BC budget includes new real estate taxes and spending commitments

Housing was the dominant issue in yesterday's provincial budget.

The government released a 30-point housing strategy aimed at reducing housing demand, curbing tax fraud, building affordable housing, and increasing security for renters. 

New tax measures include increasing property taxes and property transfer taxes on residential properties valued above $3 million, expanding the foreign buyer tax, and implementing a housing speculation tax.

The budget introduces new taxes, hints at future taxes, and hikes existing taxes on housing. 

Below is a summary of the key real estate measures announced yesterday. There’s considerable information to go through.

Affordable housing

• The province is investing $6 billion in affordable housing to create 114,000 homes over the next 10 years.
• The province will enhance local government capacity to build and retain affordable housing.
• The province will require developers to collect and report comprehensive information about the assignment of pre-sale condo purchases.
• The province intends to track beneficial ownership information.
• The province will collect additional information to increase transparency and strengthen enforcement in real estate.

Tax measures

Speculation tax

• The province will implement a new speculation tax on residential properties, targeting foreign and domestic homeowners who don’t pay income tax in BC. This includes those who leave homes vacant.
• The tax will apply to the Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Capital, and Nanaimo Regional districts and in the municipalities of Kelowna and West Kelowna.
• In 2018, the tax rate will be $5 per $1,000 of assessed value. In 2019, the tax rate will rise to $20 per $1,000 of assessed value.
• The province will administer the tax and will collect data to enforce it including, social insurance numbers, household information, and world-wide income information.

Foreign buyer tax

• Effective Feb. 21, 2018, the foreign buyer tax will increase to 20 per cent from 15 per cent and will be extended to the Fraser Valley, Capital, Nanaimo, and Central Okanagan Regional Districts.
• If the property is located in the Capital Regional District, Fraser Valley Regional District, Regional District of Central Okanagan, or Nanaimo Regional District, and the property transfer is registered on or after February 21, 2018, there are transitional rules available here.

Property Transfer Tax

Effective Feb. 21, 2018, the Property Transfer Tax on residential properties above $3 million will increase to five per cent from three per cent.

Provincial School Tax

Beginning in 2019, the provincial school tax will increase on most residential properties in excess of $3 million.

Database on pre-sale condo assignments

The province will require developers to collect and report comprehensive information about the assignment of pre-sale condo purchases. The information will be reported to a designated government office and shared with federal and provincial tax authorities to ensure taxes are paid.

Online accommodation PST and MRDT

Online accommodation platforms are enabled to collect and remit the Provincial Sales Tax and Municipal and Regional District Tax (Hotel Room Tax).

Property tax treatment for ALR land

As part of the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) review, the province is examining residential land in the ALR to ensure land is used for farming.

Clarity of property ownership

Compelling access to MLS®

The province plans to enable tax administrators to compel access to information relevant to property transfers, such as information held in a MLS® database. (We’re asking government for clarification.)

Beneficial land ownership registry

The province will require additional information about beneficial ownership on the PTT form.

Administered by the LTSA, the information will be publicly available and shared with federal and provincial tax and law enforcement authorities. Legislation will be introduced to require BC corporations to hold accurate and up to date information on beneficial owners in their own record offices available to law enforcement, tax and other authorities.

Task force on money laundering and tax evasion

The province will work with the federal government to formalize a multi-agency working group on tax evasion, money laundering and housing.

Residential Tenancy Branch

Increased funding to the Residential Tenancy Branch to reduce wait time, improve service and deal with disputes more quickly, as well as strengthening the Residential Tenancy Act and the penalties for those who repeatedly break the law.

Read the Homes for BC 30-point plan for housing affordability

Read the Budget press release

Read the Fiscal Plan (opens a 157-page pdf)

Read the Budget 2018 Speech

Home buyer demand depends on property type 

Attached and apartment homes are in demand across Metro Vancouver while detached home buyers are facing less competition today.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential home sales in the region totalled 1,818 in January 2018, a 19.4 per cent increase from the 1,523 sales recorded in January 2017, and a 9.8 per cent decrease compared to December 2017 when 2,016 homes sold.

Last month’s sales were 7.1 per cent above the 10-year January sales average. By property type, detached sales were down 24.8 per cent from the 10-year January average, attached sales increased 14.3 per cent and apartment sales were up 31.6 per cent over the same period.

“Demand remains elevated and listings scarce in the attached and apartment markets across Metro Vancouver,” Jill Oudil, REBGV president said. “Buyers in the detached market are facing less competition and have much more selection to choose. For detached home sellers to be successful, it’s important to set prices that reflect today’s market trends.”

There were 3,796 detached, attached and apartment properties newly listed for sale on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in Metro Vancouver in January 2018. This represents an 8.3 per cent decrease compared to the 4,140 homes listed in January 2017 and a 100.7 per cent increase compared to December 2017 when 1,891 homes were listed.

The total number of properties currently listed for sale on the MLS® system in Metro Vancouver is 6,947, a four per cent decrease compared to January 2017 (7,238) and a 0.2 per cent decrease compared to December 2017 (6,958).

For all property types, the sales-to-active listings ratio for January 2018 is 26.2 per cent. By property type, the ratio is 11.6 per cent for detached homes, 32.8 per cent for townhomes, and 57.2 per cent for condominiums.

Generally, analysts say that downward pressure on home prices occurs when the ratio dips below the 12 per cent mark for a sustained period, while home prices often experience upward pressure when it surpasses 20 per cent over several months.

The MLS® Home Price Index composite benchmark price for all residential homes in Metro Vancouver is currently $1,056,500. This represents a 16.6 per cent increase over January 2017 and a 0.6 per cent increase compared to December 2017.

Detached home sales in January 2018 reached 487, a 9.7 per cent increase from the 444 detached sales recorded in January 2017. The benchmark price for detached properties is $1,601,500. This represents an 8.3 per cent increase from January 2017 and a 0.3 per cent decrease compared to December 2017.

Apartment home sales reached 1,012 in January 2018, a 22.7 per cent increase compared to the 825 sales in January 2017. The benchmark price of an apartment property is $665,400. This represents a 27.4 per cent increase from January 2017 and a 1.5 per cent increase compared to December 2017.

Attached home sales in January 2018 totalled 319, a 25.6 per cent increase compared to the 254 sales in January 2017. The benchmark price of an attached unit is $803,700. This represents a 17.5 per cent increase from January 2017 and unchanged compared to December 2017.

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