Homeowners in line for 15% rebate on renos

Homeowners in line for 15% rebate on renos

Vancouver BC -- Canadians who want to sod their lawns or renovate their bathrooms will get a tax break worth up to $1,350 as a key plank of the government's effort to inspire spending.

For a certain sector of consumers, 2009 could become the year of the reno, following the announcement Tuesday of a Home Renovation Tax Credit Tax Credit that lets taxpayers claim 15% of their fixups until Feb. 1, 2010.

"The HRTC will provide a temporary incentive for Canadians to undertake new renovation projects or accelerate planned future projects," the budget documents said, "thus providing timely stimulus to the Canadian economy while boosting energy efficiency and the value of Canada's housing stock."

The government said the incentive is expected to provide about $3-billion in tax relief to some 4.6 million families.

The credit, which is available for homes and cottages effective immediately, is designed to boost construction, forestry and other industries.

Taxpayers can claim renovations on their 2009 tax returns on costs over $1,000, but not exceeding $10,000.

The home renovation program would appear to involve considerably less red tape than some existing initiatives that encourage investment in the home. Programs that involve rebates for investment in the energy efficiency of a house, for example, require a government auditor to approve the changes made to a home to ensure energy efficiencies have been realized.

The HRTC, however, simply requires homeowners to apply for the tax credit, directly on their income-tax returns. The only demand is that the taxpayer save the appropriate receipts in case of a future audit by Revenue Canada.

It also, though, means contractors will have to produce invoices for jobs such as backyard landscaping or basement refinishing -- work that Finance officials yesterday noted is often conducted on a cash basis, with no paperwork produced.

The list of eligible expenses includes renovating kitchens, bathrooms or basements; new carpeting or flooring; building additions, decks, or retaining walls; installing furnaces or water heaters; interior and exterior painting; or driveway resurfacing.

Routine maintenance does not qualify. Such things as new furniture, appliances, tools, carpet cleaning and snow removal are excluded.

Also on the home front, the government will put an extra $300-million over two years into energy retrofits, raise to $25,000 the amount first-time homebuyers can borrow from RRSPs, and provide up to $750 in tax relief to help with their purchases.

I'm a mortgage broker located in the Vancouver area of British Columbia. I have over 20 years in the Financial industry and work for Dominion Lending Centres. Please don't hesitate to contact me at birving@dominionlending.ca or give me a call for all of your mortgage needs.

Current Mortgage Rates

Thanks to all of the visitors to my blog.

Canadian Mortgage Rate Update
Bank of Canada meets on January 22 and it will be interesting to see what happens to the Prime Rate. Everything I've indicates to a lower Prime Rate.

The Bank Prime Rate is currently 3.50%.

Best Fixed Mortgage Rates:

1 Year Fixed 3.89%
2 Year Fixed 4.59%
3 Year Fixed 4.85%
4 Year Fixed 4.89%
5 Year Fixed 5.79%**
7 Year Fixed 6.20%
10 Year Fixed 6.25%

5 Year Rate Special 5.79% .

Best variable rate is Prime +.60%

*rates are always subject to change without notice. I'll always do my best to get you the mortgage rate available.

MyMortgageBC.com is a mortgage broker located in Vancouver, BC. If you would like the best mortgage rate, or have any questions regarding the mortgage process you should give us a call at 604-764-6336. I work with Dominion Lending Centres which is one of Canada's largest mortgage broker companies.

Is Your Property Value Poised To Go Up?

Property markets are not national – they are regional, local and can even vary widely from neighbourhood to neighbourhood in the same city. That being said, there will always be hot real estate markets.

The following 12 questions will help you decide if your area and personal property values are poised to go up. The more “Yes” answers you get, the better the market will perform.

12 Key Questions:

1. Is your area’s average income increasing faster than the provincial average?
2. Is your area’s population growing faster than the provincial average?
3. Is your area creating jobs faster than the provincial average?
4. Does your area have more than one major employer?
5. Is real estate booming in the surrounding region more than where you’re looking?
6. Will the property values benefit from a major new development nearby?
7. Has the local and provincial political leadership created a growth atmosphere?
8. Is the region’s economic development office helpful and proactive?
9. Is the neighbourhood located in an area of renewal or gentrification?
10. Is there a major transportation improvement occurring nearby?
11. Is the area attractive to Baby Boomers?
12. Is there a short-term perceived problem (such as negative stories or short-term layoffs) that will disappear?

Overall, the Canadian economy and real estate are relatively well-positioned to withstand the economic storms that are battering property values in many other countries.