Friday Free-for-all! August 11th 2017

It’s the end of another week and that means its time for our regular end of the week news round up and open topic discussion thread.

It’s Friday Free-for-all time!

Here are a few recent links to kick off the chat:

–Hopefully it doesn’t rain
–Foreign buyer tax set up to fail?
–Boomers refuse to sell
–Record complaints over illegal rentals
–Canadian banks dive into UK covered bonds
–China stops buying foreign property
–Genuine fear in Toronto market
–

So what are you seeing out there? Post your news links, thoughts and anecdotes in the comments below and have an excellent weekend!

Sort by: newest | oldest | most voted

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Harry Wang

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Click to flag and open «Comment Reporting» form. You can choose reporting category and send message to website administrator. Admins may or may not choose to remove the comment or block the author. And please don't worry, your report will be anonymous.

Chinese mother tries to mail her baby to an orphanage

http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/11/asia/china-baby-courier-orphanage/index.html

Guest

Shut It Down Already

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American mother leaves baby in plastic bag under tree for 3 nights :

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/baby-plastic-bag-harriette-hoyt-arrested-attempted-murder-sayre-chemung-county-pennsylvania-elmira-a7885741.html

What’s your fucking point, Harry?

Member

KickThemOut

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So the lesson here is that US does it better and those Chinese moms should learn some money saving tips from Americans. Remember, America is the moral leader of the free world. They can do no wrongs.

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Abdul Lahazi

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Strata fines insanity:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/it-feels-like-a-jail-surrey-renters-revolt-over-heavy-handed-strata-fines-surveillance-1.4241173

Guest

bullwhip29

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owned/managed by newgen and korean money

Member

KickThemOut

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Ironically it is established that the most polite and collegial stratas are the strictest ones with the heaviest fines. Everyone follows the rules and are polite to each other.

Guest

Abdul Lahazi

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AirBnB hell in Victoria:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/short-term-rental-frustration-1.4240784

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Oracle

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Ok. I’m out of here for the weekend. To regroup.

Now it is clear that:

1) NDP MLAs are laughing at people who thought they were going to do housing changes ….jokes on the voters who supported them. Meanwhile, condo prices just set a new record.

2) Trudeau going all out importing people….MSM won’t even report on the situation in Montreal.

Member

KickThemOut

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I would recommend you don’t come back either. Would do wonders for your mental health. Actually, this advice probably goes for most of the bears on this blog. Take a break! Go to Tibet and find yourself spiritually for 7 years. In your spare time, help the Tibetians monks to free themselves from the yokes of Imperial China and culture genocide! Preserve the wonders and nature of Tibet and stop any attempts to make it into a modern desolation soulless place.

Guest

Shut It Down Already

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Dumbass, the original info about Montreal came from the “MSM”. Where do you think you heard about it?

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bullwhip29

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Some home sellers in Toronto are finding the buyers of their homes are trying to renegotiate the deals just days before closing
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/non-buyer-s-remorse-toronto-sellers-frustrated-as-home-buyers-tack-on-demands-1.3541706

Member

KickThemOut

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Sue their ass off….a deal is a deal.

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bullwhip29

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SCMP: Vancouver accused of paying lip service to multiculturalism amid clash over plan to build condo block in Chinatown
http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2105794/vancouver-accused-paying-lip-service-multiculturalism-amid-clash-over-plan

>>> truly amazing that after being entirely gutted, sold out and overrun by HAM, that some in this city seem to have a beef with how things unfold in the downtown eastside and Chinatown in particular.

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bullwhip29

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Seeking the benefits of Canadian citizenship for their children, more and more parents-to-be from other countries are choosing to have them here
http://www.macleans.ca/society/health/why-women-are-coming-to-canada-just-to-give-birth/

Member

KickThemOut

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They don’t need to worry about CRA coming after them like the IRS….CRA got no teeth at all.
Remember why we have 500K+ Canadians living in Palestine that no one ever knows about until Israel invaded? Cheap insurance man….

Member

Best place on meth

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We really need to stop giving automatic citizenship to anyone who is born here, but that won’t happen under the “come one, come all” PM we’re currently stuck with.

I’d like to see him take a dozen undocumented Haitians into 24 Sussex Drive and lead by example.

Member

KickThemOut

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Birthplace of Western civilization and morality apparently also has the most slave labour in Europe. The Old World has been thoroughly corrupted by the Chinese it seems. New World is last hope left in defense of Chaos. We must be strong in our vigilance and faith.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-08-10/greece-among-countries-most-slave-labor-europe

Member

Best place on meth

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Yes, Europe certainly has been infiltrated by the scum of the earth lately, and in large numbers.

https://www.economist.com/news/europe/21693633-italy-and-spain-chinese-banks-are-implicated-money-laundering-china-nostra

Member

KickThemOut

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Lock and loaded…NK is going down in a fiery of cleansing fire so it can be reborn

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-08-11/trump-military-solutions-are-now-fully-place-locked-and-loaded

Member

KickThemOut

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So Garth is a fraud for telling people to sell their houses and invest in his funds. But bears on this blog who has been screaming this is a bubble and GET OUT NOW or PRICED IN FOREVER ™ and it’s so much better to invest in financial assets are not fraudsters after 10 years? Seems like they are pretty much saying the same thing as Garth, except in their case, most of them never owned and can’t afford to own. But bear advice to existing owners seem to be the same as Garth’s message.

Guest

best place on earth

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what are you trying to say? this blog is a fraud? Nooooooooooooooooooooooo………………………………..way. It’s a place for the priced out entitlements to whine only.

Member

KickThemOut

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BPOM – you need to go visit Garth in person at his store before it closes for the season and give him a piece of your mind and probably fist about his lying treacherous way. You would be doing Canada a favor. If you are worried about his Amazonians Wonder Women bodyguards, I’m sure Combat Roach, Oracle, Adbul, Vangrl, etc will be happy to be your wingmen and keep them off. Seriously, you would be a hero to this country.

I know traveling cost might be an issue given that you only have high 6 figures portfolio, but I’m sure a GoFundMe or KickStarter campaign will raise the funds within 24 hours.

Guest

Oracle

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You weird man or a 17 yr old.

Member

Best place on meth

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You need to get kicked off this blog for a second and final time. Your presence is nothing but confrontational, disruptive and detrimental 100% of the time.

You have nothing to offer this forum or the human race.

Guest

Oncebittwiceshy

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Let me try again, admin. Your blog may be the blog that Vanvouverites go to for added information on the local housing market. The first comment on your blog would have any reader saying “what the hell does this have to do with housing?”

When Garth Turner shuts down commentary on “racist” comments he’s not ignoring foreign purchasers, he’s preventing realtors and specuvestors from hijacking his blog and turning people away.

I remember those “bulls” patting you on the back for not going that route. Do you even recognize your blog now?

Member

KickThemOut

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What bulls? Bulls on this blog has been slaughtered by the bears on this blog, all carved up and BBQed years ago. Don’t you know that Vancouver Housing Price has been in a collapse for the last few years and renters were getting way ahead of owners by leaps and bounds? While owners are starving their kids with empty fridges, barely there lunches, and staycations fixing bear’s suites, bears were feeding their kids all natural organic foods and annual culture enrichment trips to Europe, or relaxing vacations to Caribbean, Disneyland, etc. Heck, some bears even took them to Asia so they can learn about the evils of communists, the dirt poor hellhole China is, and why we must stop them in Vancouver. There are no bulls left on Vancouver Housing, bears have thoroughly vanquished them all with facts, logic, and… Read more »

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bullwhip29

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BC Hydro Spent $20 Million Quietly Buying Land for Site C Before Dam Was Approved
https://www.desmog.ca/2017/08/11/exclusive-bc-hydro-spent-20-million-quietly-buying-land-site-c-dam-was-approved

>>> so, I guess it goes without saying that should this project get axed, BC Hydro will liquidate it’s RE holdings for pennies on the dollar to friends and associates in as quiet and opaque a manner as the illegal purchases were made in the first place. following this, of course, will be millions of dollars in write downs that will be passed on to BC Hydro customers and taxpayers

Member

KickThemOut

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Because buying those land for beyond top dollars at super inflated prices after the DAM is approved is the way to go?

Seriously? do bears have any brain cells left? If property X sold for $1M before DAM was approved and even look like it would be approved, why would it suddenly sell for $100K after DAM is not approved? Geez….

Guest

Abdul Lahazi

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Thanks to our elected politicians who only govern for the wealthy, this is how the more disadvantaged have to live:

http://globalnews.ca/video/3662269/stunning-scene-as-okanagan-family-with-children-sets-up-a-make-shift-home-in-the-bush-due-to-lack-of-affordable-housing/?utm_source=Article&utm_medium=MostPopularVideo&utm_campaign=2017

Member

KickThemOut

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I bet there is way more than meets the eye…..

Member

Hyper-mega-Bull

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images like this are dangerous. white ppl don’t care about the suffering of others, even if it was caused by them (blacks, natives, etc). but the idea that a white family is living in 3rd world conditions because of AFFORDABILITY is going to really hit home for the masses.

the facts of this situation don’t matter. it’s the image that matters and how ppl feel about it.

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patriotz

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The masses of Kelowna? These are the people who overwhelmingly re-elected Christy in her “home” riding (which she hardly stayed a night in), after all.

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YVR

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Last time I checked John Horgan is premier. This lady had a house to live in when Christy Clark was premier. So far zero action by the NDP and not a hint anything will be done other than it is a 10 year plan and they just got the file.

Guest

Abdul Lahazi

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They are living the legacy of CC Libs failed policies.

Member

Best place on meth

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You’ve hit a new low for mindless partisanship.

Newborn sheep have more independence than you.

Guest

YVR

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At least Patriotz is on the NDP payroll. You must just be plain dumb. At some point you will get past the denial stage the NDP will keep any of their election promises. You got scammed just like when you voted for Trudeau.

Member

Best place on meth

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At least I’ll wait for the legislature to sit for the first time under an NDP government before I jump to conclusions.

I didn’t vote for Turdeau or his party.

Guest

Doomcouver

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This is what it looks like when homes are bought as investments first, and homes second. Potential buyers that care about paying fair value for a house are boycotting the market, and crowding out rentals. Make buying homes cheaper and rental inventories will go way up.

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southseacompany

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“Vancouver’s real estate inventory is piling up”, Business Insider

http://www.businessinsider.com/vancouvers-real-estate-inventory-is-piling-up-2017-8

“Vancouver real estate is seeing inventory hit a high for the year. Numbers from the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) show that a decline in sales is causing listings to build at a rapid rate.”

Guest

Shut It Down Already

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What’s noteworthy about this article is that they’re over-stating how “bad” the current situation, in sharp contrast to the usual over-statement about how “good” things are meant to be. In years and months gone by this would have been an article about how inventory is at historic lows for the season and why that’s generally a precursor to higher prices.

The media will talk the market down just as they were complicit in the hysteria on the way up.

Member

Owen

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This is a re-post of a Better Dwelling article, not mainstream media, and is pretty typical of their outlook IMHO. From what I have seen, major media outlets seems to be saying the Toronto & Vancouver markets are going to keep rocketing up.

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Best place on meth

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Regarding Toronto, all I’ve seen the past few weeks is hysteria and doom & gloom.

Who is still pumping that city?

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southseacompany

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“Why this infamous economist says supply is not the issue in Toronto and Vancouver”, BuzzBuzzNews

http://news.buzzbuzzhome.com/2017/08/economist-says-supply-not-issue-toronto-vancouver.html

“The real estate industry regularly links high home prices in the Greater Toronto Area to a supply shortage — here, and here, and here — but the contrarian economist doesn’t buy it.’

““Housing bulls argue that the surge in house prices in recent years and the current strength of new home construction are justified by strong population growth in Canada, but the data suggest otherwise,” writes the latest weekly report edited by David Madani.”

“Capital Economics suggests this isn’t the case in Canada’s priciest markets. They aren’t seeing the fastest rates of population growth in the country, and those cities that are don’t have soaring home prices”

Member

KickThemOut

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So why are the inventory so low? Why are there virtually no good SFH selling for reasonable affordable prices if supply is not an issue? Why does this David guy still has a job after all these years?

Member

patriotz

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“So why are the inventory so low?”

Because instead of selling them people are hanging to to properties they don’t need (either too big for them or empty) in expectation of prices going up. Our tax system also subsidizes this behaviour (e.g. property tax deferral).

Guest

YVR

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When do you expect the NDP make the changes to correct the subsidizing of home owners? LOL

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Joe Condo

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Madani is talking overall housing stock – not listings. Metro Van’s housing stock growth has surpassed population growth for the last 15 years. There is no shortage of housing stock, in fact an oversupply, so population growth is not a factor.

However, speculators buying up condos and letting them sit probably is a factor;

http://vancouversun.com/business/local-business/three-transit-oriented-communities-in-metro-rival-coal-harbour-for-empty-or-underused-housing

Member

KickThemOut

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Right…because houses that are being held empty and not on the market are totally part of the supply a buyer can choose to buy from….

Member

Best place on meth

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Supply is definitely not the issue, speculators are. Both domestic and foreign.

Guest

Abdul Lahazi

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10 out of 21 posts so far are by KickThemOut.
You are on a roll today.

Member

KickThemOut

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Just doing my part to keep the traffic number and hence ad revenue up…

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NDP Elite

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A wholehearted Thank-you to the people on this blog that helped get the NDP elected. We are aware of your concerns and will campaign on this issue prior to the next election. In the meantime, we will study the situation and consult stakeholders before we release a report in the 2nd quarter of 2018.

We are also taking offers on who gets the contracts for the 114,000 units we promised to build. Pay to play amounts accordingly. 114,000 units x $50,000 profit from each = $5.7 Billion.

5-10% would be greatly appreciated into our foundations.

Member

patriotz

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“A wholehearted Thank-you to the people on this blog that helped get the NDP elected.”

I’d be surprised if they all managed to tear themselves away from their computers to vote. Who got the NDP elected? Christy Clark, that’s who. She could have won easily – I thought myself she would get a majority despite everything and I said so on this forum – but no, she couldn’t resist giving metro Vancouver voters the finger and they returned the favour.

So I suggest you quite whining, join the BC LIberals, pick a new leader with a few ounces of humility, get to work, and maybe you’ll have your party back in power before too long.

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YVR

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Don’t worry the NDP will do all that is necessary to gift the next election to the Liberals. The Liberal could run a trained chimp next election and win.

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Best place on meth

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They did that the last time, and she was very amusing. For a while.

Guest

Abdul Lahazi

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LOL !!!
Plus 1 thumbs up !

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YVR

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That trained chimp last time beat the NDP in popular vote, seats and won the election before. That tells you a lot about the NDP. They have still yet to beat a trained chimp and have now lost 5 elections in a row. Perpetual losers.

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Best place on meth

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Oh yeah, and Hillary won the popular vote too.

Who cares?

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Best place on meth

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Thanks for the kind words, YVR/Whister!

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YVR

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Nice of the NDP to thank the naive. Trudeau never even bothered.

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Bestplaceonearth

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The No-Deal-Party is gonna waste your money to fight the pipeline. I hope the pipeline company will counter sue the NDP government for delaying the construction and breaching its jurisdiction, and open the eyes of the NDP supporters. By the way, there’s no handouts to the freeloaders yet, but just ask them you shall receive.

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paulb

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New
142
Price Change
47
Sold
125
TI:9800

http://www.clivestevepaul.com

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Harry Wang

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Trunk Trade: Unlicensed food market quietly growing in Richmond
Popular website and app driving people to buy products in parking lots

http://www.richmond-news.com/news/trunk-trade-unlicensed-food-market-quietly-growing-in-richmond-1.21805131

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Combat Mao

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Must be tasty food as long as tax isn’t paid.

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Best place on meth

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What better place to buy seafood on a hot day than from the trunk of someones car?

Once again, mass law breaking, mass tax evasion, this culture has no shame.

Member

squeak

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which begs the question, where is this “food” coming from? Legal fishing? Or illegal, how is that ie affecting the fish stock, the fishing industry, those that pay licences and taxes and follow the rules. laws and quotas. This is how you push legit businesses out of business, make them go bankrupt and those illegal move in after some crafty laundering. Organized crime methods it sounds like.
Who is paying the bill should there be food poisoning? The Canadian tax payer? The health care system is strained to the hilt, staff are loosing morale, burnouts, injuries etc.
Where is the respect for those that play by the rules, pay the taxes, follow the regulations. Clearly many don’t give a hoot.
This is a very dirty game, and why is Canada allowing this ?

Guest

Oracle

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Canada?

It doesn’t exist anymore. Post Nation State. 1000/day running across border into Canada illegally.

Trudeau welcoming it.
And no these people won’t leave.

Canadian sheep have to be the dumbest people in history.

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bullwhip29

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Are regular drivers’ insurance premiums subsidizing luxury cars?
http://bc.ctvnews.ca/are-regular-drivers-insurance-premiums-subsidizing-luxury-cars-1.3542887

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YVR

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Fake news. The vast majority of claims dollars are for personal injury and the costs associated with those claims. Injury risk is the same for all vehicles or maybe less in an expensive vehicle with better safety equipment. If they want to lower costs they must reduce injuries, fraud and the cost associated with litigating it.

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patriotz

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“Injury risk is the same for all vehicles ”

No it isn’t. The reason is that the driver matters. The kind of person who buys a Lambo is not the kind of person who buys a Civic. The private insurance industry has long recognized this which is why they’ve always charged a higher liability rate for “performance” cars.

I think the real story here is that this is the NDP’s first move to stick it to you-know-who. They are well aware that resentment against you-know-who played a large part in their win. And look who’s speaking for the government on this one.

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YVR

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ICBC already charges more for performance and accident history for the type of car. A lambo is not much different in perforance risk to a Corvette and a Bently to a Civic. This article was about car value and repair cost NOT performance and the potential injury. Besides I see more idiots in civics and like cars than any other.

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Dave

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CTV is fake news. In my personal experience, those guys are a bunch of dirtbags. Trust me on this.

Guest

Oracle

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Lawyers take 30% of all money flowing into ICBC.

NDP won’t touch that. These guys are worse than Liberals. Never thought I’d say that. They are just looking for their handouts.

Guest

YVR

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Actually lawyers take 30% on one side and ICBC also pays huge legal fees on their side. Probably more like 45% going to lawyers. But hey let the NDP spin it as Lambos.

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Abdul Lahazi

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“In November, the former government claimed costs were so high, the Liberals were looking to privatize insurance for these vehicles.
But despite the press conference and the promises by then-Transportation Minister Todd Stone, that never happened, an ICBC spokesperson confirmed.”

Another failed Liberal promise.

Member

Best place on meth

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Premiums on the Ferrari should be $70K, not 7K as currently.

How many different ways are we subsidizing mainland crooks?

Guest

Abdul Lahazi

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Yup. Just like how low property taxes are on real estate. Government and the taxpayers subsidizing of home owners.

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Bear Vancouverite

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Report from a friend on the front lines: Preview of Pre-sale of Sussex condo tower at Metrotown was this past week. Friend had to line up for 30 minutes to get in to take a look, but once you get in you have a limited amount of time to look around and you don’t get to buy. Instead, you have to register on their website at night time and you get some sort of lottery system that tells you when you can next go in for a private appointment to buy the presale. To qualify you must show up with a certified $40k check which must be given to them on the spot, followed by an additional 10% deposit within 7 days. Sounds like prices were around $1100/sq ft. That’s a hefty price to be in Metrotown area. During that… Read more »

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Abdul Lahazi

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And Burnaby’s mayor Corrigan says we need all these towers to house all the people moving to the area. What utter bullshit and he knows it. These condos will all be sold to Asian investors/speculators. Meanwhile the current residents get the boot from their cheap rental apts so the speculators can “invest”.

Guest

Shut It Down Already

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Except we know that the vast majority of buyers are greedy greedy locals.

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Abdul Lahazi

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no we do not know that. Prove it.

Member

Best place on meth

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Exactly, we don’t know who is buying pre-sales. Where is the data on that?

One thing we do know however is that the vast majority of foreign criminals laundering money in Vancouver real estate are chinese.

Guest

Shut It Down Already

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Where is the data on that? I suspect you have a different standard of proof for your own bullshit claims. You’ll probably bring out a couple of news articles and make some hand-wavy statements about how you believe them to be representative of the whole.

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Best place on meth

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Can someone take Garth’s pet monkey outside and shoot it?

It appears to have rabies.

Pope?

Guest

Shut It Down Already

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No proof then? Thought so.

Guest

Shut It Down Already

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It’s a waste of time debating with anybody who chooses to forget the evidence already presented.

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YVR

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Corgan is NDP. I wish every NPD voter luck.

Guest

Abdul Lahazi

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And no 15% FBT on presales.

Member

Best place on meth

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The mandarins are rushing to scoop up pre-sales before that loophole closes.

Guest

Oracle

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Make them payable within 30 days of all rule changes. No grandfathering.

But then again horgan making his first trip out the country. To China.

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Oracle

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All on David Ebys watch.

I will be sure 100% that these guys are worse than the Liberals if I don’t here any talking town on real estate by the start of Sept.

What they going to do? Ring prices back to June 2017 levels.

Assholes indeed.

Guest

YVR

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“Every single person was Asian”.

Is your friend an Asain mainlander or is he not part of every single person?

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Bear Vancouverite

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I said every single person was Asian, not all of them were mainlanders. Maybe I should have just left this out since it is too inflammatory to some people.