Read this alongside how buying works here. If it is your first purchase, the first-time buyer page covers the BC programs, and two calculators do the arithmetic for you: the mortgage calculator and the Property Transfer Tax calculator. When you are ready to look, start with every active listing or narrow it down by community.
1. Money first
Get a written mortgage pre-approval before you look at a single home. It fixes your ceiling, holds a rate for 90 to 120 days and tells sellers you are serious. Ray can introduce you to Valley mortgage brokers who know local lenders and self-employed and military income situations.
Budget beyond the price: Property Transfer Tax (use the calculator on this site), legal fees, inspection, appraisal, moving, and GST on a new build.
2. Decide where
Courtenay for the hospital, college and downtown. Comox for the seaside and the base. Cumberland for the village and the trails. Crown Isle for golf and newer construction. Royston, Union Bay and Fanny Bay for oceanfront and acreage. Campbell River for value and the North Island. Ray's community pages carry live listings and prices for each.
3. Searching well
Set up listing alerts so new matches reach you the morning they list. Tour homes at the times you would actually live in them. Keep notes and photos; after five showings they blur together.
Ray shows you only homes that fit, tells you when one does not, and points out what a listing photo is hiding.
4. The offer
A strong offer is about more than price: the deposit, the completion date, and the subjects (financing, inspection, insurance, strata documents, title review). BC buyers also have a three-business-day rescission period after acceptance. Ray drafts the offer to protect you and to read well to the seller.
5. Subject removal to keys
Inspection, appraisal and document review happen inside the subject period, usually seven to ten days. When you remove subjects the deal is firm. Your lawyer or notary handles the transfer, and on possession day Ray meets you with the keys.
Checklist
- Written mortgage pre-approval
- Down payment and closing-cost funds confirmed
- Must-haves and deal-breakers listed
- Listing alerts set up
- Inspector, lawyer or notary chosen
- Insurance quote in hand before subject removal
- Utilities and mail redirect arranged for possession