| Thursday, February 11, 2010 HST Informationby Don McNeill on Thu, Feb, 11, 2010 08:49 PM With the HST upon us fairly soon, here is some legal information courtesy of Spagnuolo & Co Real Estate Lawyers.
HARMONIZED SALES TAX
HOW IT APPLIES TO RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE
GENERAL DISCUSSION
On July 23, 2009, British Columbia announced its plans to implement a Harmonized Sales Tax ("H.S.T.") for B.C. effective July 1, 2010. The H.S.T. is a combination of the 7% Provincial Sales Tax ("P.S.T.") with the 5% federal Goods and Services Tax ("G.S.T.") for a single sales tax rate of 12%.
For consumers, goods and services (with some exceptions) will be subject to the H.S.T. in the same manner as they are currently subject to GST. This applies to real estate as well.
For both used and new homes, there are some extra costs for buyers or sellers but these are for the services required to buy or sell, not on the price of the home.
Buyers of used residential real estate can expect to pay H.S.T. on items such as home inspectors, appraisals and other such services. Lawyer fees will not change as they have been forced to charge P.S.T. for years.
Sellers of used residential real estate can expect to pay H.S.T. on realtor commissions, and any other services they may use (we can’t think of any).
H.S.T. has different implications for used residential real estate and new residential real estate. There are also different rules for commercial properties, mobile homes and other types of real estate. Below is an explanation of each situation.
USED RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE
There is no H.S.T. on the price of used residential real estate, much like the current rules regarding G.S.T. There are no extra closing costs on the purchase or sale of a used residential house, subject to the comments above.
NEW HOUSING
Here is where the costs will increase.
H.S.T. will be payable
on the sale of new or substantially renovated homes, where the Contract of Purchase and Sale was entered into after November 18, 2009 and both ownership and possession of the home is transferred after... Saturday, January 23, 2010 New Year Updateby Don McNeill on Sat, Jan, 23, 2010 11:13 PM
For immediate release: January 5, 2010
YEAR OF THE REAL ESTATE REBOUND FOR
FRASER VALLEY
(Surrey, BC) – Results from Fraser Valley Real Estate Board’s Multiple Listing Service (MLS®) in
December reflect the real estate story of 2009: recovery.
“In 12 months, we went from the worst January in 20 years to the third best December,” said Paul Penner, President of the Board. “Home buyers took Boxing Day shopping to new levels with some Fraser Valley REALTORS® showing multiple homes per day between Christmas and New Years.”
According to Penner, a significant portion of the 148 per cent increase in activity in December’s sales,
1,260 compared to 508 in December 2008 , can be attributed to first-time home buyers confident with the current economic conditions and taking advantage of all-time low interest rates. “An informal poll of our members in December revealed 40 per cent of home sales were by first-time buyers when it would normally be in the 25 per cent range.”
The trend overall for 2009 was one of increasing sales, decreasing inventory and prices rebounding. The Board’s MLS® processed 16,721 sales in 2009, compared to 13,194 the previous year, an increase of 26 per cent. However, it received 15 per cent fewer new listings during the same time period – 30,221 in 2009 compared to 35,651 in 2008. Over the year, the number of active listings for buyers to choose from dropped by 34 per cent going from 9,960 properties in December 2008 to 6,534 in December 2009.
“We’re seeing the combined effect of fewer homes being listed, which is normal for this time of year, a
flurry of buying activity, plus a decrease in the number of new homes being built. This has put pressure
on prices in the Fraser Valley, particularly on homes in the lower to mid-range markets,” explained
Penner.
The MLSLink Housing Price Index (HPI) benchmark price for detached homes was $497,732 in
December compared to $464,189 in December 2008, an increase of 7.2 per cent. Although prices have
gradually... Friday, May 29, 2009 Real Estate Market Updateby Don McNeill on Fri, May, 29, 2009 09:56 AM
Some great news.
For immediate release
BC Housing Market Stabilizing
Balanced markets emerging in Victoria, Vancouver and the Fraser Valley
Vancouver, BC –May 26, 2009.As part of its Spring 2009 Housing Forecast, the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reported today that housing market conditions have improved more rapidly than expected. As a result, BCREA has revised its home price forecast upwards, reflecting greater price stability through the balance of the year. The average Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) residential price in British Columbia is forecast to decline eight per cent to $420,600 in 2009, instead of 13 per cent originally forecasted at the beginning of the year.
“The majority of the decline in home prices has already occurred,” said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist. “Balanced markets are emerging in Victoria, Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. There’s now little downward pressure on home prices in these areas.”
|
|
Email