MONEY GLOBE XGuides: homes, mortgages, renting and money in BC, Canada and Georgia
25 plain-English guides built on official rules and the data behind our tools: mortgage renewal, first-time buyer programs, BC tenancy and strata rules, housing data, crypto tax and scams, and buying a home in Georgia. Each one names its sources and the date we last checked them.
Last checked November 8, 2026.
Mortgages
Mortgage renewal in BC: a step-by-step checklist
Federally regulated lenders must send a renewal statement at least 21 days before your term ends.
Minimum down payment in Canada and CMHC insurance premiums
Minimum down payment: 5% of the first $500,000 and 10% of the part from $500,000 to $1.5 million; 20% from $1.5 million.
Mortgage stress test in Canada: the 5.25% rule explained
The qualifying rate is the greater of the contract rate plus 2% or 5.25% (OSFI Guideline B-20).
Bank of Canada rate decisions and mortgages: variable vs fixed
The Bank of Canada sets its policy interest rate on eight scheduled dates a year.
Buying a home in BC and Canada
First-time home buyer programs in BC (2026): PTT, HBP, FHSA
BC's First Time Home Buyers' Program exempts the tax on the first $500,000 for homes up to $835,000, with a partial exemption below $860,000.
BC property transfer tax 2026: rates and worked examples
1% of the first $200,000, 2% from $200,000 to $2 million, 3% above $2 million, and a further 2% on residential value above $3 million.
RRSP Home Buyers' Plan 2026: $60,000 limit and repayment
The withdrawal limit is $60,000 per person (it was $35,000 before Budget 2024).
FHSA explained: $8,000 a year, $40,000 lifetime, the rules
$8,000 of contribution room in the year you open it, and up to $8,000 plus unused room after that, to $40,000 in total.
Renting in BC
BC landlord entry rules: 24-hour written notice (RTA s.29)
A landlord needs a written notice given at least 24 hours and no more than 30 days before entering.
BC condition inspection report (RTB-27): move-in and move-out
Landlords must offer the tenant at least two opportunities for each inspection; the second goes on an approved form (RTB-22).
BC security deposit rules: half a month's rent, 15-day return
A security deposit, and a pet damage deposit, can each be at most half of one month's rent (RTA s.19).
Strata, repairs and trades
Strata repairs in BC: who pays, the owner or the strata?
The strata corporation repairs and maintains common property and common assets (Strata Property Act s.72).
Check a licensed contractor in BC: electrical, gas and builders
Electrical and gas work is regulated work: only a licensed contractor, or a person authorized under the Safety Standards Act, may do it.
Home inspector vs appraiser vs BC Assessment: who does what
Home inspectors in BC must be licensed by Consumer Protection BC and carry $1 million of errors-and-omissions and $1 million of general liability insurance.
Reading housing data
How to read a city housing market report: prices, sales, supply
Check which price it is: an average of sales, a median, an index of new homes or a typical value.
BC home prices by town: property transfer tax data explained
The Province publishes every recorded sale in each municipality, by month, as open data.
Average rent and vacancy rate by Canadian city, explained
Rents and vacancy come from CMHC's Rental Market Survey, taken each October and published through Statistics Canada.
Zillow home value index and months of supply explained
The typical home value is Zillow's index for homes in the middle third of values, smoothed and seasonally adjusted.
Tax and safe investing
Canadian crypto tax basics: ACB, dispositions and records
Selling crypto, trading one crypto for another, spending it and giving it away are all dispositions.
Superficial loss rule in Canada: the 30-day window explained
The window runs from 30 calendar days before the sale to 30 calendar days after it: 61 days in all.
How to spot an investment scam in Canada, and report it
Canadians reported more than $704 million in fraud losses in 2025; investment fraud was the largest, at $351 million.
Check if a crypto trading platform is registered in Canada
The Canadian Securities Administrators publish a list of crypto trading platforms authorized to do business with Canadians.
Georgia, USA
Georgia home buying basics: closing, taxes and first-time help
In Georgia, a licensed Georgia attorney conducts the closing.
Georgia homestead exemption 2026: April 1 deadline and HB 581
Apply with your county tax commissioner (or tax assessor) by April 1.
Georgia transfer tax and intangible tax: rates with examples
Transfer tax: $1 for the first $1,000 and 10 cents for each further $100 (about $1 per $1,000).
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