The Top 10 Things Buyers Really Want in Their Next Home

These 10 things seem to be really important to most:

1. Separate Laundry Room.

2. High Efficiency.

3. A Patio Or Deck. 

4. A Large Garage.

5. Exterior lighting.

6. A Modern Kitchen and Bathroom.

7. Hardwood Floors.

8. Walk-in Closet in the Master.

9. Walk-in Pantry.

10. A Separate Dining Room.

MacKay & McLean provides the professional services of a large Regina law firm, with the intimate attention of a small firm. The legal process can be daunting and overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. MacKay & McLean is with you every step of the way.

MacKay &  McLean are your Trusted REGINA LAWYERS. In Mackay & Mcleans' latest legal tip they provide helpful information about traffic tickets! 

Should you fight your traffic ticket?

Here are some important points to consider when deciding if you should fight your traffic ticket.

1. Did you ever feel that when you received a traffic ticket you were already considered guilty?
2. If you were told you were cheating on an exam, would you simply accept it? 
3. If your bank told you that you’re being charged a fee because you overspent, when you didn’t – would you just “pay it?
4. Would you just accept being overcharged at the grocery store and not say anything?

"The average person’s experience with the police is nearly always with a traffic stop. Most of us are nervous with this singular encounter. The expectation is that you have been caught doing something against the law and the expectation is that you will just take the punishment of paying the fine." Robert Mackay 

Here are some of the many reasons why you should consider fighting your ticket:

How to Decide Whether to Fight or Fold

Before assuming the ticket can’t be beaten and resigning yourself to writing out that check, we encourage you to take a hard look at the facts to see if you have a reasonable chance of success. You may be surprised at the variety of legal grounds available for defeating your ticket. 

Here are some questions to determine whether going to court makes sense

• Was the officer’s view of what occurred ­obstructed by other moving vehicles or ­stationary objects like trees, fences, or ­buildings? If so, this allows you to argue that the ­officer could not have clearly seen the ­alleged offence and gives you an opening to sell your ­version of events to the judge.
• Did the officer stop the right car? It is quite possible in heavy traffic for an officer to see a violation committed by one white minivan (a 1995 Plymouth Voyager, for example) and to stop ­another (an almost identical white 1994 Dodge Caravan) farther down the road. Your ability to claim this happened (“the officer got the wrong driver, Your Honor”) obviously goes way up if you can show that because of a curve in the road, construction project, or just heavy traffic, the ­officer lost sight of the offending vehicle ­between the violation and pulling you over.
• Was there an actual, provable error in the officer’s approach or methodology? Inciting you for speeding, did the ­officer correctly pace your vehicle or properly use radar, or laser to establish your speed?
• Do any other legal defences exist to the law you’re charged with ­violating? For ­example, if you were charged with driving too slowly in the left lane of a multi-lane highway, it is a legal defence that you were planning to turn left.

It’s an exciting time – the old house is sold, the new one is ready, and all that’s left is the move…..oh wait – not quite yet! There’s all that legal “stuff” to deal with now….signatures….titles to be given…and pages and pages of documents that need to be signed before the key is in your hand!!! And to top it all off – who really knows a good real estate lawyer?

MacKay & McLean provides the professional services of a large Regina law firm, with the intimate attention of a small firm. The legal process can be daunting and overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. MacKay & McLean is with you every step of the way.

MacKay &  McLean are TRUSTED REGINA LAWYERS

Title fraud is approximately a C$1.5 billion dollar a year industry and growing. This has given rise to new products being made available to you to help protect yourself. One such product is title insurance.

Initially, title insurance was used in Saskatchewan only when a surveyor's certificate was not available. This is because it insures against any defects that would have been revealed if a surveyor's certificate or real property report had been obtained. People opted for title insurance because it cost less than a new survey. However, title insurance protects you against much more and it is especially good for people buying used residential real estate, rental properties or commercial real estate.

Like other insurance products, you pay a premium to the insurer. Usually, this is a one time fee. Different insurers structure their pricing differently and there are policies for owners and policies for lenders, so rates vary. The premiums for condominiums are usually less. The fees for commercial transactions are typically greater.

For the one time premium you get protection for as long as you own the property and it protects your estate in the event of death. The amount of protection is up to twice the fair market value of your property, at the time the insurance was obtained.

Lawyers will usually charge an administration fee of $75 to $150 to provide the appropriate data and information to the insurer.Typically, title insurance is obtained through your lawyer's office when you buy a property.  "Existing Home Owner's" insurance is also available at any time.  Some insurers in Saskatchewan, like Co-Operator's, are now providing the product.

It is important to remember that lawyers do not receive any compensation from the title insurance companies for recommending or assisting you with obtaining title insurance, i.e. we are not sales people for the title insurers and we do not receive trailer fees or commissions from the insurers.

In fact, a lawyer's failure to discuss title insurance with you may constitute professional negligence and that lawyer may be liable to you if you suffer damages from something that title insurance would have protected you against. In other provinces, for example, Ontario, lawyers are obligated by their professional code of conduct to thoroughly discuss title insurance with you.

I recommend title insurance because I believe that most times it is in your best interests to have it. At the very least, you should have the opportunity to make an informed decision.

The four main title insurance companies in Canada are: (1) First Canadian Title Insurance, (2) Stewart Title Guarantee Company, (3) Title Plus, and (4) Chicago Title Insurance Company. For more information on title insurance, its cost and benefits, visit the following websites: First Canadian Title; Stewart Title Guarantee Company; Title Plus; and, Chicago Title.

Some things are better to have and not need, than need and not have. Title insurance is one those things.

*Always check with the insurer to see what they cover and what they do not. Make an informed decision.

For advice, Robert MacKay's team provides professional, personalized service and with their assistance, you can rest assured that your real estate transactions will be handled with the utmost consideration and care.

They  provide a full range of legal services including:

• Real Estate & Mortgages
• Wills & Estates
• Family Law & Divorce
• Commercial & Corporate Law
• Litigation & Personal Injury

Trusted Regina.com  is THE Regina Directory and is thrilled to be hosting a Talk to the Experts show " The Trusted Show' Monthly on Newstalk 980  Find them all here in our tips library or on our Trusted Channel on YouTube which is a fabulous resource of Tips, Interviews, Demos and Tours.

Listen to all the shows ON DEMAND, you can share them with friends who may be interested in the show's subjects and this makes sure you never have to miss a Trusted Show - www.trustedregina.com   is the ONLY Local Regina Directory that works for you...and the only place to offer this kind of service in Regina!  

This latest show we are featuring is the TRUSTED REGINA DIRECTORY Home Building & Real Estate Law  Show.

Enjoy the show!!