Vancouver Island Living Made Easy

Tour of Homes - Saturday November 27th, 2010

Sun, 14 Nov 2010 16:15:44 GMT

TOUR OF HOMES

When: Saturday, November 27th, 2010

Time: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Where: Duncan, Maps will be provided

What: Tour of preselected Homes

How: Caravan Style Tour - You Follow Me

Homes: Listed between $250,000 - $320,000

3+ Bedrooms, 2+ Bathrooms

Take this great opportunity to check out homes in your price range in a casual, no pressure, informative setting.

Call Me to get more details & to Reserve a Spot.

Karrie - 250 746-8123

This Ad is not intended to solicit people who are already working with a REALTOR.

Homes: Listed between $250,000 - $320,000

3+ Bedrooms, 2+ Bathrooms

Harmonized Sales Tax - HST & its Effects on BC Real Estate

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 01:14:00 GMT

Harmonized Sales Tax—HST

July 1st, 2010 The HST at 12%, composed of a federal part at 5% and a provincial part at 7%, would apply to a builder's sale of a newly constructed or substantially renovated residential complex, including a multiple unit residential complex (e.g., an apartment building). The sale of housing that has been previously occupied by an individual as a place of residence and that is exempt from GST would also be exempt for purposes of the HST. The definitions in the Excise Tax Act that relate to housing (e.g., builder, residential complex, residential unit, residential condominium unit, substantial renovation) and the CRA's current policies regarding the application of the GST to housing, would generally apply. under the HST.

HST Rebates

Price: HST 12% Provincial HST Property 1st Time GST

Rebate (5%) Transfer Tax Buyers Exempt Rebate

$250,000 $30,000 (12,500) $3,000 ($3,000) ($4,500)

$350,000 $42,000 (17,500) $5,000 ($5,000) ($6,300)

$525,000 $63,000 (26,250) $8,500 N/A N/A

$750,000 $90,000 (26,500) $13,000 N/A N/A $1,000.000 $120,000 (26,250) $18,000 N/A N/A

Notes: 5% up to 1% on 1st exemption to 36% of the

$525,000 $200,000, $425,000 5 % of HST

than fixed at 2% on than phases up to $350,000

$26,250 after. remainder. out. declines to zero

after $450,000.

Therefore:

Total Tax if Total Tax if Not

Price: 1st Time Buyer 1st Time Buyer

$250,000 $13,000 $16,000

$350,000 $18,200 $23,200

$525,000 $45,250 $45,250

$750,000 $76,750 $76,750

$1,000,000 $111,750 $111,750

Disclaimer: For more in depth analysis of the HST and applicable rebates, please speak to your Real Estate Lawyer.

Buying A Home & Selling Your Home

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:34:48 GMT

Buying A Home:

· You set the pace

· Thinking out side of the box

· No Pressure

· Defining the “must haves & the want to haves”

· Negotiating the best price for you.

Selling Your Home:

· Free Home Evaluation

· Advice on Home Staging

· Professional Quality Photos

· Personal Contact, Accessibility & Accountability

· Customized Marketing Plan

· Continuous Feedback

For more information Contact:

Karrie Brennan REALTOR

Pemberton Holmes, Duncan

karriebrennan@pembertonholmes.com

karriebrennan.com

Office: 250-758-8123

Referral Appreciation Program

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:25:42 GMT

Referral Appreciation Program

Your referrals are important to me, they help to grow my business & get my name out there. To show my appreciation for your referrals, I am offering a

$250 Gift Certificate for all referrals of buyers and sellers upon completion.

You can be confident that your referrals will be treated as a priority, their best interests will come first and foremost.

Resale housing forecast extended to 2011

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 23:57:42 GMT

Chief Economist Gregory Klump. “The decline and subsequent rebound in sales activity for homes in the upper price spectrum in some of Canada's priciest markets skewed average prices upward in the second half of 2009 and into 2010. This segment of housing activity in Ontario and British Columbia is expected to ease beginning in the second half of 2010, causing average prices to moderate in those provinces,”

CREA Residential Market Forecast:

Residential unit sales forecast	2009	2009 Annual percentage change	2010 Forecast	2010 Annual percentage change	2011 Forecast	2011 Annual percentage change
Canada	465,251	7.7	527,300	13.3	490,100	-7.1
British Columbia	85,028	23.4	101,900	19.8	88,800	-12.9
Alberta	57,786	2.5	63,050	9.1	64,000	1.5
Saskatchewan	10,856	6.5	10,900	0.4	11,050	1.4
Manitoba	13,086	-3.2	14,050	7.4	14,350	2.1
Ontario	195,840	8.2	223,700	14.2	200,300	-10.5
Quebec	79,290	3.3	87,950	10.9	85,450	-2.8
New Brunswick	7,003	-7.3	7,550	7.8	7,700	2.0
Nova Scotia	10,021	-7.8	11,400	13.8	11,500	0.9
Prince Edward Island	1,404	-0.6	1,450	3.3	1,450	0.0
Newfoundland	4,416	-5.9	4,900	11.0	5,050	3.1

Residential average price forecast	2009	2009 Annual percentage change	2010 Forecast	2010 Annual percentage change	2011 Forecast	2011 Annual percentage change
Canada	320,333	5.0	337,500	5.4	332,400	-1.5
British Columbia	465,725	2.4	485,500	4.2	476,600	-1.8
Alberta	341,201	-3.3	357,300	4.7	361,700	1.2
Saskatchewan	233,695	4.1	242,500	3.8	248,500	2.5
Manitoba	201,343	5.8	210,300	4.4	215,300	2.4
Ontario	318,366	5.3	332,700	4.5	326,000	-2.0
Quebec	225,412	4.7	240,500	6.7	249,100	3.6
New Brunswick	154,906	6.3	159,400	2.9	164,200	3.0
Nova Scotia	196,690	3.6	200,900	2.1	204,700	1.9
Prince Edward Island	146,044	4.4	149,900	2.6	153,200	2.2
Newfoundland	206,374	15.6	222,300	7.7	238,900	7.5

NOTE: All statistics contained in this release are obtained through analysis of the MLS® Systems of real estate Boards across Canada.

MLS® Systems are co-operative marketing systems used only by Canada’s real estate Boards to ensure maximum exposure of properties listed for sale.

Vancouver Island Real Estate Board Reports 105% increase in single Family Unit Sales

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:43:50 GMT

Vancouver Island Real Estate Board reports robust November

NANAIMO, BC – Single family unit sales following the usual seasonal trend are down 21% in November 2009 over the previous month but surpassed November 2008 levels by 105% on a Board wide basis. The average sale price meanwhile is 3% below November 2008 according to Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) sales summary data released by the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board (VIREB) for November 2009.

There were 357 single family unit sales across the VIREB region in November 2009.

VIREB President Ray Francis said, “We are seeing consistent growth in the market as we move toward 2010”.

The average sale price across the VIREB region comparing November 2009 to November 2008, was $335,192, down 3% from the $346,364 posted in November 2008 but very close to the October 2009 average price of $332,897.

For the period comparing data from the end of November 2008 to the end of November 2009, average sale prices in VIREB's six zones saw: Campbell River increase 13% (to $311,045), the Comox Valley increased 9% (to $346,475), Nanaimo is down 6% (to $360,328), Parksville/Qualicum saw no change (at $372,414), Port Alberni jumped 24% (at $250,485) and the Cowichan Valley was down 13% (at $347,833).

There are 17.5% fewer single family residential properties for sale now than in November 2008.

VIREB cautions that average price information can be useful in establishing trends over time, but does not indicate the actual prices in centers comprised of widely divergent neighbourhoods or account for price differential between geographic areas.

Source: Vancouver Island Real Estate Board: http://www.vireb.com/assets/news/files/november_sales_summary_news_release.pdf

Real Estate Market Extends Through 2010

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:52:38 GMT

British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) Releases Fall 2009 Housing Forecast

BC Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) residential sales are estimated to increase 20 per cent to 82,900 units this year from 68,923 units in 2008. Residential sales in 2010 are forecast to increase a further 8 per cent to 89,600 units. The ten-year average is 82,800 units.

"A sharp rebound in consumer demand turned a potentially dismal year into a very strong year for home sales,” said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist. “Vancouver and Victoria, in particular, are posting near record unit sales this fall."

The average annual MLS® residential price in the province is expected to post a new record this year, rising 2 per cent to $463,200 and is forecast to climb an additional 4 per cent to $482,800 in 2010.

“Recovery in the BC economy will unfold gradually next year,” added Muir. “With sales prices in some markets flirting with record highs, affordability constraints will limit home price inflation over the next year.” Posted by the BCREA New Room

The full Fall 2009 Housing Forecast is available at: www.bcrea.bc.ca/economics/HousingForecast.pdf.

Cowichan Valley Home Sales for the Month of October

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:30:54 GMT

Cowichan Valley (Single Family)

Home Sales for the month of October, 2009

LD - Ladysmith: Sales 12 Avg Sale Price $285,098

SA - Saltair: Sales 3 Avg Sale Price $436,833

CH - Chemainus: Sales 3 Avg Sale Price $314,667

CF - Crofton: Sales 2 Avg Sale Price $270,000

LC - Lake Cow: Sales 2 Avg Sale Price $297,500

CI - Cowichan,

Cobble Hill: Sales 4 Avg Sale Price $356,000

DU - Duncan: Sales 39 Avg Sale Price $367,033

MI - Mill Bay: Sales 3 Avg Sale Price $551,667

SH - Shawnigan: Sales 3 Avg Sale Price $394,167

TOTALS:

Cowichan Valley - October, 2009

Property Type

Single Family: 71 $357,556

Condo (Apt): 8 $151,612

Condo (Patio): 4 $255,250

Condo (Townhouse): 12 $237,588

Single Family (Water): 4 $465,000

Lots: 10 $155, 590

Average sale price does not include Waterfront.

Copyright © 2009 Vancouver Island Real Estate Board. All rights reserved. Information presented here is for general interest only. No guarantees apply.

See your REALTOR® for specific information. Trademarks are owned or controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify real

estate professionals who are members of CREA (REALTOR®) and/or the quality of services they provide (MLS®).

What the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) Means to Homebuyers

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:37:10 GMT

We all have questions about the new Harmonized Sales Tax (HST), so here’s the scoop & how it will effect you as a homebuyer.

If approved, the HST will become effective July 1st, 2010. It is a combination of the 7% provincial sales tax (PST) with the 5% federal goods and services tax (GST).

As proposed, the HST will increase the cost of buying or selling all types of property and becomes essentially an additional tax on home ownership. REALTOR® commissions, appraisals and other services will be subject to a 12% HST, replacing the 5% GST now charged, and new homes will be subject to the full HST.

To offset the increase in costs, the BC Government plans to offer a partial rebate of the HST for new housing, intending that new homes up to $400,000 should bear no more tax than under the current PST system. Homes above $400,000 will receive a flat rebate of $20,000. New home sales over $400,000 will be dramatically impacted, as buyers will have to pay an additional seven per cent tax on amounts over $400,000.

The BCREA is recommending a number of changes be implemented to the HST before it comes into effect. Their goal is to alleviate costs to the homebuyer.

Mortgage Rate Forecast

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:33:20 GMT

Prospective homebuyers took advantage of historically low mortgage rates through the summer months, fuelling a rebound in housing activity in BC across Canada.

The BC Real Estate Associations (BCREA) expects a low interest rate environment to persist through 2009 and into 2010.

Mortgage rates are forecast to fluctuate within a narrow range near current levels for the remainder of the year, before rising modestly through 2010 as the economy improves.

Strong Home Sales on Vancouver Island Heading into Fall

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:26:54 GMT

Unit sales of single family properties in September of 2009, are up significantly over September of 2008 showing a 36 per cent increase according to MLS® sales summary data released by the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board (VIREB) for September 2009.

“Increasing sales from this time last year and the decrease (22%) in units listed during this period indicates more balance and a stabilizing of the market. Consumer confidence, especially for first time buyers, remains high, fuelled by the very low interest rates. Real estate continues to lead the way in economic recovery,” says VIREB President Ray Francis. “We are seeing this stability with greater volumes reflected by the more balanced market. While sellers and buyers need to remain realistic about pricing these are all very positive signs”

Vancouver Island Living Made Easy

Tour of Homes - Saturday November 27th, 2010

Harmonized Sales Tax - HST & its Effects on BC Real Estate

Buying A Home & Selling Your Home

Referral Appreciation Program

Resale housing forecast extended to 2011

NOTE: All statistics contained in this release are obtained through analysis of the MLS® Systems of real estate Boards across Canada.MLS® Systems are co-operative marketing systems used only by Canada’s real estate Boards to ensure maximum exposure of properties listed for sale.

Vancouver Island Real Estate Board Reports 105% increase in single Family Unit Sales

Real Estate Market Extends Through 2010

Cowichan Valley Home Sales for the Month of October

What the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) Means to Homebuyers

Mortgage Rate Forecast

Strong Home Sales on Vancouver Island Heading into Fall

NOTE: All statistics contained in this release are obtained through analysis of the MLS® Systems of real estate Boards across Canada.

MLS® Systems are co-operative marketing systems used only by Canada’s real estate Boards to ensure maximum exposure of properties listed for sale.