Highlights of “Essentials for Purchasing a Newly Built Home” Seminar
Ottawa, ON – Feb. 4, 2006
Seminar Sponsors:

A “sell out” crowd registered for this second annual seminar held in Ottawa.  Overall, audience members rated this seminar as 4.9 out of 5 in relation to meeting their expectations! 

Five key note speakers provided sound, easily understood, professional advice and tips on important topics.   The following is a sample of a few key messages from each of the speakers; it is not a comprehensive listing of all of the key messages shared during the seminar.

From Joe Cottitto, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation relating to “Selecting Your Builder”:

• Home building is a complex process – 45 different skills are required;
• Choose a builder that gives the best value, overall quality and greatest sense of confidence.

Heather Austin-Skaret, Mann and Partners, LLP relating to “Before You Sign the Agreement of Purchase and Sale”:

• After carefully selecting a lawyer who has solid experience relating to newly built home purchases, give your lawyer an opportunity to review the Agreement of Purchase and Sale before you sign this legal agreement;
• Ensure that any commitments that are important to you that were made by the builder or the builder’s representatives are put in writing in the Agreement of Purchase and Sale.

Arlene Gregoire, City of Ottawa relating to the “Role of the City”:

• With regard to the construction of new homes, the City’s role and responsibilities are limited by legislation to ensuring the minimum Building Code standards for health (e.g., plumbing), life safety elements (e.g., exit facility and smoke detectors) and structural sufficiency are included in the construction of a building;
• The City enforces the Building Code standards by carrying out a review of applications and construction drawings prior to construction, and by carrying out specific inspections of certain key stages of completed construction in response to builder-requested inspections;
• While the Building Code Act requires the builder to comply with the Act and Code, it does not regulate the manner by which the builder is to achieve compliance or the quality and workmanship of construction beyond the minimum standards. 

Paul Wilson, Home Inspectors relating to the “Role of the Private Home Inspector”:

• Good builders welcome private inspectors during construction;
• Private home inspectors are defect recognition specialists whose objective is to inspect  the house as a “system" and not just inspect the components;
• Once the purchasers take possession of the home, it is often hard for the purchasers to get remedial repairs performed.

Nancy Houle, Nelligan O’Brien Payne, LLP, relating to “Claims to Tarion”:

• Purchasers should recognize Tarion as an insurance company that will require that you prove your claim. Tarion does not serve as an advocate to purchasers;
• The Tarion claim process is complicated, and, therefore, must be pursued with great care in order to avoid pitfalls.