It’s no secret that the greater Vancouver housing market is an active one. However, given the number of transactions that were underway during the COVID-19 outbreak, it makes sense for contract-bearers to worry. A series of legal issues have risen, and continue to rise, regarding negotiating new transactions, transactions in progress, and lastly, transactions with binding contracts yet to close.…
You may be familiar with the Empty Homes Tax and the Speculation and Vacancy Tax if you are a homeowner in or around the Vancouver area. The key difference between both taxes is that the first is only applicable to Vancouver whereas the latter is province-wide. As of December 31, 2019, significant updates were made to the Speculation and Vacancy…
The coronavirus outbreak has affected everyday life with the media playing a large role in instilling panic through sensationalized headlines. The general public’s fear of the unknown coupled with misinformation has already led to a shortage in personal supplies such as hand sanitizer, face masks, and toilet paper. Thus, it is logical to assume that the real estate market, too,…
According to the B.C. Residential Tenancy Guide, all disagreements present between a landlord and tenant should be acknowledged during its early stages. It is important that both parties attempt to resolve them before they develop into larger issues. In turn, whether you are the landlord or the tenant, it is crucial that you know your rights and responsibilities under the…
Do you know what the difference is between the B.C. Speculation Tax and the City of Vancouver Empty Homes Tax? With the recent introduction of the B.C. Speculation Tax soon after the City of Vancouver Empty Homes Tax, many are left wondering: what’s the difference? It’s not uncommon to be misinformed or left confused about the nature of each type…
What is the B.C. Speculation Tax? In 2018, the NDP government introduced the B.C. Speculation Tax in an effort to dampen the hot housing market. The goal of this annual tax is to: Reduce the amount of empty homes so that more living spaces are available to B.C. residents. Reprimand foreign buyers and domestic speculators who do not pay taxes…
In some cases, buyers may change their minds or realize that they are no longer financially able to follow through with their purchase. However, reneging has proven to be quite expensive and stressful. Therefore, it is important that buyers are well aware of what they are getting themselves into and the terms by which their offer is based on. An…
Canadian home sales have fallen due to the tougher mortgage qualification rules that have deterred prospective buyers. The real estate market tightened its regulations in an attempt to make certain that buyers will be able to sustain potential fluctuations in their economic standing. This may be in terms of interest rate volatility, should their interest rates surpass that of their…
If you’ve been following the real-estate market in any metropolitan city, you’ve most likely overheard the term ‘assignment’ when talking about buying or selling condos. What is an assignment? An assignment is the transfer of one party’s interests in a contract of purchase and sale to a separate outside party. In layman’s terms, an outside party takes over the position…