In the Kelowna Capital News the week of Oct. 24 to 28:
Mortgage professionals Trish Balaberde, Christine Hawkins and Darwyn Sloat told us about bridge financing for your home. Bridge financing is most commonly used when the closing date on your new home comes before you've sold your old home; or you're keeping your old home while you renovate the new one. You must have a firm sale on your current home to qualify for a bridge loan.
Our newest columnist is Colin VanBergen, an audiologist with NexGen Hearing in Kelowna and West Kelowna. Last week he wrote about the latest technology in hearing aids. "More than 90 per cent of my clients who have these hearing aids have reported a moderate to significant improvement in their hearing ability in the most challenging listening environments—restaurants, casinos, curling rinks, hockey arenas, and family gatherings to name a few."
Rarely a week goes by when we don't hear from at least one local politician. In his column, Conservative MP for Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola Dan Albas tells us about his recent appointment as deputy critic for finance. He plans to champion the cause of local credit unions which, he said, "simply do not have the clout and lobbying power of the big banks who are increasingly shaping Liberal government policy as was evidenced by recent changes to mortgage rules that benefit banks over independent mortgage finance companies."
Gwen Steele is the Okanagan's champion of xeriscape gardening. Last week she told us that growing vegetables in xeriscaped water-efficient gardens is a perfect thing to do. Just plan it, prepare it, get rid of lawn, install efficient irrigation, choose the right plants, mulch like crazy and maintain it until harvest.
Lawyer Paul Hergott fights to get fair compensation for people injured in traffic collisions. He recoils when they're called 'accidents,' arguing most crashes are preventable and due to driver inattention. Last week Hergott told us about the case of Davidge v. Fairholm. Injured in a rear-end crash as a young man, Davidge spent years working and raising a family despite the pain he was in. Insurers would hold up the fact that he continued to work as evidence he was not justified in asking for compensation once he grew older and could not overcome the persistent pain caused by the crash years earlier. The legal test is whether or not there is a “real and substantial possibility” of future losses. The judge concluded that there was and assessed those losses at $250,000.