Arran McLellan
Pemberton Holmes
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BC Home Sales Turn Higher, Inventories at 20-Year Low

Vancouver, BC – May 15, 2017. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) that a total of 9,865 residential unit sales were recorded by the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in April, down 23.9 per cent from the same period last year. Total sales dollar volume was $7.19 billion, down 25.4 per cent from April 2016. The average MLS® residential price in the province was $728,955, a 2 per cent decrease from the same period last year.

“BC home sales are on an upward trend this spring, led by a sharp increase in consumer demand in the Lower Mainland," said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist. The seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of home sales was over 106,000 units in April, significantly above the five-year SAAR for April of 89,000 units.

The supply of homes for sale declined 17 per cent from April 2016. On a seasonally adjusted basis, active residential listings have declined 50 per cent since 2012 and are now at their lowest level in over 20 years. The imbalance between supply and demand is continuing to drive home prices higher in most regions, further eroding affordability.

Year-to-date, BC residential sales dollar volume was down 31.8 per cent to $21.3 billion, when compared with the same period in 2016. Residential unit sales declined 25.0 per cent to 30,757 units, while the average MLS® residential price was down 9.2 per cent to $692,220.

 

 

 

Visit my site at www.YourLuckyIrishRealtor.com for further stats, buying or selling tips, and much more.

 

My Best,

Arran

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First Time Home Buyers' Program

 
 

The First Time Home Buyers' Program reduces or eliminates the amount of property transfer tax you pay when you purchase your first home. If you qualify for the program, you may be eligible for either a full or partial exemption from the tax.

If one or more of the purchasers don’t qualify, only the percentage of interest that the first time home buyer(s) have in the property is eligible.

For example, if you qualify and purchase a property with a fair market value of $400,000 with a person who doesn’t qualify you would still qualify. If you owned a 60% interest in the property, 60% of the tax amount would be eligible for the exemption.

The exemption doesn’t apply to the additional property transfer tax on residential transfers to foreign nationals or foreign corporations.

Do I Qualify?

To qualify for a full exemption, at the time the property is registered you must:

  • be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
  • have lived in B.C. for 12 consecutive months immediately before the date you register the property or filed at least 2 income tax returns as a B.C. resident in the last 6 years
  • have never owned an interest in a principal residence anywhere in the world at any time 
  • have never received a first time home buyers' exemption or refund

and the property must:

  • be located in B.C.
  • only be used as your principal residence
  • have a fair market value of:
    • $475,000 or less if registered on or before February 21, 2017, or
    • $500,000 or less if registered on or after February 22, 2017
  • be 0.5 hectares (1.24 acres) or smaller

You may qualify for a partial exemption from the tax if the property:

Find out the amount of your exemption if you qualify.

If you don’t qualify because you are not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, but you become one within 12 months of when the property is registered, you may apply for a refund of the property transfer tax. To apply for a property transfer tax refund in this case, call (250) 387-0604. However, if you’re a foreign national, foreign corporation or taxable trustee, you can’t be refunded any additional property transfer tax (PDF) you may have paid.

Apply

To apply for the First Time Home Buyers' Program you need to complete the First Time Home Buyers' Property Transfer Tax Return when you or your legal professional register the property transfer.

After you have applied you must meet additional requirements during the first year you own the property to keep the tax exemption.

Penalty for False Declaration

All applications are reviewed. You will be charged a penalty equal to double the tax if you falsely declare that:

  • you have never owned an interest in a principal residence anywhere in the world at any time, or
  • you have never received a first time home buyers' exemption or refund

First Year of Ownership

At the end of the first year you own the property you will receive a letter. The letter is to conditionally confirm that you meet the occupancy and property value requirements after you:

Existing Home

To keep the tax exemption you must have:

  • moved into your home within 92 days of the date the property was registered
  • continued to occupy the property as your principal residence for the remainder of the first year

You may keep part of the exemption if you moved out before the end of the first year.

If the owner passed away, or the property is transferred because of a separation agreement or a court order under the Family Law Act before the end of the first year, you still qualify to keep the tax exemption.

Built New Home

If you registered a vacant lot and built your own home, to keep the tax exemption:

  • the fair market value of the land when you registered the property plus the cost to build your home must be:
    • $500,000 or less if registered on or before February 21, 2017, or
    • $525,000 or less if registered on or after February 22, 2017
  • you must have built and moved into your home within 1 year of the date the property was registered
  • you must have continued to occupy the property as your principal residence for the remainder of the first year

You may keep part of the exemption if you moved out before the end of the first year.

If the owner passed away, or the property is transferred because of a separation agreement or a court order under the Family Law Act before the end of the first year, you still qualify to keep the tax exemption.

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BCREA ECONOMICS NOW

Bank of Canada Interest Rate Decision - December 7, 2016

The Bank of Canada announced this morning that it is holding the target for its overnight rate at 0.5 per cent. In the press release accompanying the interest rate decision, the Bank noted that uncertainty in the global economy is undiminished in recent months while Canadian economic growth is evolving as anticipated. On inflation, the Bank cited that although CPI and core inflation have picked up, both measures remain below the Bank's 2 per cent target. 

With long-term interest rates jolted upward by the US election, the Bank of Canada is likely content to keep its overnight rate on hold at 0.5 per cent over the next year.  That said, the stark unpredictability of the incoming Trump administration on everything from trade to taxes to financial markets means that risk in the economy is tilted to the downside.  Therefore, there remains the potential for a rate-cut by the Bank of Canada should economic conditions and the outlook for inflation deteriorate.

For more information, please contact: 

Cameron Muir Brendon Ogmundson
Chief Economist Economist
Direct: 604.742.2780 Direct: 604.742.2796
Mobile: 778.229.1884 Mobile: 604.505.6793
Email: cmuir@bcrea.bc.ca Email: bogmundson@bcrea.bc.ca
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Canadian media found an increasing number of listed international students, most of whom are Chinese students, buy expensive houses in Vancouver through mortgage. The media caution about the possible loophole for such international investment.

Vancouver Sun reported on Wednesday that the buyers of a total of 9 real estates in Vancouver's Point Grey, worth a total of 57 million Canadian dollars (CAD), were listed as international students, and all of them were thought to be Chinese students. Bank mortgages of up to 40 million CAD were used to purchase the properties.

According to Vancouver Sun, Chinese student Xuan Kai Huang bought a house there for just over 7 million CAD (5.5 million USD) and re-sold it for over 8 million in May this year. Huang earned over 1 million CAD (900 thousand USD) through the re-sale.

An investigation by The Globe and Mail said that non-Canadian citizens do not need to show income verification certificates if they can pay a set down payment when applying for mortgages in Vancouver.

This year real estate prices rose rapidly with a surge of international investment. Vancouver Sun urged the Canadian government for more control over banks providing mortgages to non-Canadian citizens.

In response to rising real estate price, the provincial government of British Colombia levied a 15% property transfer tax to non-Canadian citizens buying Vancouver residential houses or condos.

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According to Cooper, the Bank of Canada's limited ability to offset a negative shock has the bank signalling the need for fiscal measures and risk-limiting regulations to lessen the gap between household debt and assets.

The Bank of Canada has said the high debt level posed a vulnerability for the financial system, and that the amount of debt compared to disposable income was becoming alarming. As as result, the ratio of household debt to disposable income (excluding pension entitlements) rose to 167.6%, up from 165.2% in Q1.

"The upward trend in household debt, which started as far back as we have data - 1990 - is showing no signs of ending anytime soon", said Benjamin Reitzes, economist at BMO Capital Markets, citing rising house prices in Canada's biggest cities, led by Toronto, and weak gains in hourly wages.

Sales of existing Canadian homes fell in August, the fourth straight monthly decline, with sales in Vancouver tumbling almost 19 percent as a tax on foreign buyers doused activity in Canada's most expensive market, the Canadian Real Estate Association said in a report that also predicted prices will start to fall in 2017.

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Victoria Property Sales Continue Record Breaking Pace

September 1 2016, Victoria, BC

A total of 883 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this August, an increase of 19.2 per cent compared to the 741 properties sold in August last year.

"August is a record breaker in more than one way. For the sixth consecutive month, we have a sales record with more sales than any other month of August on record," says Mike Nugent, 2016 President of the Board. "We also have the lowest number of listings available for sale in an August than we've seen in the last twenty years. That lack of inventory will continue to put pressure on pricing. Sales would be even higher were there more inventory available for buyers to purchase. Regardless of the low inventory, it's safe to say that by mid-September we will have surpassed the number of sales for all of 2015, with four months remaining in the year."

Inventory levels remain lower than last year, with 2,094 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service® at the end of August 2016, 43.2 per cent fewer than the 3,688 active listings at the end of August 2015.

"As we saw last month, the expected seasonal slowdown continues as we move towards the autumn," adds Nugent.  "August tends to be the slower summer month, though the year-over-year sales numbers are very strong. This shows continued consumer confidence in the Victoria real estate market. It is early to determine a trend, but we don't see any early indications that the foreign investment Property Transfer Tax implemented in Metro Vancouver has impacted sales to any extent in Victoria at this time."

The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core in August, 2015 was $603,200. The benchmark value for the same home in August 2016 has increased by 23.8 per cent to $746,900

 

 

 

Call me at 250.884.3980 to discuss any real estate matter and chat about the stats or the recommendations in the IAG report.

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For immediate release

BC Home Sales Continue to Smash Record Book

Vancouver, BC – May 13, 2016. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that a record 12,969 residential unit sales were recorded by the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in April, up 30.3 per cent from the same month last year. Home sales last month beat March’s record of 12,560 units. Total sales dollar volume was $9.64 billion in April, up 52.7 per cent compared to the previous year. The average MLS® residential price in the province was up 17.2 per cent year-over-year, to $743,640.

“Housing demand is exceptionally strong across the southern regions of the province,” said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist. “Consumers appear to be particularly active in the Vancouver Island, the Fraser Valley and the Thompson/Okanagan regions.“

“Strong employment growth is helping underpin consumer confidence,” added Muir. The BC economy employed more than 78,000 additional workers during the first four months of the year, an increase of 3.5 per cent compared to the same period last year.

The year-to-date, BC residential sales dollar volume increased 64.3 per cent to $31.2 billion, when compared with the same period in 2015. Residential unit sales climbed by 36.2 per cent to 28,028 units, while the average MLS® residential price was up 20.6 per cent to $761,860.

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Media release from VREB
April Property Sales in Victoria Continue to Exceed Expectations

A total of 1,286 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this April, an increase of 53 per cent compared to the 840 properties sold in the same month last year.
 
Inventory levels remain lower than the previous year, with 2,594 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service® at the end of April, 34 per cent fewer than the 3,945 active listings at the end of April 2015.
 
"We continue to see extraordinary interest in the Victoria and area housing market. Likely this is because the trends we reviewed last month continue - lowmortgage rates, higher employment numbers, diversity of properties for sale and of course the growing international awareness that Victoria is an amazing place to live," notes Mike Nugent, 2016 President of the Board. "The vast majority of Victoria buyers are from within the local Victoria marketplace. Last year 70.5 per cent of buyers were from Victoria, and this year in the first quarter we see 72.5 per cent of buyers from the area. We've also tracked a slight increase in Lower Mainland buyers. Reports from the first quarter of 2016 show that 8.2 per cent of buyers are from the Lower Mainland, and last year we counted 7.4 per cent.  It's also noteworthy that we've seen a decrease in buyers from Alberta (last year we saw 5.7 per cent, this quarter we saw 3.9 per cent), a small increase in buyers from the US (from 0.8 per cent to 1 per cent) and an increase in buyers from Asia (from 0.7 per cent to 0.8 per cent this quarter)."
 
The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core in April, 2015 was $581,700. The benchmark value for the same home in April 2016 has increased by 17.7 per cent to $684,900.
 
"If you are shopping for a home right now, there is a good chance that if you're looking in a higher demand area (Victoria core, Saanich, Oak Bay) you may find yourself in a multiple offer situation when you go to purchase. This is because there are more buyers than homes for sale and so the market is more competitive than we've seen in years past," adds Nugent. "As a consumer it may pay to get creative, consider types of property and locations you may have not originally identified. For example, condos and townhomes may be a great alternative for first time buyers. Some locations in the Victoria area are under slightly less pricing pressure, for example properties in the West Shore or Esquimalt area are close to amenities, share the same amazing weather as other nearby neighbourhoods. Working with a REALTOR® to create a purchase strategy will put you ahead of the game, and ensure you end up with the right property for you."
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BC Housing Demand Forecast to be Strongest Since 2007
BCREA 2015 Second Quarter Housing Forecast

Vancouver, BC – June 1, 2015. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) released its 2015 Second Quarter Housing Forecast today.

“More robust economic growth, strong consumer confidence and rock-bottom mortgage interest rates are expected to push housing demand this year to its highest level since 2007,” said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist.  

Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) residential sales in British Columbia are forecast to rise 2.4 per cent to 86,050 units this year and a further 3.9 per cent to 89,400 units in 2016. The ten-year average is 82,100 unit sales. A record 106,300 MLS® residential sales were recorded in 2005.  

The average MLS® residential sales price is forecast to rise 4.5 per cent to $594,000 this year, with most of the upward pressure being exhibited on the South Coast. Elevated consumer demand is expected to be partially offset by resale inventories and additions to the housing stock in 2016. As a result, the average MLS® residential sales price is forecast to increase by 2.4 per cent to $608,500 next year.

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To view the full BCREA Housing Forecast Update, click here.

For more information, please contact:

Cameron Muir Damian Stathonikos
Chief Economist Director of Communications and Public Affairs
Direct: 604.742.2780 Direct: 604.742.2793
Mobile: 778.229.1884 Mobile: 778.990.1320
Email: cmuir@bcrea.bc.ca Email: dstathonikos@bcrea.bc.ca
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BC Home Sales Post Strongest March in Eight Years

Vancouver, BC – April 16, 2015. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that a total of 9,101 residential unit sales were recorded by the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in March, up 37.6 per cent from the same month last year. Total sales dollar volume was $5.8 billion, an increase of 57.1 per cent compared to a year ago. The average MLS® residential price in the province rose to $641,799, up 14.1 per cent from the same month last year.

"BC home sales climbed significantly in March," said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist. "More homes traded hands last month than any March since 2007. On a seasonally adjusted basis, March posted the most home sales of any month since December of 2009."

"Rock bottom interest rates and rising consumer confidence have strengthened housing markets in most regions of the province, added Muir. "Many board areas are now exhibiting sellers' market conditions with home prices advancing well above the overall rate of inflation."

During the first quarter, BC residential sales dollar volume was up 33.2 per cent to $12.7 billion, compared to the same period last year. Residential unit sales were up 22.5 per cent to 20,139 units, while the average MLS® residential price was up 8.7 per cent at $630,435.

 

 

Call me with any real estate questions and if you are thinking of Selling, ask me about my incentive program!

My  Best,
Arran

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Categories:   Cost of Buying a Home | Housing Costs | New home
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