan LL.B.This is an issue under the zoning by-laws. It is important to note that all zoning by-laws are forward looking. They speak to the future and not the past. They regulate future uses of a property not existing ones. They are prospective not retrospec...
06/15/2008
0
Comments
Turning Coffee and Donuts into Real Estate By Brian Madigan LL.B.David Bach popularized the expression "your latte factor" in his book The Automatic Millionaire.His point was that anyone could find some extra money in their day to day living expenditures if they wished to do so. Some expenditur...
06/15/2008
2
Comments
ORES Real Estate Index for May 2008 By Brian Madigan LL.B.I set up the ORES Real Estate Index last year. In many ways it is like the CPI (consumer price index) in the sense that it is designed to track values over a period of time.The Index commenced 1 January 2004. All related prices were conv...
06/14/2008
0
Comments
Bad Areas are Easy to Spot! By Brian Madigan LL.B.This will be an area where the buildings are old and in disrepair. Generally, you don't want to live there. Poor quality buildings, neglected and not well-maintained line the streets. Its architectural charm is lost or hidden by aluminum siding,...
06/13/2008
0
Comments
How to Pick a Good Area! By Brian Madigan LL.B.This is a common question posed by homebuyers. How do you know a good area and how do you find one?The answer is actually fairly simple. Of course, it depends upon what you are looking for and also what you can afford. But, let's assume you have se...
06/11/2008
0
Comments
Are You Related to Cousin Vinny? Related Parties under REBBABy Brian Madigan LL.B.Are you related to cousin Vinny? Well, you were until 31 March 2006 and now you're not. That's the "correct" real estate answer!Who are you related to? That seems to be a simple enough question.However, the entire...
06/09/2008
0
Comments
Oklahoma Offers and Mortgage Fraud By Brian Madigan LL.B.What is an Oklahoma Offer!Actually, it's a simple form of real estate fraud. There are variations depending upon how many parties are involved and who is the intended victim.So, let's look at two examples, in the first the victim is the v...
06/05/2008
0
Comments
The Rogue Home Inspector By Brian Madigan LL.B.Most Home Inspectors are quite legitimate. They are professionals who take their business seriously and conduct their business affairs in accordance with sound ethical practices.Then, there are the rogue inspectors! Who are they? These people are "...
06/05/2008
0
Comments
The May Numbers Tell the Story! By Brian Madigan LL.B.Traditionally, May has been the highpoint of the real estate Spring cycle. However, this year, it was April. The April average value for a single family home in the GTA was $398,687 and in May it dropped to $398,148. Now, that's only a $539 ...
06/04/2008