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We hope you find the information we share in the following articles helpful. Please feel free contact us if you would like us to cover a particular topic.
Career in Strata Management
Not currently hiring. (expecting to hire again in 1st quarter of 2024) Our services have been in high demand since we opened the doors to our Kelowna office in 2015. We have added a new strata manager to our team each year since then, and added a location in...
Building and Strata Statutes Amendment Act
Building and Strata Statutes Amendment Act On November 24, 2022 the Provincial Government passed into law the Building and Strata Statutes Amendment Act. This law affects nearly all strata corporations that limited or prohibited the rental of a strata lot and all...
Greg Bickert named one of Kelowna’s Top 40 Under 40
Greg Bickert was named one of Kelowna's Top 40 Under 40 by the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce (sponsored by BDO). A copy of the article featured in the Kelowna Capital News is below. Click the article to view on KelownaCapitalNews.com. [visual-link-preview...
Passion for Impact Podcast: From Toxic to Inspiring, Greg’s Story
From Toxic to Inspiring, with Greg Bickert April 26, 2022 | Episode 29 | Hosted by Trisha Miltimore Greg Bickert, founder and CEO of Inspire Property Management is one of those humans who lives, in biz and beyond, as a value-centered impact leader. He started working...
Kelowna Chambers Business Excellence Awards: 2021 Inclusive Workplace Award
The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce held its annual Business Excellence Awards Gala on March 30, 2022 to announce the recipients or of the 2021 awards. Inspire Property Management was originally nominated in two categories. We were proud on December 2nd when the Chamber...
PAMA Industry Awards: 2021 Industry Leader and Rookie of the Year Awards
The Professional Association of Managing Agents held its annual Industry Awards on March 23, 2022. We are proud to announce that two of our staff took home awards. Mercy Miller was named Rookie of the Year! Greg Bickert was name Industry Leader of the Year!
“Grandfathering” is a four letter word
The term comes out of the American south where many states enacted laws to prevent African Americans from registering to vote. These states enacted voter registration laws that required registrants to pass literacy tests, own land, or other such strategies to create significant restrictions on men who may vote. But, because poor and illiterate white voters would also be barred from registering to vote under these laws, the laws included clauses that granted exemptions for any man whose grandfather was entitled to vote prior to the civil war. These clauses became known as “grandfather clauses” or “grandfathering.”
COVID-19 Restrictions Eased on March 11
The Province of British Columbia announced that restrictions in place during the pandemic will be eased beginning March 11, 2022. The Province announced: With so many British Columbians stepping up to get vaccinated, we can now safely lift more COVID-19 restrictions,...
COVID-19 Restrictions Eased on February 17
The Province of British Columbia announced that restrictions in place during the pandemic will be eased beginning February 17, 2022. The Province announced: As we carefully ease some restrictions, people and businesses will be going at their own pace, for their own...
Electronic meetings enabled
Effective December 20, 2021, the Province extended strata corporations’ ability to hold electronic strata meetings, without a strata bylaw authorizing this, until December 31, 2022 (at the latest).
The ability to hold meetings or hearings using telephone conference calls or an online application, such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams, helps strata corporations comply with the orders and recommendations of B.C.’s Provincial Health Officer.
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Kelowna Chamber Business Excellence Awards 2021 Finalists
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Insurers set to end “best pricing” policies in 2021
Best terms pricing developed when multiple insurers would each agree to submit their own bid to carry a portion of the total risk related to insuring a strata property — but the final premium paid by strata owners would usually be based on the highest of those bids, even if the majority of quotes were lower.
2021 Kelowna Chamber Business Excellence Awards – Ethics in Business Winner
We are ecstatic to be the recipient of the "ETHICS IN BUSINESS" award at this evening's 2020 Kelowna Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards. Thank you to our team for all their hard work to earn this high honor. Thank you to the judges from the Better Business...
Letter to Clients of Inspire Property Management (November 19, 2020)
November 19, 2020 Letter to clients of Inspire Property Management Re: Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) – New orders mandating masks and restricting gatherings We continue to be proactive in our response to the ever-evolving situation surrounding the novel...
Social gatherings banned in B.C., masks required indoors
Public health orders limiting social gatherings indoors are now extended across B.C., and masks are required in all indoor public and retail spaces after provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced a new slate of public health orders for the entire province Thursday.
The new health orders go into effect province-wide from Nov. 19 until Dec. 7 at midnight…
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2020 Kelowna Chamber Business Excellence Awards
Today we learned that we have been selected as a top three finalist in the the category of Ethics in Business! The winners in each category will be selected by a panel of third party judges, after reviewing the nominated businesses and interviewing the business… [Continued]
Career in Rental Property Management
Not currently hiring. There is a strong and vibrant rental property market in the Okanagan. in October 2017, Kelowna had the lowest vacancy rate in the nation at 0.2%. Penticton has seen similarly strong demand for rental housing and had a vacancy rate of 0.9%. This...
$2,000 fines for hosts, promoters and organizers of large events
The province says stricter enforcement is necessary because a small number of British Columbians have been disregarding public health measures and continue to participate in indoor and outdoor events that increase the risk of transmission of the disease. “We can’t let the bad decisions made by a few erode the progress that we have made together,”… [Continued]
Rent-Related Evictions during COVID-19
on July 16, 2020, the provincial government released details of a repayment framework to be put in place later this summer. This framework is intended to assist tenants and landlords in anticipation of the ban on non-payment of rent-related evictions being lifted on September 1, 2020. Beginning September 1, 2020, tenants will be required to pay their monthly rent in full.
Insurance Crisis: First Steps
The BC Government announced today that they are taking the "first steps" needed to address the complex issues that have led to the current insurance crisis which is leaving many buildings uninsured or only insured after as much as an 800% increase. Changes proposed in...
No winners between landlords and tenants during COVID-19
“I think what people often forget in this whole thing is landlords usually have only one or two investment properties … Most of the rules to protect tenants are to protect them against the big company that has 1,000 units and if 100 of them are vacant, they are going to survive no problem.” – Greg Bickert of Inspire Property Management
Fischer & Company: Collections During COVID-19 Health Emergency
This month’s newsletter contains important advice about addressing strata fee and special levy arrears. This is an important subject for strata council’s and strata managers to be familiar. With the economic downturn and mass layoff we are all likely to encounter many owners struggling to pay their fair share of the costs to maintain the building and strata cooperation assets.
Limitation Periods Suspended During Pandemic
Limitation periods to commence court proceedings in British Columbia have been suspended, and statutory decision-makers have been provided discretion to waive, suspend or extend time periods related to their powers. This is good news for strata corporations concerned...
Province takes unprecedented steps to support COVID-19 response
The Province of British Columbia has named property management an essential service, among many other vital service sectors necessary to support and maintain food, shelter, utilities, and health for British Colombians. With this classification our clients can feel comforted…
City of Kelowna Fire Department Suspends Enforcement of Mandatory In-Suite Inspections
The City of Kelowna Fire Department announced today that they will be suspending enforcement of the statutory requirement for strata corporations and landlords to inspect and test in-suite fire safety devices. But, the Fire Department will require that if a strata or...
Clark Wilson: The COVID-19 Pandemic – Financial Issues for Strata Corporations
Like everyone else, once we have the social distancing on lock, there are a number of financial issues that come up. The three most frequent questions that have come up in the last few days are as follows: 1. How does the strata corporation pay for unexpected or large expenses like insurance premiums?…
Condominium Home Owners Association: Convening a general meeting by restricted proxy
The Condominium Home Owners Association (CHOA) released a very helpful video to explain how to convene a meeting by restricted proxy. What the video below. For more helpful resources from CHOA, visit their “What’s Happening” page here: https://www.choa.bc.ca/whats-happening/
Letter to Clients of Inspire Property Management (March 19, 2020)
March 19, 2020 Letter to Inspire Property Management Clients Re: Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) – Cash Payments No Longer Accepted Dear valued clients, We are continuing to be proactive in our response to the rapidly evolving situation surrounding the novel...
Clark Wilson: The COVID-19 Pandemic – Advice for Strata Corporations
The COVID-19 virus has arrived. For the first time in 11 years, the World Health Organization has declared a pandemic. Multiple times a day we are being told by our governments to stay home, as much as possible. Health Canada has asked all travelers…
Letter to Clients of Inspire Property Management (March 16, 2020)
March 16, 2020 Letter to Inspire Property Management Clients Re: Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) Dear valued clients, The world is facing a global pandemic which has already had devastating effects. Our hearts go out to those affected by the novel coronavirus...