The last thread ran over 400 comments and that can start to slow the site down so we’re dropping this in as a refresh.
Carry on!
106 Comments
3 years ago
I just listened to Selina Robinson on The Early Edition CBC Radio. To say she was evasive is an understatement. After repeated questioning about legislation to reduce housing speculation, excessive investment by foreigners and locals, improper use of housing by non-residents, she came up with answers like: — these are exciting times to craft policy (she said that multiple times)…. — we are considering many options but we have not taken any decisions….. — I don’t expect we will make decisions any time time soon…. — there are multiple needs across the province, and we have to balance those needs….. And then the one the only takes the cherry for me: — homelessness is the critical issue, and we are bringing 2700 rental units to the market this Fall….. Why the hell these fake politicians confuse the housing crisis with… Read more »
3 years ago
This is speculation until they release their official housing policy. The optimist view is they don’t want to spook people before they clamp down on speculators. Remember when Bob Rennie seemed to have been given advanced knowledge of the Foreign Buyer Tax? Letting the details of curbs to real estate speculation leak out early can be problematic. Being as quiet as possible about what you plan to do avoids having more people speculate to avoid getting caught by the crackdown. If I was the housing minister I wouldn’t say anything about it until the legislation is in place.
3 years ago
They’ve done absolutely nothing on housing affordability and the situation has only gotten worse. There is no shortage of things they could have done on Day 1. Simple example… Announce that you have given David Eby a mandate and funding to investigate illegal real estate transactions and tax evasion. On Day 2, you could announce that the government is holding a public inquiry into foreign ownership in BC real estate to understand the extent of the problem. On Day 3, you could announce the government will hire a consultant to determine the percentage of empty condos and houses to inform future tax policy. On Day 4, you could announce that the government is investigating speculation occurring in the pre-sale market to determine the legality of some transactions. None of these are specific policies or legal changes, but they are very… Read more »
3 years ago
You sound like a Trump supporter. http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/09/donald-trump-first-day-in-office/
“On Day One of a Trump administration, the U.S. Treasury Department will designate China a currency manipulator,”
But seriously, just saying you’re going to do things is kind of useless. It’s actions that count. I’m not saying they’re going to deliver on anything, I’m just saying the NDP may be playing the housing card close to the chest on purpose, and it’s way too early to guess what their plans are. Maybe they won’t do anything, maybe there will be massive earth-shattering changes to housing policy. It all depends on what you see in your crystal ball.
3 years ago
Trump made close to 40 “first day”, “first hour”, or “first week” promises and backed away from nearly all of them. But Abdul is still a supporter.
3 years ago
And on Day 1 they should have killed off the first timers home buyers loan program.
3 years ago
The details were their election campaign.
3 years ago
Told you so…
BPOM in denial.
Let’s have another election. Would a NDP recall campaign work? Libs plus exNDP just so these assholes don’t lad their overseas foundations any more?
What MLA’s to target?
3 years ago
what goes around comes around. remember in the 90’s when we laughed at China for buying all our bonds? what happened to the bond vigilantes? are they hiding in Asian jungles with the Jap soldiers?
3 years ago
A new low!! Locust scumbags rip off Canucks jersey design
http://dailyhive.com/vancouver/versace-canucks-logo-sweater
3 years ago
Wow that is an ugly shirt.
3 years ago
Two out of 10 homeless people in Metro Vancouver have jobs
https://www.straight.com/news/972251/two-out-10-homeless-people-metro-vancouver-have-jobs
3 years ago
I am also noticing more and more camper vans and RV’s parked in Walmarts and on road-side that seem to get moved every day. There’s likely a lot of working people living in their vehicles and driving them to work every day. It is a crisis in every sense of the word, and truly sad that it’s gone on this long without any meaningful action from any level of government.
3 years ago
Vancouver outstripped the 10 most-populous “census metropolitan areas” in Canada for having the highest percentage of residents living in low-incomes households
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/b-c/vancouver-tops-in-low-income-households-1.23050107
>>> let the discussion begin…
3 years ago
‘We stand to wipe out a whole era’: how the 1970s could vanish from Vancouver
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/sep/27/wipe-out-era-1970s-vanish-vancouver
3 years ago
CBC: Lawsuits allege Vancouver tech company a Ponzi scheme and sham
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/lawsuits-allege-vancouver-tech-company-a-ponzi-scheme-and-sham-1.4310897
3 years ago
Vancouver and its surrounding region of shiny condo towers and affluent, resort-like amenities also has some of the highest levels of poverty and inequality in the country.
The study was released following recent discussion in the Lower Mainland about the under-reporting of income for tax avoidance. There are areas in north-west Richmond that are sharp anomalies, with very low-income levels despite high home values.
3 years ago
Fucks at work, scamming the system, all well…
3 years ago
Toronto, London Among Riskiest Housing Bubble Cities, UBS Says
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-28/toronto-london-among-riskiest-housing-bubble-cities-ubs-says
3 years ago
They put Vancouver #4.
Bullshit, look at our incomes. We’re the #1 bubble.
3 years ago
More pay to play and NDP gathering
“I want to thank you for coming to the end of these types of events,” Mr. Horgan told hundreds of guests, who paid $525 for single tickets and $3,000 for groups of up to seven, as he began talking about the record of his government.
NDP party president said such gatherings will continue within the bounds set by the new legislation, which caps individual donations at $1,200
https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/horgan-hails-end-of-big-donor-events-at-annual-ticketed-ndp-gathering/article36375115/?ref=http://www.theglobeandmail.com&
3 years ago
So what you’re saying is you voted NDP last election? It’s good to see great grassroots NDP supporters such as yourself delivering unbiased information about your party. Kudos to you sir.
3 years ago
I did too.
Never again. These guys are liars– worst than Kristy.
NDP is a one term gov. Maybe put pressure on Greens to call another election.
3 years ago
More broken NDP promises and hypocracy – NDP to stack publicly-paid jobs with campaign officials and well-connected loyalists
The B.C. NDP government’s hiring spree of partisan friends and insiders is “sickening” and the kind of hypocrisy that turns the public off politics, says Green Leader Andrew Weaver. “It’s offensive actually,” Weaver said in an interview. “And this is why the taxpayer gets so disenfranchised with our political system, is that you criticize someone for doing something and you do exactly the same.”
http://vancouversun.com/news/politics/b-c-ndp-partisan-hiring-spree-sickening-greens
3 years ago
More lying and hypocrisy out of the NDP
The newly minted NDP government is under fire over allegations it spent taxpayers’ money to purchase a partisan advertisement.
“It is a classic example of hypocrisy,” Weaver said. “Frankly, I would’ve expected better.”
http://bc.ctvnews.ca/ndp-accused-of-using-tax-dollars-to-buy-partisan-ad-1.3609597
3 years ago
I sure hope YVR/Whistler don’t trade stocks, for their sakes.
“Why isn’t this stock up at least 10% by now! I bought it over a week ago!
3 years ago
Punch drunk homeowners and realtors say there is no housing bubble in Vancouver
https://globalnews.ca/video/3773562/experts-discount-real-estate-bubble-in-vancouver/
>>> well alrighty then…back to our originally scheduled programming…
3 years ago
I wish I could write the titles for these news articles. Most of them like this would be something like “Real Estate Shills Spew Propoganda in a Vain Attempt To Protect Their Self Interests.”
3 years ago
Meanwhile; “Blame Canada: Toronto, Vancouver Top Housing Bubble Risks”, Fox News
“UBS published its latest global real estate “bubble index” on Thursday, listing the major cities most at risk of housing bubbles. Canada took two of the top four spots, with Toronto on top and Vancouver at number four”
3 years ago
B.C. government investigating Istuary Innovation Group for not paying employees
https://globalnews.ca/video/3773563/b-c-government-investigates-company-for-not-paying-employees/
>>> this could a number of different ways depending on how far up the food chain this goes.
3 years ago
Turd is involved with these chinese scammers.
3 years ago
Isn’t this investigation racist?
3 years ago
Climbing number of foreign students puts B.C. university’s cap system to the test
https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/surge-in-foreign-postsecondary-applicants-puts-canadian-schools-balancing-act-to-test/article36415233
3 years ago
“The surtax would target property owners who don’t earn income in Canada, similar to the two per cent speculation tax the NDP government proposed in this year’s election.”
How’s that tax going Eby?
3 years ago
Selina is in charge now.
If any NDP government member is reading this: guys, your political survival hinges on housing. If you renege on your commitments, you are political roadkill.
3 years ago
Luckily, most voters have more patience than YVR/Whistler/15 month old infant with teething pain
3 years ago
Dude. You just don’t get it.
Almost half year since election. And 4 years in opposition to devise a plan.
3 years ago
The Liberals were in government until about two months ago. And they don’t have a majority so they have to have the Greens on board for whatever they do. Calm the fuck down. Geez.
3 years ago
they=NDP
3 years ago
“If any NDP government member is reading this…”
They’re laughing at you. The NDP already knows they won’t get elected again. Selena and Horgan both own 2 houses each.
3 years ago
They’ve already reneged.
They are done. Any housing measures brought in will be watered down.
I will personally help to defeat the NDP next election.
3 years ago
Which one of the old muppets in the balcony are you again?
3 years ago
The grumpy one.
3 years ago
According to the International Monetary Fund, which has cited Vancouver as being at the crosshairs of money laundering and real estate speculation,
“There are cases of Chinese officials laundering the proceeds of crime through the real estate sector, particularly in Vancouver, and the Chinese government has listed Canada as a country that it wishes to target for recovering the proceeds of Chinese corruption,” noted a 2016 IMF report.
http://www.richmond-news.com/news/money-laundering-alleged-at-river-rock-casino-and-resort-1.23039009
3 years ago
I hope the Chinese government leans hard on the Canadian government to get some action on catching money launderers from China. With the NAFTA talks not looking so great, the Canadian Feds will be relying on good trade relations with China more than ever. Up to this point we’ve been like the Cayman Islands for them. Just shove as much dirty money as you can into every thing you can buy in Canada that’s not nailed down. To keep the Chinese happy, repatriating dirty money will likely be a high priority for them. We also need an extradition treaty so the RCMP have some teeth to hunt down these scumbags and ship them back to the loving embrace of the CCP.
3 years ago
Send back a thousand random sinomen immediately as a gesture of goodwill.
3 years ago
Way to go, Josh! http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/housing-expert-questions-vancouver-council-candidate-s-mansion-tax-1.4310442 Gordon agrees with taxing more expensive properties but presented an alternative scheme at this week’s Union of B.C. Municipalities convention. He wants to see a progressive property surtax that would be offset by income taxes. That surtax would only be applied to the value of a property that exceeds a certain threshold. Gordon proposes a lower threshold than the one suggested by Swanson — such as an assessed value of $800,000 — and the tax rate would get progressively higher for more valuable homes. The surtax would target property owners who don’t earn income in Canada, similar to the two per cent speculation tax the NDP government proposed in this year’s election. The tax would make Vancouver homes less attractive for international investors and help drive down prices, Gordon said. “If you want to live… Read more »
3 years ago
The free loaders are out in full force.
3 years ago
As expected, here comes the usual imbecile to say something clever and spew traditional wisdom.
3 years ago
As expected, free loaders always support their kind, as long as they get more freebies.
3 years ago
As expected, free loaders always support their own kind, as long as there is freebie. Sorry, didn’t your mama tell you, there is no free lunch!
3 years ago
A freeloader is someone who benefits from something without having to work. A speculator or foreign investor who pays no income taxes while holding onto a home or homes fits that description perfectly. Are you a freeloader like other speculators?
3 years ago
Anybody who uses the words “pay your fair share” is a menace to society.
How exactly are increases in property values being paid for by everybody else’s taxes, anyway?
3 years ago
Roads? Schools? Hospitals? Clean water and air?
Housing is expensive for a reason. And taxpayers who pay to keep the system working are the main reason.
But of course: we should defend the hard won equity of all those foreign owners who illegally moved their loot to Canada. Doing otherwise would be racist.
3 years ago
How are THE INCREASES IN PROPERTY VALUES being paid for by everybody else’s taxes? I clearly have to add the emphasis on account of you being a total fool.
Clean water and air? Good lord.
3 years ago
Property values increase because of location. Functioning institutions make a location desirable. Scarcity of land (arguably a public good, if ever there was one) does the rest.
You are not only stupid, but also incredibly arrogant.
3 years ago
Oh my gosh, so now the freeloaders blame the home owners for their misfortune. So let tax the hell out of those who have already paid fair shares of taxes to build and support the functioning institution. Let take a few more pieces from these people and feed the freeloaders. What to lose! Didn’t know until now that freeloaders are greedy too.
3 years ago
Don’t act as alpha-idiot and pretending you don’t understand what talk is about.
3 years ago
SIDA, you are being disingenuous. The hard work and success of the entire local population as a whole creates the stability and desirability of region, making real estate desirable and valuable. Taxes pay for roads, healthcare, facilities, parks and schools. Some of the things mentioned are funded from income taxes, others funded by property and sales taxes. Do you not notice that realtors always mention location, proximity to schools and parks?
If someone is not paying any income tax, has never paid any income tax, and benefits from inflated housing, they are a freeloader. Plain and simple.
3 years ago
The surtax would target property owners who don’t earn income in Canada, similar to the two per cent speculation tax the NDP government proposed in this year’s election.
No the NDP didn’t just propose it. They promised it as part of their campaign and then broke their promise insulting anyone who voted for the NDP. Along with a bunch of other housing related election promises they reneged on like canceling the first timer home buyers loan program or stopping money laundering on housing. Why bother coming up with new proposals to cool housing when it is clear the NDP have no intention of implementing them. They clearly want the bubble bigger. A better discussion would be a coming up with a recall campaign and when it can be implemented.
3 years ago
“similar to the two per cent speculation tax the NDP government proposed in this year’s election.”
“No the NDP didn’t just propose it. They promised it as part of their campaign”
Yo, partisan NDP hater! What is it you’re trying to dispute here?
3 years ago
There is nothing to dispute The NDP are liars.
3 years ago
Seriously BPOM, get a handle on the situation. We were lied to. Plain and simple.
Why you can’t see it is beyond me.
Write to Horgan or Eby. They won’t touch housing. You’ll get no response.
3 years ago
The “honest politician” is right up there with “military intelligence” and “jumbo shrimp”.
3 years ago
Yes they could have easily killed off the first timers home buyers loan program by now. I’m quite pissed off that they didn’t do that.
3 years ago
I’d rather have Liberals in power if NDP is going to do nothing. At least they brought in a FBT.
3 years ago
You are 100% correct.
Anyone here who thinks the NDP is going to do anything at this point is simply dumb.
They could have halted the 20% rise on the low end at the start of summer. But nope.
They could have closed the FBT loopholes and cancelled the first time homebuyers loan.
Or they could have banned presales to non-residents or applied aFBT to presales.
List goes on.
They lied.
Mission now should be to kick these assholes out.
3 years ago
New
228
Price Change
66
Sold
178
TI:10223
3 years ago
This is a re-post of Southseacompany’s link to the effects of the new proposed OSFI regulations:
“Canadian Real Estate Buyers Are About To Lose 25% Of Their Buying Power”, Better Dwelling
https://betterdwelling.com/canadian-real-estate-buyers-lose-25-buying-power/
If anyone has info (or links) regarding the implementation of these regulations, I would be quite grateful to know about them. It seems to me that, if they manage to overcome the obvious opposition of the real estate lobby, these regulations have a lot of promise.
3 years ago
Famously curious Bear 148 killed by hunter in B.C. Which bear is next??
https://globalnews.ca/news/3772535/famously-curious-bear-148-killed-by-hunter-in-b-c/
3 years ago
Since we might get lots of dead bears soon, here are recipes on how to cook various bear meat dishes. Bon Appetite!
http://www.bearhunting.com/pages/bear-hunting/info/cooking-bear-meat
3 years ago
Horgan should post these on the NDP website now he is promoting the slaughter grizzly bears for their meat. Something never done n this province until Horgan made it legal.
3 years ago
Are you sure it’s not in part to control population numbers?
3 years ago
It’s just like whaling for “research”!
3 years ago
Horgan is thinking of bringing back whaling as long as it is for the meat.
3 years ago
Is Garth a Commie locust in disguise? His latest piece on tax dodging
3 years ago
Garth is an f’ing liar, hypocritical and fraud.
Oh, did I mention a leftist globalist shit bag.
3 years ago
Well half of the posts are by ShitItDown and KickThemOut just being obnoxious.
3 years ago
Are they the same person? I am starting to wonder.
If they are not, they are meant to be together: their small minds think alike.
3 years ago
It is all the same person. It is Space889.
3 years ago
No, they aren’t the same person. One is apparently very sick, a sexually obsessed psychopath with a twisted sense of justice and the other is just a frustrated post-modern unrealized quasi-intellectual who found a channel for his absurd lectures.
3 years ago
It’s clear, then, that you don’t have the slightest idea what “post modern” means yet you call others quasi-intellectuals. Fascinating.
3 years ago
You are hilarious, if you weren’t a prick by definition you would be almost entertaining, like Oracle and such.
3 years ago
Same person with MPD.
3 years ago
Yes, surely the best explanation is that it’s simply not possible that more than one person could disagree with you.
3 years ago
But you disagree with everybody.