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  1. First time home buyers are exempted from paying GST on the purchase of new homes up to 1.5 million as long as:

    Canada news: Finally the new GST exemption on purchases of new homes by first time home buyers received Royal Assent.

    First time home buyers are exempted from paying GST on the purchase of new homes up to 1.5 million as long as:
    1. Contract of purchase and sale was signed after March 25, 2025 and before December 31, 2031.
    2. Property is completed by Dec 31, 2036.

    Full exemption on GST up to 1 million. Phased out exemption from 1 million to 1.5 million.

    It was assumed that exemption would apply for properties in which construction started after March 25, 2025 but the rules do NOT indicate this for properties purchased from a builder.

    Purchasers whom acquired a new home from a builder meeting the above conditions can apply for a refund of the GST paid on the purchase of the property.
    By Luis Batiz
    18-03-2026

  2. Opinion: As housing projects stall, families remain in overcrowded situations. Seniors can't downsize. Young workers leave markets they can't afford

    Housing is the defining challenge of our time in B.C. It shapes whether people can stay in their communities and still afford the basic necessities of life, whether employers can attract workers, and whether our economy can grow.

    Yet the 2026 budget effectively cancels the community housing fund and reallocates roughly $1.4 billion away from the province’s housing strategy. At a moment when the housing crisis demands urgency and renewed commitment, the province has chosen to retreat, leaving non-profits, co-ops, municipalities, and Indigenous communities stranded.

    The decision to scale back spending through the community housing fund and Indigenous housing fund will have immediate and lasting consequences. It comes as housing instability worsens across the province. This is not a theoretical concern. It is a concrete policy choice with real-world impacts, and those impacts will be felt first by the people least able to absorb them.
    By Jill Atkey, Margaret Pfoh, Thom Armstrong
    17-03-2026

  3. Home sales down 1.3% from January

    Canada’s housing market remained subdued in February, with national home sales slipping 1.3 per cent month over month, while non-seasonally adjusted transactions were down 1.8 per cent from a year ago, according to the latest data from the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).

    Compared to January, which had a surge of new listings, February was marked by a pullback in new supply. The number of newly listed properties fell 3.9 per cent month over month, nudging the national sales-to-new-listings ratio up slightly to 47.6 per cent from 46.4.

    By Shantaé Campbell
    17-03-2026

  4. VICTORIA — An organization representing about 1,200 appraisers in British Columbia says some of its members are adding clauses to their reports noting that current, past, and potential future land claims have not been considered in their valuations.

    VICTORIA — An organization representing about 1,200 appraisers in British Columbia says some of its members are adding clauses to their reports noting that current, past, and potential future land claims have not been considered in their valuations.

    Allan Beatty, president of the B.C. branch of the Appraisal Institute of Canada, says in a statement that the recent Cowichan Aboriginal title court ruling in B.C. is contributing to speculation that private property rights could be affected.

    Beatty says the organization is preparing advice for its members on the appropriate limitation clauses, but discourages the use of "unsubstantiated adjustments that do not reflect the most relevant market data."
    By Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press
    12-03-2026

  5. Premier worries stalled condo towers could trigger a future supply crunch but Christine Boyle insists housing activity remains strong

    Premier David Eby told the real estate community Tuesday he’s very worried about slumping housing starts and stalled high-rise condo projects, as he seeks to avoid contributing to what could be a housing supply crunch in just a few years.

    “We're following the housing starts pretty closely,” Eby said to delegates from the B.C. Real Estate Association meeting in Victoria. “We're still above the 10-year average, the building is still taking place, which is positive. But I am extremely concerned about the next couple of years and where those numbers are going to go.”
    By Rob Shaw
    11-03-2026

  6. As Vancouver prepares to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors during the FIFA World Cup, many local residents are exploring the possibility of renting out their homes through platforms like Airbnb.

    For longtime Vancouver Airbnb host Anne Talbot-Kelly, the 2026 FIFA World Cup brings an opportunity to generate extra revenue through something she would be doing anyways.

    Talbot-Kelly has rented out a spare bedroom in her westside home since 2010. It’s already almost fully booked during the Cup dates in June and July, including guests from Texas, Idaho, South Carolina, New York, Saskatchewan and Germany.

    She usually rents the suite, which has its own private bathroom, for around $175 per night. During the Cup dates, she’s increasing that to $225.
    By Dan Fumano
    10-03-2026

  7. The changes says the B.C. Assessment Authority is “not required to consider any restriction” placed on the use of land by any entity other than the Crown or local governments.

    An Opposition critic suspects the NDP government is preparing for a potential drop in property values in areas where Aboriginal title claims create uncertainty.

    A short amendment to assessment law that could have the effect of protecting property tax revenues from drops in market value is included in Bill 2, the Budget Measures Implementation Act, a lengthy catalogue of all the legal moves needed to adopt the budget.

    The assessment change is intriguing, given the concerns that arose in Richmond since the Cowichan title ruling last year about the impact that decision would have on property values.

    It states that the B.C. Assessment Authority, which sets the taxable value of all property, is “not required to consider any restriction” placed on the use of land by any entity other than the Crown or local governments.
    By Les Leyne
    10-03-2026

  8. A prominent Vancouver developer has been ordered to pay nearly $6 million under a profit-sharing agreement that it claimed was no longer in effect.

    A prominent Vancouver developer has been ordered to pay nearly $6 million under a profit-sharing agreement that it claimed was no longer in effect.

    Boffo Investment Corp. and Boffo Developments (Smithe) Ltd.—subsidiaries of the Boffo Group of Companies—argued that the company that was the beneficiary of the profit-sharing agreement had repudiated it through the disreputable conduct of its principal owner James Schouw.

    In a decision issued last week, B.C. Supreme Court Justice John Walker ruled that the agreement was still enforceable and ordered the Boffo companies to pay $5,945,162, plus interest, to Smithe Residences Ltd., Schouw’s former company.

    By Ian Holliday
    08-03-2026

  9. The BC Real Estate Association (BCREA) issued a letter to BC REALTORS®

    At a glance (1 minute read)

     

    The BC Real Estate Association (BCREA) issued a letter to BC REALTORS® about new agreements between the Musqueam Indian Band and the Government of Canada.

    The agreements recognize Musqueam’s Aboriginal rights and expand its role in fisheries, stewardship, and marine emergency management.

    BCREA emphasized that negotiated agreements do not invalidate fee-simple property ownership in BC.
    By GREATER VANCOUVER REALTORS
    06-03-2026

  10. OTTAWA — The pace of homebuilding in Canada continues to slow with no near-term signs of a turnaround, said Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. on Monday.

    OTTAWA — The pace of homebuilding in Canada continues to slow with no near-term signs of a turnaround, said Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. on Monday.

    The national housing agency said the seasonally-adjusted annual pace of housing starts declined 15 per cent in January.

    Housing starts can vary considerably month-to-month as big projects get started, but the agency's six-month moving average for annual starts also showed a 3.5 per cent decline.

    "The six-month trend has decreased for the fourth consecutive month," said CMHC deputy chief economist Tania Bourassa-Ochoa in a news release.

    "We expect new construction to continue trending lower going forward as trade and geopolitical uncertainty, high construction costs, weaker demand, and rising inventories continue to constrain developer activity."
    By Canadian Press
    16-02-2026

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