Buyer Information - Your Victoria Real Estate Agent - Buying a Home in Greater Victoria

Homebuyer Guide: From Dream to Keys in Hand Introduction Embarking on the journey to homeownership is an exciting and significant milestone in life. Whether you're a first-time buyer or seasoned homeowner, the process can seem daunting. Fear not! This comprehensive guide is designed to equip you with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the homebuying journey with confidence and clarity. You can read our full Home Buyer Guide here. Step 1: Assessing Your Financial Readiness Before diving into the world of real estate listings, it's essential to assess your financial readiness. This step will guide you through creating a budget, saving for a down payment, and understanding your credit score's impact on mortgage eligibility.  If you would like to apply for a mortgage, you can contact me to get started. For a list of recommended Mortgage Agents you can visit this page. For tips on improving your credit score you can visit here. Step 2: Setting Your Homeownership Goals What does your dream home look like? In this step, we'll help you define your homeownership goals by considering factors such as location, property type, size, and amenities. You'll learn to distinguish between must-haves and nice-to-haves, setting realistic expectations for your home search. Step 3: Exploring the Market Armed with your budget and wishlist, it's time to explore the real estate market. From online listings to open houses, we'll discuss effective strategies for finding properties that meet your criteria and narrowing down your options.  You can search options with limited information here (but gives you a full set of active MLS listings) You can search more detailed information on MLS properties for sale in your area here. You can search new construction and pre-sale homes that may not yet be on MLS here. Find out how to use the MLS Matrix system & Your Relationship with a Real Estate Professional.  You can be set up on this priority system - if you have not already been set up please let me know and we can send you a link. Get to know the schools in the area, if that is important for you.  Visit this link for information. Here's how to view crime statistics/maps for the Victoria area. You can learn about the various neighbourhoods in the Greater Victoria area here. BC Secondary Suite Incentive Program Understanding Leasehold Interests New Rules for Short-Term Rentals Step 4: Making an Offer Found the perfect home? Now it's time to make an offer. This step will walk you through the negotiation process, understanding purchase agreements, and navigating potential contingencies to ensure a smooth transaction.  Here is a link to a video that will explain more about understanding the contract of purchase and sale. Step 5: Securing Financing Understanding mortgage options and securing financing is a crucial step in the homebuying process. We'll cover different types of mortgages, the pre-approval process, and tips for finding the right lender for your needs. Step 6: Home Inspections & Insurance Before closing the deal, it's essential to conduct home inspections and appraisals to ensure the property's condition and value. Learn what to expect during these processes and how to interpret the results.  You can find out more about home inspections here. You can find out more about insurance and inspections here. You will also want to have a real estate lawyer review Title for you before removing subject conditions to be sure nothing on Title will be of concern.  You can find more about choosing a real estate lawyer here. Strata Home Owner Resources Step 7: Understanding Purchase Taxes Understaning the taxes will be important as they can impact purchase cost and carrying costs.  In BC there is a Property Transfer Tax which you can find out more about here.    There is also a Vacancy Tax which you can find out more about here. Flipping Tax and Property Tax Exemptions you can find out more information here. Newly built home exemption GST/HST New Housing Rebate First Time Buyer Tax Incentive Step 8: Closing the Deal Congratulations, you've found your dream home! In this step, we'll guide you through the final steps of the homebuying process, including closing costs, signing paperwork, and receiving the keys to your new home. Conclusion With this guide as your companion, you're well-equipped to embark on your journey to homeownership with confidence. Remember, buying a home is a significant milestone, but it's also an exciting adventure filled with endless possibilities. Happy house hunting! About Real Estate and Mortgage Agent Diana Winger Read Testimonials about Diana Winger

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First-Time Home Buyers’ Tax Credit (HBTC) - FEDERAL INCOME TAXES

Source: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/programs/about-canada-revenue-agency-cra/federal-government-budgets/budget-2022-plan-grow-economy-make-life-more-affordable/first-time-home-buyers-tax-credit.html     Did you buy your first home in the last tax year?     First-time home buyers who acquire a qualifying home can claim a non-refundable tax credit on their income taxes.   Find out what are the current rules and find out more information:   Read the current information on Revenue Canada website linked here and discuss with your accountant to be sure you claim this credit if you qualify.

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Strata Tip of the Week - Does the strata have to provide general meeting notice packages?

    Source: https://mailchi.mp/condoclear.ca/condo-clear-information-13765005?e=3d30910cc1 https://condoclear.ca/     Strata Tip of the Week - Does the strata have to provide general meeting notice packages?   If you’ve read our email titled “Review the AGM/SGM Notice Packages, not just the Minutes”, you’ll know that in addition to reviewing the general meeting minutes, we also recommend that you obtain and review the general meeting notice packages, as they often contain important information not included anywhere else.   1. So, is the strata corporation actually required to provide the general meeting notice packages?   While it’s standard to obtain the general meeting minutes, some strata corporations, or their management companies, have the incorrect assumption that they are not required to provide the general meeting notice packages.   To understand whether the strata is required to provide these documents, one must look at several different sections of the Strata Property Act:   A. Section 45 - Requires the strata corporation to give written notice of an annual or special general meeting.   B. Section 35 - Requires the strata corporation to retain copies of all correspondence sent or received by the strata corporation.   C. Section 36 - Requires the strata corporation to make the records and documents referred to in Section 35 available for inspection and provide copies to an owner or a person authorized in writing by an owner.   As you can see, reading these three sections together makes it clear that the strata should be providing the general meeting notice packages, if requested to do so.   A point of contention?   Some might ask, are general meeting notice packages “correspondence”? While the Strata Property Act doesn’t define “correspondence”, we think it’s probably safe to assume that sending general meeting notice packages would constitute a form of “correspondence” by the strata corporation. If you’ve got doubts, we recommend you obtain legal advice to confirm this position.   2. Tailor your subject clause to require the sellers to provide the general meeting notice packages   If you’re using the BCFSA Receipt of strata documentation clause, you’ll notice that this clause does not reference the general meeting notice packages. It is therefore important that you tailor the subjects, so that they clearly state that the general meeting notice packages must also be provided. That’s it for this week. If you have any suggestions for other topics you’d like us to cover, please let us know at info@condoclear.ca. Disclaimer: The information provided is for general purposes only. It is not intended to provide legal advice or opinions of any kind. No one should act, or refrain from acting, based solely upon the materials provided, any hypertext links or other general information without first seeking appropriate legal or other professional advice.

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