On October 3rd, Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced that new mortgage rules will include more stringent “stress testing” for borrowers. The new rules are designed to lower debt levels, enforce some belt-tightening, and protect the housing market over the long term. Here’s how these new rules will affect Canadians.
THE HIGH-RATIO RULE

There has been a long-time rule that you must have “high-ratio mortgage insurance” if you have less than 20% downpayment. This insurance is there to protect the lender, and the premium is almost always added to your mortgage amount.

What’s changed? If you require an insured mortgage, you must qualify for your mortgage using the Bank of Canada qualifying rate (currently 4.64%) regardless of what your actual mortgage rate will be.

That means that – although I can find you a much better mortgage rate – you’d still need to show you can handle the mortgage using the qualifying rate. This financial “stress test” was already applicable for fixed and variable mortgages with terms of 1 to 4 years. Now, it also applies to fixed-rate mortgages of 5 years or longer.

Why the new rule? The government wants to be sure that borrowers can withstand any increases in mortgage rates when their mortgages come up for renewal.

Will my payments be higher? No. Your payments will still be based on your much lower actual mortgage contract rate. Keep in mind that mortgage rates are expected to stay at record lows into 2020. So this new rule isn’t costing you more. The potential change will be in how much mortgage you will qualify for: up to 20% less. You may need to plan on purchasing a less expensive home, or save up a larger downpayment, or ensure you eliminate all or most of your other debts.

Are any loans grandfathered? The new mortgage stress test does not apply when:

A mortgage loan insurance application was received before October 17, 2016;
The lender made a legally binding commitment to make the loan before October 17, 2016; or
The borrower entered into a legally binding agreement of purchase and sale for the property against which the loan was secured before October 17, 2016.

THE CONVENTIONAL MORTGAGE RULE

Maybe you have more than 20% down or equity in your home and you are planning to purchase, renew or refinance. Since you have strong equity, you aren’t considered a “high-ratio” borrower.

What’s changed? Effective November 30th, any mortgage loans that lenders insure using portfolio insurance must now meet eligibility criteria applicable to “high ratio” mortgages, including the new qualifying stress test. This means that rental properties, properties over $1 million, and mortgages with an amortization greater than 25 years will no longer be eligible for portfolio insurance.

Does this mean I will have trouble getting a mortgage? Certainly not. The change will only affect certain lenders that insure or securitize these types of mortgages. I have access to a wide range of lenders, which means I can help you find the best mortgage for your situation. But if you are thinking of refinancing, get in touch now just to be sure you lock in a low rate.
THE CAPITAL GAINS REPORTING RULE

Canadians love the capital gains exemption they get on their primary residence: if your home grows in value, you aren’t taxed on that growth when you sell.

What’s changed? Starting this tax year, the sale of a primary residence must be reported at tax time to the Canada Revenue Agency, even though all capital gains are still tax exempt.

Why? This new rule was designed to prevent foreign property purchasers from claiming a primary residence tax exemption to which they are not entitled.
Although there are definite regional variations, the Canadian housing market is strong. A good part of the reason for that strength is that we have had stringent mortgage requirements. Mortgage defaults in Canada continue to be very low: in spite of the ups and downs of the economy.

The new rules are aimed at ensuring home ownership continues to be a solid, long-term investment. Give me a call: I’ll help ensure you make the most of it!

A total of 883 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this August, an increase of 19.2 per cent compared to the 741 properties sold in August last year.

“August is a record breaker in more than one way. For the sixth consecutive month, we have a sales record with more sales than any other month of August on record,” says Mike Nugent, 2016 President of the Board. “We also have the lowest number of listings available for sale in an August than we’ve seen in the last twenty years. That lack of inventory will continue to put pressure on pricing. Sales would be even higher were there more inventory available for buyers to purchase. Regardless of the low inventory, it’s safe to say that by mid-September we will have surpassed the number of sales for all of 2015, with four months remaining in the year.”

Inventory levels remain lower than last year, with 2,094 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service® at the end of August 2016, 43.2 per cent fewer than the 3,688 active listings at the end of August 2015.

“As we saw last month, the expected seasonal slowdown continues as we move towards the autumn,” adds Nugent.  “August tends to be the slower summer month, though the year-over-year sales numbers are very strong. This shows continued consumer confidence in the Victoria real estate market. It is early to determine a trend, but we don’t see any early indications that the foreign investment Property Transfer Tax implemented in Metro Vancouver has impacted sales to any extent in Victoria at this time.”

The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core in August, 2015 was $603,200. The benchmark value for the same home in August 2016 has increased by 23.8 per cent to $746,900

About VREB – Founded in 1921, the Victoria Real Estate Board is a key player in the development of standards and innovative programs to enhance the professionalism of REALTORS®. The Victoria Real Estate Board represents 1,283 local Realtors. If you are thinking about buying or selling a home, connect with your local Realtor for detailed information on the Victoria and area housing market.

View our press release and summary here.

View our complete statistical package here.

A total of 1,286 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this April, an increase of 53 per cent compared to the 840 properties sold in the same month last year.

Inventory levels remain lower than the previous year, with 2,594 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service® at the end of April, 34 per cent fewer than the 3,945 active listings at the end of April 2015.

“We continue to see extraordinary interest in the Victoria and area housing market. Likely this is because the trends we reviewed last month continue – low mortgage rates, higher employment numbers, diversity of properties for sale and of course the growing international awareness that Victoria is an amazing place to live,” notes Mike Nugent, 2016 President of the Board. “The vast majority of Victoria buyers are from within the local Victoria marketplace. Last year 70.5 per cent of buyers were from Victoria, and this year in the first quarter we see 72.5 per cent of buyers from the area. We’ve also tracked a slight increase in Lower Mainland buyers. Reports from the first quarter of 2016 show that 8.2 per cent of buyers are from the Lower Mainland, and last year we counted 7.4 per cent.  It’s also noteworthy that we’ve seen a decrease in buyers from Alberta (last year we saw 5.7 per cent, this quarter we saw 3.9 per cent), a small increase in buyers from the US (from 0.8 per cent to 1 per cent) and an increase in buyers from Asia (from 0.7 per cent to 0.8 per cent this quarter).”

The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core in April, 2015 was $581,700. The benchmark value for the same home in April 2016 has increased by 17.7 per cent to $684,900.

“If you are shopping for a home right now, there is a good chance that if you’re looking in a higher demand area (Victoria core, Saanich, Oak Bay) you may find yourself in a multiple offer situation when you go to purchase. This is because there are more buyers than homes for sale and so the market is more competitive than we’ve seen in years past,” adds Nugent. “As a consumer it may pay to get creative, consider types of property and locations you may have not originally identified. For example, condos and townhomes may be a great alternative for first time buyers. Some locations in the Victoria area are under slightly less pricing pressure, for example properties in the West Shore or Esquimalt area are close to amenities, share the same amazing weather as other nearby neighbourhoods. Working with a REALTOR® to create a purchase strategy will put you ahead of the game, and ensure you end up with the right property for you.”

About VREB – Founded in 1921, the Victoria Real Estate Board is a key player in the development of standards and innovative programs to enhance the professionalism of Realtors. The Victoria Real Estate Board represents over 1,200 local Realtors. If you are thinking about buying or selling a home, connect with your local Realtor for detailed information on the Victoria and area housing market.

View our press release and summary here.

View our complete statistical package here.

The Victoria Real Estate Board today released its report on Multiple Listing Service® real estate activity in the Victoria area for the month of January 2016.

2016 started with the busiest month of sales in January since 2002. A total of 539 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this January, an increase of 53.6 per cent compared to the 351 properties sold in the same month last year.

Inventory levels are lower than the previous year, with 2,471 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service® at the end of January, 24.7 per cent fewer than the 3,283 active listings at the end of January 2015.

“Though the ongoing count of properties for sale is low, the number of new listings entering the market is close to what we saw last year,” notes Wendy Moreton, 2016 president of the board. “The recent month of January saw 934 new listings, where last year we saw 1,027. The good news for buyers is that there are new properties for sale every day. The good news for sellers is that there appears to be more buyers in the market, so well-priced properties in high demand areas (like the Victoria core) are swift sellers.”

“Last year we saw the traditionally busy spring market start early as sales picked up over February and March,” adds Moreton. “This year that spring market may be starting even earlier, as our sales numbers for January are close to the numbers we saw last February. We’ll watch this trend over the next few months. This busy market is the perfect time to enlist the help of your local REALTOR®. Realtors have access to up-to-date trends for all the different markets across the Greater Victoria area and can best assist buyers and sellers to navigate this exciting market.”

The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core in January, 2015 was $561,600. The benchmark value for the same home in January 2016 has increased by 10.2 per cent to $618,600.

About VREB – Founded in 1921, the Victoria Real Estate Board is a key player in the development of standards and innovative programs to enhance the professionalism of Realtors. The Victoria Real Estate Board represents over 1,200 local Realtors. If you are thinking about buying or selling a home, connect with your local Realtor for detailed information on the Victoria and area housing market.

View our press release and summary here.
View our complete statistical package here.

November 2, 2015, Victoria BC – The Victoria Real Estate Board today released its report on real estate activity for October 2015. A total of 734 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this October, an increase of 21.9% compared to the 602 properties sold in the same month last year.

There were 3,170 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service® at the end of October, 19.3% fewer than the 3,927 active listings in October 2014.

“This is the twenty-ninth month in a row that we’ve seen monthly sales increase over the year before,” Victoria Real Estate Board President Guy Crozier says. “This month we also saw sales numbers surpass the total for last year – in 2014 there were 6,698 sales and as of October 31, 2015 there are 7,257 sales on record with two months to go in 2015! We’re looking down the home stretch of 2015 and there is no sign of a market slow down.”

The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core last year in October was $555,900. The benchmark value for the same home in October 2015 has increased by 9.4% to $608,200.

What’s President Crozier’s advice to buyers shopping for their perfect home? “It’s critical to work closely with your REALTOR® to stay on top of the market. With home sales almost at the pace of new listings, the market is moving quickly and some homes in high demand areas like the Victoria Core are selling in days. Working with your Realtor on a plan of what you require over the course of the transaction can remove stress and risk from the process.”

More information on the October 2015 report and the Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index is available from the Victoria Real Estate Board, at vreb.org.

About VREB – Founded in 1921, the Victoria Real Estate Board is a key player in the development of standards and innovative programs to enhance the professionalism of REALTORS®. The Victoria Real Estate Board represents over 1,200 local Realtors.  If you are thinking about buying or selling a home, connect with your local Realtor for detailed information on the Victoria and area housing market.

View our press release and summary here.

View our complete statistical package here.

by Steve Randall | 07 Jul 2015

The recent events in Greece have created an unprecedented situation and one which is causing ripples throughout the world’s economies. It has meant a surge in speculation by analysts about whether the bank of Canada will take a pre-emptive strike against potential weakness emanating from the Eurozone. However the talk of an interest rate cut was already rife with some economists suggesting that it could happen as soon as next Wednesday when the BoC meets. Although there are some parts of the economy that would benefit from a rate cut the bank will be mindful of balancing growth with over-fuelling the housing market. Derek Holt of Scotia Economists believes that there won’t be a cut as it would “risk inflaming housing imbalances” while Douglas Porter of BMO says that Stephen Poloz may see that as a risk worth taking.

The Victoria Real Estate Board today released its report on real estate activity in the Victoria area for May 2015. A total of 905 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this May, a 26.8% increase compared to the 714 properties sold in the same month last year.

“May was another great month for local real estate. It’s been a very active month for sales and listings, and we continue to see consumer confidence in our market as people continue to purchase properties,” Victoria Real Estate Board President Guy Crozier says. “Across our entire market, home values are up compared to this time last year. In high demand areas with less inventory available, we may see some pressure on pricing, but we also have areas in our market with great variety that offer more options in terms of property and price.”

The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core this time last year was $570,500. The benchmark value for the same home this month has increased by 3.98% to $593,200.

There were 4,043 active listings for sale on the Multiple Listing Service® at the end of May, 13.5% fewer than the 4,672 active listings in May 2014.

“We’ve not seen this many sales in May since 2007 when we saw 963 properties sell in the month,” adds President Crozier. “Despite the demand, prices remain competitive and there is great variety in what is available. For detailed information on the Victoria and area housing market, connect with your local REALTOR®.”

More information on the May 2015 report and the Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index is available from the Victoria Real Estate Board, at vreb.org.

About VREB – Founded in 1921, the Victoria Real Estate Board is a key player in the development of standards and innovative programs to enhance the professionalism of REALTORS®. The Victoria Real Estate Board represents over 1,200 local REALTORS®.

View our press release and summary here.

View our complete statistical package here.

The Victoria Real Estate Board today released its report on real estate activity in the Victoria area for April 2015. A total of 840 properties sold in the Victoria region this April, a 26.5% increase compared to the 664 properties sold in the same month last year.

“We’ve seen modest sales increases in the area for the past two years, which we’ve attributed to a growing consumer confidence in the market,” Victoria Real Estate Board President Guy Crozier says. “The past three months have been exceptional, and I think have surprised most people watching the market; I certainly haven’t seen forecasts even close to the numbers we see today. It’s possible that consumers who were hesitant to make a move or purchase their first house during the recent economic downturn may have waited to see conditions like we see now – the favourable interest rates, good selection of prices and properties, and increased confidence in the local economy.”

There were 3,945 active listings for sale on the Multiple Listing Service® at the end of April, 10.4% fewer than the 4,404 active listings in April 2014.

The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core this time last year was $562,000. The benchmark value for the same home this month has increased by 3.5% to $581,700.

“The last time we saw this many transactions in an April was in 2007 when we saw 898 sales,” President Crozier adds. “The market is good, but prices aren’t crazy – despite the activity levels, values in our local market are still recovering from the peaks we saw in 2008 and 2010. Depending on the area, single family property values are as much as nine percent below the 2010 values. It is a great time to buy or sell property in our area.”

Victoria Real Estate Board President Guy Crozier is available for comment. More information on the April 2015 report and the Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index is available from the Victoria Real Estate Board, vreb.org.

View our press release and summary here.

View our complete statistical package here.

The Victoria Real Estate Board today released its report on real estate activity in the Victoria area for March 2015. A total of 734 properties sold in the Victoria region this March, a 27.7% increase compared to the 575 properties sold in the same month last year.

“We saw 393 single family homes in the region sell in the month of March. The last time we saw numbers this high in March was in 2010 when 414 single family homes sold,” Victoria Real Estate Board President Guy Crozier says. “And though we see sales numbers have increased compared to last year, we see fewer active listings for sale compared to last year.”

There were 3,769 active listings for sale on the Multiple Listing Service® at the end of March, 6.9% fewer than the 4,050 active listings in March 2014.

The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core this time last year was $560,500. The benchmark value for the same home this month has increased by 1.64% to $569,700.

“Why the increase in activity? We expect the market to be busy in the spring – real estate has a seasonal trend. Interesting this year was that the momentu

m we saw in the market over the course of 2014 has continued to increase,” President Crozier adds. “Consumer confidence in local real estate appears to be high, and it’s likely that buyers are taking advantage of low interest rates.”

Victoria Real Estate Board President Guy Crozier is available for comment. More information on the March 2015 report and the Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index is available from the Victoria Real Estate Board, vreb.org.

About VREB – Founded in 1921, the Victoria Real Estate Board is a key player in the development of standards and innovative programs to enhance the professionalism of REALTORS®. The Victoria Real Estate Board represents approximately 1,200 local REALTORS®.

View our press release and summary here.

The Victoria Real Estate Board today released its report on real estate activity in the Victoria area for February 2015.

542 properties sold in the Victoria region this February, a 31.6% increase compared to the 412 properties sold in the same month last year and a 54.4% increase compared to the 351 properties sold last month in January.

“The trees bloomed early in Victoria, and so did local real estate. February was a busy month with numbers closer to what we would expect to see in the spring season.” Victoria Real Estate Board President Guy Crozier says. “285 single family homes sold over the course of the month. We’ve not seen that many single family homes sell in a February since 2008 when we tracked 295 transactions. Though buyers are already in spring purchase mode, the amount of available inventory may not be quite up to the pace. We continue to track the trend of higher year-over-year sales, and lower year-over-year active listings that we started to see in mid-2013.”

There were 3,480 active listings for sale on the Multiple Listing Service® at the end of February, 7.7% fewer than the 3,770 active listings in February 2014.

The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core this time last year was $549,700. The benchmark value for the same home this month has increased by 1.33% to $557,000.

“The Board certainly anticipated an increase in sales for spring, but the increase we’ve seen exceeded my expectations,” President Crozier adds. “The early spring combined with available low interest rates will likely create more demand for Victoria real estate as the rest of Canada digs out from winter.”

View our press release and summary here.

View our complete statistical package here.