Triple Crown

Over the last few years, rising housing prices have outpaced the ability of many first-time buyers to save a sufficient down payment to service a mortgage for a single-detached house. If you are getting tired of paying rent and you would like to own some real estate, there is an alternative. Purchase a condominium as your first home. Doing so doesn’t mean you have to give up your dream for a white picket fence and big garden. It simply means you shift your current expectations to get into the real estate market and put your monthly payments towards building your own family’s equity instead of a landlord’s equity. While considering your decision, may we point out a few benefits to condo ownership you might not have considered? The Primary Consideration - Price In Greater Victoria, condominiums are more affordable than owning a detached home. You’ll likely find your mortgage plus condo fees are equivalent to how much you pay for rent. If you end up paying more, be as...

The changes in mortgage qualification rules have reduced buyer’s purchasing power and the proof is in the numbers. Event though there are 20 per cent more active listings than this time last year, there are 25 per cent fewer homes sold compared to June last year. We also have a lot more competition for any homes listed at a lower price ranges and for condominiums because there are a third less homes listed under $750,000 this year over last due to rising real estate prices, and there has not been enough condominiums to meet demand. On the higher end of the market, there are at least 50 per cent more $1.5 million plus houses listed. The new and potential taxes from the provincial government are putting pressure on some high value home owners to sell. The provincial taxes include the Foreign Buyer Property Transfer Tax, the increased School Tax and the potential  Speculation Tax. The VREB (Victoria Real Estate Board) President Kyle Kerr summed up the current market well. "...

Thank You to everyone who has invested in the Triple Crown Community and purchased a condominium. All 46 units in Residence 1 are now sold. Those of you who were not ready to buy, or who are waiting for the next phase of condominiums, stay tuned. We will be announcing details soon. Now that you’ve put a deposit down for your new condominium, make sure you make yourself aware of some expenses you will need to set aside some money to pay before the day that you close if you’re living in or renting your unit. Closing costs GST is included with the rebate going to the seller. If the buyer is not living in the unit and not eligible for the rebate they must pay the rebate portion on top of the Selling price. Property Transfer Tax (PTT) is similar in that it is included if you are living in the unit. Those not living in the unit they must pay the PTT on top of the Selling price net of the GST. You will need insurance for the unit whether living in it or renting it out...

"Last year, the months of May and June were the busiest," said Victoria Real Estate Board President Kyle Kerr. "So, we may see this pattern again but on a slightly smaller scale than last year, since our sales for the year thus far are down about 18 per cent when compared to 2017." A total of 2,002 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service® at the end of April 2018. A total of 774 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region through April which is a 12.5 per cent increase from the month previous. There isn't a lot of homes on the market to meet demand, and good homes in desirable locations still see multiple bids. There is a strong pressure on lower-priced properties. The reduced buying power of consumers due to the new mortgage rules is creating more competition for lower-priced properties. That's what is pushing prices up. The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a si...

Recent legislation introduced by the BC Government will require builders to collect and report their buyer's information on the purchase and sale of condos before they are built. The NDP are putting this practice into place because they are concerned speculators are making purchases, riding out the equity increases while the property is being built, then selling them at a profit without ever living in them or reporting any of the capital gains.  “This is a key step to stopping people from using presale condos as a quick, lucrative investment,'' says Carol James. ``It's also to stop them from driving prices up for British Columbians trying to get into the housing market.'' This legislation would force the reporting of the condo flips and allow the government to collect the tax. Whether or not one agrees with their legislation, if you read between the lines, the government is taking action because it recognizes the value in pre-sale condos as a wa...

“What about the noise?” We hear this question time and again. It’s one of the larger concerns our customers have when they are considering a condo purchase. “I like the idea of the condo lifestyle,” a customer told us. “I’m just not excited about hearing my noisy neighbours on all sides. I like a quiet space.” We get it. And we feel the same way. “Did you know there have been recent changes to the National Building Code (NBC) to reduce noise transmission” we asked? In 2015, the NBC, which is Canada's building code that sets technical provisions for the construction of buildings, was updated to change how builders and architects design for acoustics to ensure you have quieter neighbours. What is required and how they measure it needs a little explaining. The measure of how much material can reduce noise transmission is called the Sound Transmission Class (STC). The higher the STC number, the less sound transmitted. The NBC now requires an STC rating o...