BJ Brahmacharie
Box 47071 RPO Langford V9B 5T2 Victoria, BC, Canada

Projected housing market for 2021....

UNDER ASSESSED VALUE! Well cared for Gordon Head home on a large lot with wonderful yard and garden Minutes to UVic, parks, shopping and amenities. Newer heat pumps and windows. Original hardwood floors, and a 2 BED SUITE make this gem a must-see!

Where can you find a 3 Bedroom Half Duplex under $585k in Victoria? Join us Friday at 3pm for a LIVE TOUR of this incredible opportunity to get into a spacious home without the restrictions of a condo! Enjoy heated floors, updated kitchen, stainless appliances, and two full baths

Join us LIVE Saturday at 12:00 for a Virtual Tour of this Gordon Head gem - now with a $20k price improvement! 2 Bedroom Suite for perfect mortgage helper, close to shops, parks, UVIC, and on a stunning 8700 sq ft lot!

https://www.timescolonist.com//home-sales-rebound-from-rec

A great opportunity if you're looking to buy now!

Tune in Saturday for a Virtual Tour of this great 4 bed home in the centre of Gordon Head with a 2 bed revenue suite! Beautiful 0.2 acre lot on a quiet private street located close to UVic, Tuscany Village Shopping, Parks, Schools & more

VIRTUAL TOUR! GREAT VALUE & LOCATION! Why rent when you can own your own home? Across the street from Royal Jubilee Hospital, close to Camosun College and all amenities. Virtually tour this beautifully updated 3 bedroom duplex. This is a great value! There's nothing to do but move in and enjoy!

Join me to view this great property Friday at 2pm. Across the street from Jubilee Hospital & easy access to amenities. 1st time home buyer or investors don't miss it.... #Duplex #InvestmentProperty #1stTimeHomeBuyer #WhyRent

Walk through of great house in Gordon Head, minutes to UVic and all amenities. 2 bedroom suite mortgage helper. #GordonHead #UVIC #Mortgagehelper #Suite

Walk through this great property in Gordon Head, minutes from UVIC. House includes a 2 bedroom suite.

1708 Sprucewood Place - Gordon Head. 2 bedroom house with 2 bedroom suite.

Virtual Open House coming up at 1:30pm today. Take this opportunity to see this great property in Gordon Head! #victoriarealestate #uvic #GordonHead #Housewithsuite #MortgageHelper #virtualopenhouse

A great morning giving Dwayne & Amanda keys to their new home!

OPEN HOUSE Mayfair Townhouse 4-3235 Alder St, Saturday, June.29** 11-12:30pm $479,900-- 2 bdrm, 2 baths makeyourmovewithchantelle.com... Bright! Beautifully Updated! Great Location! This 2 bedroom 2 bath townhouse has it all. The fully renovated kitchen with stainless steel appliances opens into a large living room with access to an updated patio perfect for bbqs and get togethers. The main floor boasts a wealth of extra storage and cupboard space also. Upstairs you’ll find two good sized bedrooms with balconies and full bath. You’ll also appreciate the full sized laundry. This unit is located in a quiet, private area of the complex with your parking spot conveniently located outside your front door. Centrally located with easy access to schools, shopping, transit and restaurants. If you’re looking for an affordable, updated, centrally located home close to amenities this is it! Don’t delay! Plan to view today! Call now to book your viewing! Chantelle Lysyk RE/MAX ALLIANCE (778)535-7954

My latest listing....

Proud for our team being recommended and endorsed as trusted Realtor for Victoria and Vancouver Island by real estate guru Scott MacGillivary of HGTV Fame. www.Facebook.com/TheNealEstateTeam www.RonNeal.com #yyjhomes #guaranteedsoldin30days

BCREA Feb 2019 Policy-Induced Housing Slowdown Continues into 2019 Vancouver, BC February 15, 2019. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) repor...ts that a total of 3,546 residential unit sales were recorded by the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) in January, a decline of 33.2 per cent from the same month last year. The average MLS residential price in the province was $665,590, a decline of 7.7 per cent from January 2018. Total sales dollar volume was $2.36 billion, a 38.4 per cent decline from the same month last year. BC households continue to grapple with the policyinduced affordability shock created last year by the federal government, said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist. The resulting pullback in consumer demand is largely responsible for January’s lacklustre performance. Total MLS residential active listings increased 41.2 per cent to 29,522 units compared to the same month last year. The ratio of sales to active residential listings declined from 25.4 per cent to 12 per cent over the same period. Many BC regions are now exhibiting buyer’s market conditions, added Muir. However, BC Northern, the Kootenay, Okanagan Mainline and the Vancouver Island markets continue to reflect balance between supply and demand.

Visit our 24/7 Video Open House! Bright Spacious Contemporary Townhouse! Full details available at www.20-235IslandHighway.com... #videoopenhouse #homeviewing #yyjhomes #TheNealEstateTeam #Victoriaspecialist #ViewRoyalspecialist

Proud to be selected again this year as one of the 3 Best Agents for Victoria!

Start the New Year with a new house! This is a great time to buy or sell in the Victoria area. I'd love to help you accomplish your real estate goals in 2019. We have some great new listings coming up... give me a call & we can chat. (250) 415-8667.

With my clients Mike & Sylvia giving them their keys walking through their brand new home!

With my clients Noel & Maria giving them the keys and walking through their 1st home purchase....

Airbnb renters could face fines of $1000 a day in BC rule change British Columbia is taking action to curb the reduction of available rental homes caused by own...ers opting for the surging short-term rental market. The popularity of services including Airbnb has been blamed for tightening availability of rental homes and the government has now announced a change to its Strata Property Regulation. It will mean that strata corporations will be supported in enforcing short-term rental bylaws. Currently strata corporations can restrict or ban short-term rentals and impose fines of a maximum $200 a week. With the high returns available from these rentals, that is not a strong deterrent. But the new rules will hike fines to a hefty $1000 per day 35 times the current limit! We’ve all heard the stories of renters losing their homes when units are pulled out of the rental market to be used as short-term rentals. With this change, we can ensure there is long-term rental stock for people and families who need them, said Selina Robinson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. As part of our 30-point plan to improve housing affordability in B.C., we are supporting strata corporations to both deal with the noise and security issues that can sometimes come with short-term rentals, and also preserve rentals for the long term. The change will take effect on Nov. 30, 2018, in order to allow short-term rental hosts time to adjust bookings and comply with a strata’s short-term rental bylaws. The new regulations will help define short-term commercial use as a different function than rentals, and provides some very real consequences for the violators, said Tony Gioventu, executive director, Condominium Home Owners Association of B.C. For those strata corporations who prohibit short-term use, this is a valuable amendment. It will require strata corporations to amend their bylaws at a general meeting to permit the higher penalties, which in turn will provide the strata with a great opportunity to make sure the strata’s bylaw complies with provincial legislation.

The Neal Estate Team recommended by real estate guru Barbara Corcoran of Shark Tank

Sales of new homes in the GTA hit lowest April in 20 years Developers are finding it harder to sell newly-built homes in the Greater Toronto Area this spring. S...ales of new homes in the GTA in April totalled just 1,727, the lowest number for April in 20 years according to data from Altus Group highlighted in a report from the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD). "While home-buying intentions remain strong, a combination of challenges is keeping many interested buyers out of the new home market this spring," said Patricia Arsenault, Altus Group's Executive Vice-President, Research Consulting Services. "First-time buyers need to save longer to qualify for a mortgage, and potential move-up buyers are faced with a bigger gap than a year ago between the price of a newly-built home and the price they can get for their existing home." There were 502 detached, linked, and semi-detached houses and townhouses sold, 65% fewer than in a year earlier and 70% below the 10-year average. Condo sales were also down 65% year-over-year with 1,225 sales, 38% below the 10-year average. Combined inventory was around 5 months of supply at current pace and totalled 14,297 units, up 14.8% compared to March. The benchmark price for new single-family homes decreased in April to $1,151,815, which was down 5% over the last year, and the benchmark price for new condominium apartments decreased to $739,965, which was 29.8% above last April. Government policy is having an impact BILD president and CEO David Wilkes said the government’s policy measures is having an impact on demand but says it needs to take a long-term view of housing requirements in the GTA. "We have 115,000 new residents coming to the GTA every year and we need to be building 55,000 new homes annually to meet their housing needs. Government policy needs to recognize the need to increase housing supply as part of a long-term solution for our region," he said.

Anti-speculation tax group fundraises as BC minister stands firm by Steve Randall 18 May 2018 A coalition called Canadians Against the BC Speculation Tax is hop...ing to raise $300,000 to take on the British Columbia government’s tax on vacant properties. The group has launched an online fundraising campaign and says it will use the funds to fund its campaign to urge the government to withdraw the tax, which it says unfairly penalizes those with second homes used for recreation, retirement or employment purposes. The residents’ group says if the government won’t listen then it will bring a class action against the government. BC housing minister Carole James refused to back down on the tax when she spoke to reporters Thursday. She also hit out at critics, posting on Twitter: Housing affordability has reached a crisis level in our province. While some may prefer that the status quo continue, we’re taking action to rein in an out-of-control housing market. Carole James @carolejames Housing affordability has reached a crisis level in our province. While some may prefer that the status quo continue, we’re taking action to rein in an out-of-control housing market. #bcpoli #vanre 8:51 AM - May 17, 2018 While those opposed to the tax cite unfairness and the number of BC residents who will be subject to the tax, others suggest that the government has got it right. Graeme Egan, president of Vancouver-based CastleBay Wealth Management told the Vancouver Sun that the tax on properties used as an investment is no different to investors paying taxes on other investment assets. He also noted that those who are renting out their properties are exempt from the tax. For those who have a second home purely for family use, Egan says that they must be pretty well off and will therefore not be heavily impacted by the tax.

Real Estate Guru from Shark Tank Barbara Corcoran did her homework and recommends The Neal Estate Team for Greater Victoria Real Estate!

Benchmark Interest Rate Up - Increases Impact of Stress Test The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce says it will raise its five-year fixed-rate mortgage rate Tu...esday by 15 basis points. Spokesman Tom Wallis says in an email that the rate will change from 4.99 per cent to 5.14 per cent. Wallis says seven-year and 10-year fixed-rate mortgage rates will also rise 15 basis points, whereas one- and two-year rates will go up 10 basis points. The Royal Bank of Canada and Toronto Dominion Bank announced last week that they would raise their benchmark mortgage rates. The increases come as government bond yields rise. Fixed-rate mortgages tend to move with government bond yields of a similar term, reflecting the change in borrowing costs.

Top 30 Canada Real Estate Blogs And Websites To Follow in 2018 https://blog.feedspot.com/canada_real_estate_blogs/ Congrats Winners!! Canadian Real Estate Wealt...h REM - Real Estate Magazine Point2 Homes Canada Zoocasa Better Dwelling Toronto Realty Blog by David Fleming Urban Toronto Estateblock Lone Wolf Technologies Toronto Storeys Justin Havre & Associates PSR Brokerage Torontoism.com Sotheby's International Realty Canada The Julie Kinnear Team Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage Steve Saretsky Vancouver Real Estate with Jay Banks The Village Guru | Jeff O'Leary | Mississauga Real Estate Bay Street Blog The Neal Estate Team BestHomesBC.com Alex Beauregard-Freeman Real Estate Ltd. See more

The Easter egg hunt at Beaver Lake was over in a flash this morning at 11 a.m. sharp. The Neal Estate Team has been raising money for BC Children's Hospital for 19 years.

British Columbia's finance minister is dropping hints the blueprint for the province's proposed speculation tax is being redrawn after a homeowner backlash. Car...ole James introduced the speculation tax in last month's budget, but details were scarce other than saying it will come later this year and it targets foreign and domestic buyers who do not pay B.C. income tax. She said Wednesday concerns about unexpected tax increases from some B.C. property owners with two properties are being heard. The homeowners have been telling the government about fears their vacation homes will be hit with large tax bills despite promises of offsetting income tax credits. ``Details to come, as I said then (on budget day),'' said James. ``We're working on those details now, including all of the issues that people have been raising. They are on our table. They are part of our considerations.'' The details in the budget pegged the proposed speculation tax at $5 for every $1,000 of assessed value this year and rising to $10 for every $1,000 of assessed value in 2019. But the budget was not clear about British Columbia residents with vacation or second homes in the province. ``The new annual property tax will target foreign and domestic home owners who do not pay income tax in B.C., including those who leave their homes vacant,'' said the budget documents. James said the government is preparing the final details for the speculation tax, and vacation property owners from B.C. is one of the tax issues being reviewed. ``We're aiming to make sure that we get speculators out of the market,'' she said. ``We don't want people treating our housing as a stock market.'' James said earlier the tax measures in her budget are part of the government's aim to improve housing affordability for thousands of people, including seniors forced to live in their vehicles and young professionals who refuse jobs in B.C. because they can't find a place to live. The proposed speculation tax will not apply to every region of the province, targeting Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, the Victoria area, Nanaimo Regional District, Kelowna and West Kelowna. Opposition Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson said the minority New Democrat government appears to be making up tax policy on the fly. The Canadian Press

Barbara Corcoran Recommends The Neal Estate Team, Victoria's Real Estate Experts. Go with those who know!

RE/MAX surveyed Canadians to get the scoop on their purchasing plans in 2018 and beyond. Here's what we learned. Of course there are significant variables market by market. For interpretations specific to Greater Victoria, please contact us.