Legal Reference Materials & Blog | Calgary | KH

Real Estate • March 2, 2014

CMHC Insurance Premiums Increased!

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation ("CMHC") has announced that it will increase the premiums to be paid by homeowners when obtaining a mortgage with less than 20% equity in the property. The premiums will increase by an average of 15%. The increase in premiums will result in greater costs to persons buying a home…

Real Estate • February 17, 2014

Mandatory New Home Warranties in Alberta

The New Home Buyer Protection Act came into force in Alberta on February 1, 2014 and makes it mandatory for every new house or condo (commenced after February 1, 2014) to come with a third-party new home warranty program. All builders must now be registered with a Registry set up under the Department of Municipal…

Wills & Estates • February 2, 2014

Why you need a Personal Directive (a.k.a. “Living Will”)

A Personal Directive, commonly known as a Living Will, is a document which allows a person (the “Maker”) to designate another person (the “Agent”) to make decisions regarding non-financial personal matters, such as medical treatment, residence and social activities if the Maker becomes mentally incapable of making these decisions on their own. The Personal Directive…

General • June 23, 2013

Office Open

Our office is very fortunate not to have been affected by the flooding in Calgary, therefore, our office will be open during our normal business hours (Mon - Fri from 8:00am to 5:00pm). There are no issues with accessibility to our office. KH/Dunkley Law Group

Real Estate • June 23, 2013

Closings for real estate transactions following floods

As Alberta's online Land Titles system (SPIN II) is running, closings can be completed as scheduled for both residential and commercial real estate transactions. In certain instances, title insurance may be needed to faciliate a timely closing. This, of course, does not apply to properties which are not accessible or which have been damaged or…

General • June 22, 2013

Well Wishes for our fellow Albertans.

In this time of emergency and uncertainty, we hope and pray for the safety of all Albertans affected by the floods and rain. Please stay safe and look out for your neighbours. KH/Dunkley Law Group

General • May 21, 2013

Helping Calgarians to Purchase Their Own Homes!

This is a great initiative of the City of Calgary, and we are proud to have been involved with the development and sales for the SkyView Ranch project! Check it out: http://attainablehomescalgary.ca/ KH/Dunkley Law Group

General • April 2, 2013

No More Pennies!

Effective today, the federal government's plan to phase out the penny takes effect. While debit and credit card transactions will continue to be calculated to the exact amount, cash transactions will be rounded to the nearest nickel. The Royal Canadian Mint has published the following Rounding Guidline to assist in getting used to the new…

Real Estate • February 15, 2013

What is the effect of a CMHC or GE insured (“High-Ratio”) Mortgage?

In Canada, a home buyer or home owner obtaining a mortgage loan where the principal amount of the mortgage is greater than 80% of the value of the property will be required to obtain default insurance for the lender. This default insurance is typically provided by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (“CMHC”) or Genworth…

Real Estate • January 2, 2013