What You Don't See Can Cost You.
Before I let any client make an offer, I pull five specific documents most agents never ask for. Grab this free checklist now — even if you haven't found a place yet — so it's ready the moment you need it.
- Works whether you're weeks from an offer or just starting to look
- No property required — this is about knowing what to check, not one address
- Yours to keep. Read it once, use it on every home after
Free · Instant access · No property required
Prefer to talk it through? Book a free 15-minute call.
⏳ It's not about rushing you — it's about not finding out at possession, once it's too late to negotiate anything.
Voted on in the minutes. Never shown on the listing.
Illustrative sampleA showing shows you the paint. It hides the bills.
A showing tells you how a home feels. It doesn't tell you what it will cost. Every property hides something different — here's what to check before you fall for one.
Why we started publishing this.
I kept hearing the same story.
Someone bought a home. Then came the surprise. A repair vote. A special levy. A permit nobody flagged.
The warning signs were almost always there. Nobody showed them where to look. That's why we started this.
"My job isn't to sell you a home. It's to make sure the one you buy doesn't sell you something you didn't sign up for."Roman Kahlone, REALTOR®eXp Realty · Greater Vancouver BC
The surprise levy
A $20,000+ repair bill gets voted in months after possession — buried in minutes nobody read.
The reserve fund shortfall
Fees look low because the building's been underfunding repairs for years. The bill always comes due.
The title problem
A covenant or unpermitted addition that blocks the renovation — or the resale — you were counting on.
A showing tells you how a home feels. Not what it costs.
Everything you notice on a walkthrough is real. It's just not the whole file.
- Renovated kitchen
- Good natural light
- Quiet street
- Fresh paint, tidy staging
- Friendly neighbours in the hallway
Looks great.
- A special levy being discussed, not yet billed
- A repair fund that's run low for years
- A depreciation report full of unaddressed warnings
- A permit issue nobody's fixed
- A rezoning application two doors down
Could cost you later.
Every property type hides something different.
What's worth digging into changes with what you're buying.
Condo
"Loved the unit. Then a $22,000 repair vote landed two months after closing."
- A large repair being talked about, not billed yet
- A contingency fund below the recommended minimum
- Building deficiencies logged but unresolved
Townhouse
"Great little row. Every roof on the street needed replacing at once."
- A small strata with little saved
- Shared exteriors due for work
- Self-managed records that are hard to verify
Detached
"Beautiful lot. A covenant on the title blocked the addition they'd planned."
- Title restrictions on renovations or rentals
- Unpermitted work you'd inherit
- Flood or drainage history near lenders' radar
New build
"Brand new. Move-in slipped a year and the strata fees jumped after."
- Introductory fees that rise after year one
- Deposits tied up if the project stalls
- Warranty fine print worth thousands
Everything you need to walk in prepared.
Six sections, about fifty checks — free, instant, and built from the files I actually review with buyers.
Before You Buy Checklist
Skip costly mistakes before you make an offer.
Everything most buyers only learn the hard way.
- The strata pages most buyers skip
- Warning signs in a depreciation report
- Costs that show up after possession
- Questions to ask before you remove subjects
- What makes a home harder to resell
Plus the full pre-offer checklist — six sections, about fifty checks in total.
Send Me the Free ChecklistFree · Opens instantly · No spam, no pressure.
One file, start to finish.
Good street, tired building, priced like it had already been fixed. Here's what the documents actually said.
This example happens to be a condo — the same document-by-document approach applies whether you're buying a townhouse, detached home, or new build.
2-Bed Condo
West End · Asking $918,000
Ownership costs
Building health
*Illustrative: assumes the $38,000 levy is amortized over 10 years. Actual assessments are usually due faster.
Negotiate the likely levy into your offer, or budget for it before 2027.
Illustrative sample. Composite property, not a real listing.
Not every file ends the same way.
Checking first gives you a choice. You're not guessing anymore.
Walk away
An unpermitted suite and a repair bill neither seller disclosed.
Proceed with caution
Relisted after a failed sale, and reserves running low.
Clear to proceed
Clean minutes, healthy reserves, nothing unusual filed.
Case files use composite properties for illustration and don't describe a real listing or strata corporation.
What clients say about working with Roman.
"Roman was a pleasure to work with and went above and beyond. He made the whole process understandable as first-time home buyers — smooth, and stress-free."
"Roman made the whole process so easy — I didn't have to stress about a thing. He handled everything, kept me updated, and made sure I got the best deal possible."
"Roman made everything so easy. No pressure, just legit advice and someone who actually cares. If you need a realtor who's got your back, he's the one."
Why check before you offer.
The paperwork isn't the point. What it lets you do is.
- "Did I miss something?"
- "Am I paying too much?"
- "What happens after I move in?"
Know what you're buying
See what the documents say, not just how the place looks.
Know the real cost
See the bills that show up after possession, not months later.
Know if the price holds up
See what comparable homes actually sold for, not just asked.
Know when to walk
If something's wrong, you can ask for less — or leave.
Where this goes from here.
Start free. Go deeper when there's an actual property on the table.
The checklist
Know what to check on your own, before you're under time pressure.
15-minute risk review
We walk through what the checklist means for your search, together.
The buyer file
Once you've found a place, we go deep on that specific address.
Free · No pressure · No property required
Vancouver Real Estate News is written by a working REALTOR® — not an anonymous newsletter.
"I'd rather earn your trust with real information than a sales pitch. If you ever want a second set of eyes on an actual property, I'm one email away — no pressure, ever."
- Roman Kahlone, REALTOR®
- eXp Realty
- 5 years, Greater Vancouver BC
- License #602686RTS
- 778-707-1187
- roman@romankahlone.com
Questions readers actually ask.
Is Vancouver Real Estate News actually run by a realtor?+
Yes — by Roman Kahlone, a licensed REALTOR® with eXp Realty. The reporting is free and the info stands on its own either way; if you ever want help on a specific property, that's a separate, no-pressure conversation.
Is the checklist actually free?+
Yes. No card, no call required to get it. If it's useful and you want a deeper review later, that's never a condition of getting this.
Do I need a property picked out first?+
No. It works whether you're weeks from an offer or just starting to look.
Is the 15-minute risk review the same as the buyer file?+
No — the review is a conversation about your search in general. The buyer file is a written report on one specific address, built once you're seriously considering it.
What happens when I find a property?+
Send it over and I'll pull the strata documents, disclosure statement, and comparable sales, then walk you through what they show before you write an offer.
What if I'm not buying for a year?+
That's fine — the checklist holds up over time, and there's no expiry or pressure to move faster than you're ready to.
Am I obligated to work with you afterward?+
No. If it's useful and we're a fit, great. If not, you keep the checklist either way.
Why is the 15-minute review free?+
I'd rather you understand the risks before you decide anything. If we end up working together later, great — if not, you still leave with something useful.
Does this only apply to older or resale buildings?+
No — new builds carry their own risks (deposits, warranty fine print, fee escalators), which is exactly why the checklist has a dedicated section for them.
Will you actually tell me not to buy something?+
Yes. That's most of the point. A quiet "this one's fine" is worth as much as a loud warning.
Don't find out after you've already bought.
One hidden issue in the strata minutes can cost you up to $50,000. This free checklist shows you exactly what to check first.
Free · Instant access · No property required — keep it for whenever you're ready
Prefer to talk it through? Book a free 15-minute call.