by VRBA | Apr 13, 2021 | Blog, Housing data, news
VRBA believes everyone benefits from a more knowledgeable public regarding the housing industry. For example, the BC government’s Speculation and Vacancy Tax is charged on the air above small retailers, based on the land’s potential for higher density such as... read more
by VRBA | Mar 30, 2021 | Blog, Housing data, news
The Globe and Mail recently advocated taxing the sale of Canadians’ principal residences. Their columnist Andrew Coyne also wrote, “As with most such proposals to take away someone’s tax break, the bigger the blowback, the better the idea.” When did the absence of... read more
by VRBA | Mar 17, 2021 | Blog, Housing data, news
According to the Union of BC Municipalities, “Since the beginning of the pandemic, local governments have taken steps to manage costs and rethink budgets, but communities are contending with significant revenue shortfalls.” Yet many municipalities continue to add... read more
by VRBA | Mar 16, 2021 | Blog, Housing data, news
One municipality out of 13 – Langford – is responsible for more than 50% of new housing in the CRD according to the latest data from Canada Mortgage and Housing. There were 203 housing starts in January & February out of a total of 373. The... read more
by VRBA | Mar 3, 2021 | Blog, Building Code, Housing data
New building code regulations often fly under the radar in discussions about high housing prices. An example is the Step Code, an energy efficiency regulation fast-tracked by the BC govt without a review by the National Building Code committee – despite the Canada/BC... read more
by VRBA | Feb 23, 2021 | Blog, Housing data, news
To understand rising home prices, it’s important to appreciate that Canada is undergoing some of the fastest population growth in our history. Statistics Canada reports the country’s rate of growth is twice as fast as that of the US and UK. Our population was... read more
