Real Estate Information

On the occasion of my 40th wedding celebration, I consulted with an acquaintance of mine in the jewellery business to design a ruby ring for my wife. Chris Hemien, of L'Atelier, did a wonderful job and I would highly recommend him for any of your jewellery needs. He is located at 190 - 911 Yates Street in Victoria next to London Drugs. Call 250-386-1111.

HST will come into affect July 1, 2010 in B.C. It is, however, not a 12% real estate tax. It is a provincial harmonized tax on most goods, services and consumer products including new homes. There will be partial rebates for new B.C. homes up to $400,000.

The B.C. Harmonized Sales Tax of 12% will be applicable to any cost and fees associated with the purchase of property such as legal/notary fees, commissions and other closing costs.

Also, the cost of owning property will go up when the HST is applied to starta fees, residential heating fuel, commercial rents, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, repairs, cable TV, internet, electricity, gas, renovations, painting and other professional services.

Buy now and complete before the end of June and at least save on some of these costs.

Just got back from travelling through Australia and New Zealand. Highly recommend arrangements through Goway Travel represented by Pacesetter Travel in Victoria. Flawless! Great accommodation, flight arrangements and tours!

Hoteliers know that if a customer is impressed with the bathroom, they will likely feel the same way about the rest of the property.

Something to think about when selling your home.

To find simple repairs to help sell your home faster, go to my recent newsletter at www.forsalevictoria.com.

My wife and I visited friends in Huron County, Ontario. What a beautiful area with lots of beaches, fishing and boating opportunities. Kincardin is especially pretty with a picturesque harbour!

For the best Website Management, I recommend Stepforth Marketing. Lots of experience and invaluable when designing a website to ensure you use techniques essential for being found on the Web. Ask for Ross.

If cruising in the Southern Gulf Islands, I recommend Otter Bay Marina on North Pender. Great service, protected moorage and super hosting by Charlene and Jess Mansley.

Like taxes, traffic is a fact of life. So when shopping for a new home, consider how the road situation will affect your commute to work.

I have been a bit tardy with my blogs. I can be a somewhat excused because there has been a flury of activity, especially with homes priced between $350,000 and $500,000. Once again, mortgage rates seem to be the driving force. 5 year rates are now down as low as 3.95% for 5 years!