HOMES' DRUG PAST MUST BE REVEALED

Waterfront home. Picturesque views of lake. Three bedroom, two bath. Was
used for large-scale marijuana grow-op.

It probably won't be a selling point, but realtors must now disclose
whether or not a home was used as a grow operation or used to manufacture
illegal narcotics.

Earlier this year, the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA)
amended its property disclosure statements to include the new requirement.

"Grow-ops and illegal drug operations can produce property defects and
other hazards that are major concerns for the public," commented BCREA
president David Herman in a February press release.

Maria Walker of Royal LePage 100 Mile Realty Ltd. - and a member of the BC
Northern Real Estate Board - said she liked the new rule. "It's protecting
your buyer," commented Walker.

Realtors agreed that it would mean more consistency, because theoretically,
buyers will be better-informed no matter what neighbourhood they move to,
or what realtor they deal with.

"I think it's a good awareness thing, more than anything," said Ray
Carlson, broker/owner at RE/MAX of 100 Mile House.

He did caution that realtors might not always know if the home was a
grow-op, and Brad Marsh of Country Lakes Realty Inc. agreed. "Now, all of a
sudden, we're supposed to be looking to figure out if this was or was not a
grow-op," he said.

Marsh did add that it is usually easy to tell, but there have been
instances where the truth is much less obvious. He pointed out that all
along, realtors have alerted buyers to property defects when selling homes.

"All they've really done is particularly identified the occurences of a
grow-op as a potential defect-," said Marsh. "I think maybe it's a
clarification. I don't think it's really all that new."