Residential Real Estate Conference 2010

Friday, December 3, 2010 | 9:00 am - 4:00 pm (note early start time!)
Pan Pacific Hotel, 999 Canada Place, Vancouver

Who should attend: All lawyers with a practice in residential real estate; the conference may also be of interest to notaries public.

Learning level: All levels

Issues — Impacts — Ideas. Your Annual Update
CLEBC is pleased to collaborate with the Canadian Bar Association (BC Branch) in bringing you our third annual Residential Real Estate Conference. We offer you a full day of education, connection, and reflection on the challenging issues you face as a residential real estate practitioner working in British Columbia today. Province-wide online participation is welcomed via Live Webinar.

CLEBC and CBABC would like to thank Stewart Title Guaranty Company for its generous support in sponsoring this event.

CBABC members receive an additional 10% off the course registration fee. Special rates may apply for CBABC members that participate in a group Live Webinar of five or more individuals.

CLEBC is piloting the use of Twitter at this program. You can post a question or comment on Twitter using the hashtag: #clebcre. Want to find out more? Download: A Guide for Using Twitter at CLEBC Programs.

Law Society of BC CPD Hours: 7 hours (a minimum of 1 hour will involve aspects of professional responsibility and ethics, client care and relations, and/or practice management)

Conference Chair 
Mary-Jane Wilson — Greig, Wilson & Rasmussen LLP, Surrey

Registration includes course materials and lunch.

Note: You will continue to receive a print copy of the materials at the course. In addition, you will receive an email with a link to the online version of the materials approximately one day before the course.

CLEBC Program Lawyer
Teresa Sheward
tsheward@cle.bc.ca

Can't make the course? 
Order the course materials

Conference Chair 
Mary-Jane Wilson — Greig, Wilson & Rasmussen LLP, Surrey

Featured Speaker
Ken Peacock — Director Economic Research, Business Council of British Columbia Vancouver

Faculty
The Honourable Mr. Justice Nathan H. Smith — Supreme Court of BC, Vancouver
Terry G. Barnett — Thorsteinssons LLP, Vancouver
Randall E. Cobbett — Cobbett & Cotton Law Corporation, Burnaby
Margrett M.S. George — Lawyers Insurance Fund, Law Society, Vancouver
Sheila Harrington — Program Director, Land Trust Alliance of BC, Victoria
Renny Lubberts — Property Transfer Tax, Property Taxation Branch, Ministry of Finance, Victoria
Andrew P. Morrison — Shields Harney Vancouver
Andrew P. Prior — Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP, Vancouver
David D.  Robertson — Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver
Bill Turner — Executive Director, Land Conservancy of BC, Victoria
Ronald R. Usher — Bell Alliance Lawyers & Notaries Public, Vancouver
Mary-Jane Wilson — Greig Wilson & Rasmussen LLP, Surrey

About our featured speaker:
Ken Peacock is the Director of Economic Research at the Business Council of British Columbia, an association representing approximately 260 large and mid-sized companies that together account for approximately one-quarter of all jobs in the province. In this capacity Mr. Peacock contributes to the Council’s work on economic and policy issues of interest to the business community. He is also the author of a number of regular Business Council publications dealing with the provincial economy and related policy matters. Prior to joining the Business Council, Mr. Peacock was an Economist with Central 1 Credit Union, an umbrella organization for the credit unions in the province. There he advised credit unions on the outlook for the provincial economy, housing markets, and interest and exchange rates. Mr. Peacock was born and raised in BC. He attained his master’s degree in economics from Simon Fraser University and is the immediate past President of the Association of Professional Economists of BC and is an advisor to the BC Progress Board.

Welcome and Introduction

 

Mary-Jane Wilson — Greig, Wilson & Rasmussen LLP, Surrey

 

Pre-Sale Contracts:  Important Issues and Unresolved Questions

• the impact of the REDMA on enforceability of pre-sale contracts
• the importance of timely and accurate disclosure to purchasers
• the importance of filing and delivering amendments
• addressing strategies used by purchasers and developers

 

Andrew P. Morrison — Shields Harney, Vancouver
Andrew P. Prior — Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP, Vancouver
The Honourable Mr. Justice Nathan H. Smith — Supreme Court of BC, Vancouver

 

Covenants and Other Nature Conservation Tools

• conservation covenants, a legal tool in BC
• ecological gifts, legal and taxation benefits for landowners
• BC case studies of covenants and gifts of land for nature
• BC's 30 Land Trusts - land partners in BC communities

 

Sheila Harrington — Program Director, Land Trust Alliance of British Columbia, Victoria 
Bill Turner — Executive Director, Land Conservancy of British Columbia, Victoria

 

Break

Property Transfer Tax Issues

• new legislation
• important dates
• how the PTT applies to presales
• tips and traps of the PTT

 

Randall E. Cobbett — Cobbett & Cotton Law Corporation, Burnaby
Renny Lubberts — Property Transfer Tax, Property Taxation Branch, Ministry of Finance, Victoria

 

Questions and Discussion

Lunch with Featured Speaker "BC's Prospects Amid a Shifting Economic Landscape"

 

Ken Peacock — Director Economic Research, Business Council of British Columbia, Vancouver

 

Avoiding Pitfalls in Challenging Times

• downturns in the economy and lawyers’ increased vulnerability to malpractice claims
• the “top ten” causes of reports to the Lawyers Insurance Fund when times are hard
• steps that you can take to help avoid being reported

 

Margrett M. S. George — Lawyers Insurance Fund, The Law Society of British Columbia, Vancouver

 

Real Estate Information: Beyond the Land Title Office

• introduction to law firm use of GIS - "Geographic Information Systems"
• free and cheap land information
• municipal GIS systems, "Landcor", and the BC "Online Cadastre"
• use of Google - Maps, "Earth", "Street View" and other Internet data.

         Ronald R. Usher — Bell Alliance Lawyers & Notaries Public, Vancouver

Break

HST Impact Update

• new housing rebates
• provincial sales tax (PST) transitional rebates
• transitional tax adjustments
• builder and resellers’ disclosure

 

David D. Robertson — Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver
Terry G. Barnett — Thorsteinssons LLP, Vancouver

 

Questions and Discussion