House flipping is a business venture where people invest or borrow money to purchase a home that needs some renovation. Their goal is to beautify the property and re-enter the real estate market. There are several factors that must be considered before deciding to get involved in this business. These factors may include property purchase tax, return on investment, and the cost of a fix-and-flip.
Property purchase tax
There’s a debate raging about the property purchase tax for house flippers. The province’s new two per cent tax on speculators and an expansion of the foreign buyer’s tax came into effect Tuesday, but Vancouver city council wants to do more. The council passed a motion Tuesday calling for additional steps to curb property speculation in the city. While the province has stated that banning foreign ownership of real estate is not an option, councillor Adrianne Carr hopes a tax on flipping homes becomes a reality.
The proposed property purchase tax is intended to discourage house flipping but not deter long-term rental investments. Exemptions are available for certain circumstances, including the death of the original owner, a divorce or the loss of employment. It will also not apply to builders. The tax will not apply to primary residences, but it will be extended for a year.
The tax is based on the fair market value of the property on the date of registration. It is not to be confused with annual property taxes, which are paid to the municipal or rural tax office and fund local services. For example, if the property’s price is more than $3 million, the tax will be 2%.
Flipping homes in the West Vancouver area is a risky business. While the market is generally soft, prices can fall significantly. In the past year, the benchmark house in West Vancouver dropped by $350,000 in value. That would require a hypothetical buyer to spend another $100,000 to upgrade the property. To make a profit, this house would have to sell for at least $3.45 million to make the money back. With the increase in land value, flipping homes in the west end of Vancouver was an easy way to make a profit, but the risk of losing money is magnified when the market turns.
New regulations in the Real Estate Services Act aim to curb the shadow flipping practice in Vancouver. A realtor must get the seller’s written permission before transferring a contract. This will help prevent shadow flipping, a practice in which a realtor sells a property for a higher price than it originally sold for. In addition, the government has ordered realtors to obtain written consent from sellers before assigning a contract, meaning any profit gained from the contract transfer must be paid back to the seller.
Return on investment
When it comes to making a return on investment when house flipping in West Vancouver, you have to be careful. The Canadian real estate market is softening. That means that home buyers are willing to negotiate hard and prices have dipped even further. A 10% drop in the market can push you into the red, and that’s before you factor in real estate agent fees and property transfer tax.
Vancouver real estate agent Kim Taylor explains that an increase in home flipping is linked to a shortage of properties in the area. There are more buyers than available real estate. The hot market in neighbourhoods such as Ambleside and Dundarave is largely due to foreign buyers. However, the increasing popularity of flipping properties is also having a negative impact on neighbourhoods.
One way to increase your return on investment when house flipping in West Vancouver is to renovate your home. If you do this, make sure you get the proper permits. Once your renovations are complete, prospective buyers will know that the work was done properly. This way, they won’t have any headaches when it comes to moving in. If you live in a strata building, you’ll also need to get strata approval before doing any renovations.
While the return on investment when house flipping in West Vancouver isn’t as high as it is in Vancouver, it’s still a profitable venture. In the third quarter of this century, the typical resale price of a flipped property rose by 18.6 percent. That was significantly better than the decline of 2.1% year over year. If you buy a house in West Vancouver, you should be able to sell it for more than double its value in 12 months.
The ROI of a West Vancouver house flip depends on the price range you choose for your home. When you buy a house at the median price point, you can expect to get between 20% to 30% of the purchase price. The average price for a house of that size is $160,000.
Finding a suitable property to flip
The first step in flipping a house is finding a suitable property. This process is very critical, and the amount of money you make will depend on the type of property you choose. A guide to finding suitable properties to flip will help you find the perfect home for flipping. Next, you will need to find a contractor who can complete the work and get the property back on the market before the loan expires.
One option is to go direct to the homeowner. This involves approaching them directly with an offer for the property. However, you will need to have cash on hand to cover the down payment and the full price of the house. A real estate agent can help you write an offer that outlines your motivation and the process involved in buying the property. If you do this, be prepared for the possibility of rejection.
After all, you should know that the West Vancouver market is not a good one for house flippers. The average house there dropped in value by nearly three hundred thousand dollars in the last year. A typical house will cost about $175,000 to sell in this area, and taxes and commissions on the sale would be another $150,000 or so. You can also expect to spend another $100,000 or so on renovations. Buying a house in West Vancouver with this much money can be a great investment, but you should also know that it is a big risk.
Before making the final purchase of a property, you should check whether it is assignable. When a contract can’t be fulfilled, the buyer can assign the contract to another realtor or sell the property before it has closed. As long as the new owner is responsible, this transaction will be legal.
Buying a home is not something that happens every day. The investment process is a significant one, and the right advice can make the process run smoothly. A professional West Vancouver real estate advisor will help you define your goals and help you bring your plans to life.
Cost of a fix and flip
The cost of a fix and flip property depends on several factors. First, you must understand the market in which you want to invest. This can be determined by factors like the median household income, average home value, and number of realtors. You also need to consider the average listing price, average selling price, and days on the market.
The real estate market in Canada has weakened significantly in recent years. For example, the benchmark house in West Vancouver dropped by $350,000 in the last year. That means that, a hypothetical buyer would have to shell out $150,000 in taxes and commission to a real estate agent. The buyer would also need to spend at least $100,000 on renovations. So, the cost of a fix and flip house in West Van would be around $1.8 million.
You may want to start your research by looking at MLS(r) stats. These will give you a better idea of the market. The average house price in West Vancouver is $2,811,526. There are 137 new listings every 28 days, and homes spend an average of 24 days on the market.
Another big expense of a fix and flip house is marketing. This is one of the most important factors in making a good profit from a fix and flip. You can hire a real estate agent to sell your house for you, or use your own marketing tools to advertise the property. However, you must keep in mind that a real estate agent commission is usually 6% of the total sale price.
Moreover, estimating the rehab cost is a very important step in maximizing profits. By using a reliable guide, you can see where your money will go the quickest. If the market is not good, you may have to put in more work to get a low price.
Another factor that affects the cost of a fix and flip property is the cost of hiring contractors. You should estimate 5% of the price of the property. Taking this conservative approach, you would spend about $315,000 after closing costs. Moreover, the longer the rehab takes, the lower the ROI.
Among many other things, David A. Grantham is a contributing author to UmassExtension West Vancouver Blo. He is a renowned expert on real estate in BC.
Born in North Vancouver, Louisiana, Dr. Grantham grew up in Lower Lonsdale. He then went on to complete his business degree at the University British Columbia. As of this writing, Grantham has completed over 100 projects, including the development of a high rise building in Vancouver.
He is a husband, father, son, brother, and friend. He was a dedicated outdoorsman and enjoyed sports such as hunting, fishing, scuba diving, and snow skiing. His wife, Alison Grantham, and their two daughters survived him. He is survived by his wife Alison Martin Grantham and two daughters.