BC Assessments 2020 Vs. What Your Home is Truly Worth

The dollar figure on your provincial property assessment notice should not be taken as your home’s market value

In early January, homeowners across British Columbia received their 2020 assessed property values, released by BC Assessment. For the most part, the province remains relatively stable. However, there are significant changes to note, including a dramatic decrease in values in the lower mainland by as much as 15 per cent and increases of 41 per cent in smaller areas such as Kitimat. Regardless of the situation, it can be a confusing landscape to navigate as a homeowner, seller, or buyer. Here is a look at some of the need-to-know points that demystify the real versus the perceived impact of the newly released property assessments.

But hold…

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Land in Canada, build or invest?

When it comes to investing your money, land has always been a valuable commodity to consider.

Some investors purchase a vacant lot for immediate development. However, others buy lots with the intention of letting the value grow over time. It’s also possible to purchase land close to your own home to increase its overall value too.

Did you know that Canada makes up more than 6 per cent of the Earth’s surface? That’s a whole lot of space! Great news for anyone moving to Canada with dreams of building their own home. But where do you start? With a plot of land. Like with any investment, there are some key strategies to help you make the best purchase decision. While no investment can be 100% guaranteed, land remains a safe one so long as you take into…

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5 Strategies to Generate Income as a Full-time Real Estate Investor

At some point in your journey as a real estate investor, you may develop the desire to quit your current job to pursue real estate investing full-time. 

It sounds exciting, right?  It is, but you’ll need to have a solid plan to replace your income before jumping ship!  Before you quit your full time job there are many questions to ask your self. You will have seen the countless TV programs on property "flipping" and how easy it all looks when the tradesmen are lining up on the Home and Garden Channel to work on the projects and you never really see the stress behind the job.

It may be that you have recently bought a property, done some renovations and "flipped it" and perhaps made your whole years salary in one flip! This would give you a great…

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An Easy Checklist for Moving to a New Home

So you’re moving to a new home, what do you need to get done?

The planning and coordination involved with moving can certainly overwhelm but as long as you take the process one step at a time, you will be settling into your new home and relaxing quickly. This list is comprehensive but will cover everything you’ll need to consider for your moving day. Soon enough, you’ll be able to cruise through your moving day without having to panic.

Before you start to pack, take the time to plan your moving day to make it as stress-free as possible. Let’s face it, moving is stressful. We’re here to help you figure out exactly what you should be doing before, during, and even after your move. Moving all your belongings from one place to another is hard, and so is…

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Are you ready to be a landlord?

The single family home has, unfortunately, become unaffordable for many people.

With roller coaster housing prices and more people finding that renting is better idea than buying, there will be more people turning to renting.

So you’ve made the fortuitous decision to invest in real estate and now you want the revenue stream to begin raining down on you. But are you ready? Below we provide a list of items to help prepare you to be an effective and fair first-time landlord!

NB- We are assuming your building allows rentals so you are not breaking any strata laws in listing your place.

Know your Tenants Rights and the Law

Learn about landlord and tenant laws in your province to ensure you’re prepared in case things go wrong—and they will. The…

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Canadian Real Estate Defies COVID, Sales up 63% in June

National home sales shot up in June, with prices also climbing steadily, according to June data released by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).

Transactions were up about 15.2%, while the average property price was up 6.5% from June 2019 to $539,000. Excluding the country’s most expensive markets, Toronto and Vancouver, the average price falls to $432,000.

“While June’s housing numbers were mostly back at normal levels, we are obviously not back to normal at this point,” said Shaun Cathcart, CREA’s senior economist. “I guess the bigger picture is one of cautious optimism. The market has recovered much faster than many would have thought, but what happens later this year remains a big question mark. That said, daily tracking suggests that…

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What is a Subject to Sale offer?

Buying a New Home Subject to the Sale of your Old Home

Selling the home that you live in and purchasing a new property with the proceeds can be a tricky affair. You need to get your timing exactly correct. You should also try and get the best possible price for your existing property and pay the minimum possible for your new home.

There is an option that Home Buyers may have when buying their new home, called a subject to sale. This subject allows Home Buyers to purchase their new home, subject to their current home selling by a certain date. The simplest reason for doing this is to line up the sales of these properties for financing and moving day reasons – it gives the family a chance to move out of their old house and into their new house without…

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Should You Sell Your Home or Buy a New Home First?

The latest homeowner's conundrum: buy first or sell first?

How to Decide Home Buying & Selling Order

New homeowners face many problems, but hot markets are tricky for those looking to move up. Buying a home can be difficult. House hunters must save for a down payment, may face bidding wars and even forgo conditions once considered staples of a home purchase offer, like financing or an inspection. 

But those who already own a home and want to move into a bigger place or downsize can face a complicated process. They must also decide whether it's best to buy or sell first. The choice depends on the people, the house and the city, realtors say, though there are some constants that hold true for most situations.  The decision to sell their home first…

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BC Housing Market Activity Shows Signs of Recovery in May

Vancouver, BC – June 15, 2020.

The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that a total of 4,518 residential unit sales were recorded by the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in May 2020, a decline of 45.2 per cent from May 2019.

With many markets across the country heading into 2020 with gusto, the COVID-19-pandemic has had an abrupt cooling effect upon real estate Canada-wide. Sales volume, listings, and demand are all showing obvious month-over-month dips; impacts of precautionary social distancing measures, and a national economy on pause.

Yet, not all hope is lost. There is a great deal of optimism that, should events unfold according to the predictions of the country’s public health officials, we may witness a slow crawl…

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Buying a mobile home in BC - What do you need to know.

Buying and selling manufactured homes

Most first-time home buyers only consider site-built single-family homes, but have you considered buying a mobile home or manufactured home? Mobile and manufactured homes, while not as popular, have one big advantage: They typically offer more space or amenities for the money.

Mobile homes, also known as “manufactured homes," are built in a factory and placed on a trailer chassis to allow them to be moved. Mobile homes are sometimes placed in a mobile home park or on leased land. In these cases, the owner rents a space or leases land, but owns the mobile home itself. Alternatively, mobile home owners can place mobile homes on land they own or are buying under contract.

Today's companies manufacture homes at…

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