The Government of British Columbia has announced changes to the Property Transfer Tax (PTT) to improve housing affordability. The changes, effective April 1, 2024, include raising the exemption threshold for first-time homebuyers from $500,000 to $835,000 and increasing the exemption for newly built homes to $1.1 million.  Click here to read more.

Source: www2.gov.bc.ca

The new B.C. housing law, aimed at increasing housing units on single-family lots, does not override existing restrictive covenants on land titles that limit multi-unit construction. Many properties have old covenants without expiry dates, and homeowners affected are encouraged to seek legal advice.  Click here to read more.

Source: Vancouver Sun

British Columbia has been able to develop one of the best land survey and title registration systems in the world.  

British Columbia, including the colonies before the province came into existence, has always maintained a system for recording ownership and interests in private land.   For a short while, the colonies maintained Deeds Registries.  However, a Deeds Registry results in a complicated, unreliable system for recording interests in land.   In order to gain an opinion on ownership of interests in land, an unbroken chain of documentary evidence over long periods of time or possibly from the original granting of the land from the Crown is required.   If any one of those documents was not properly executed, or if all documents in the chain cannot be obtained, then a shadow of doubt is cast upon the claim of ownership.

This question has been asked numerous times.  And my answer is – it depends on your purpose.
​
Most parents, as they get older, would want to add their adult children on title of their home to save on probate fee when they pass.  Yes, although it is true that you can “save” on probate fee, but it can cost you more financially and have significant legal impact down the road.

In many instances, banks and financial institutions require the borrowers to obtain a title insurance.  However, this policy only protects the bank’s interest and insures against financial loss in the event of a defects in title to the property.

In British Columbia, title defects rarely happen.  When a land title is transferred, the new owner can be assured that his/her title is “indefeasible” (meaning the title transfer cannot be defeated, revoked, or made void) under the Torrens system, as long as the owner acquires the interest in good faith and for value consideration.