The song which I wrote for my sis - I hope music can bring some peace in her.
Photography by Maria Mak
'naked…
in the embrace of your maple womb,
O
in search of our wisdom,
lost in the midst of doubts,
coiled;
tumbling and swirling in the thoughts of turmoils,
perplexed;
too weak to align the stability,
crumble to the dust of darkness,
blinded,
fantasizing
The power of togetherness.'
- Maria Mak
Photography and written by Maria Mak
Oh...my my sweet ballerina,
tiptoe on your dull world,
fly like a little bird,
defy the law between the gravity and the melody
spread your wings among the trinity,
the love, the hate, and the in between
the show must go on... silently
Drawing and written by Maria Mak
| Home Buyers’ Plan: Registered Retirement Savings for down payments | |
|---|---|
| Canada Revenue Agency’s Home Buyers' Plan lets qualifying home buyers use up to $25,000 of their Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) to buy a home. Couples can use up to $50,000. The home must be the principal residence, the home buyers must not have owned a home within the past five years and the loan must be repaid with 15 years. Disabled home buyers upgrading to a more accessible home also qualify as do relatives helping disabled home buyers. Home buyers who have already used the plan and have fully repaid their RRSP may be eligible to use the plan a second time. | Canada Revenue Agency For information: Home Buyers' Plan 1-800-959-8287 |
| First-Time Home Buyers' Tax Credit | |
| This federal non-refundable income tax credit is for qualifying buyers of detached, attached, apartment condominiums, mobile homes or shares in a cooperative housing corporation. It’s calculated by multiplying the lowest personal income tax rate for the year by $5,000. | Canada Revenue Agency For information: www.cra.gc.ca/hbtc 1-800-959-8281 |
| GST Rebate on new homes | |
| New home buyers can apply for a rebate of the 5% GST if the purchase price is $350,000 or less. The rebate is up to 36% of the GST to a maximum rebate of $6,300. There is a proportional GST rebate for new homes costing between $350,000 and $450,000. | Canada Revenue Agency For information: GST-New housing rebate1-800-959-8287 |
| BC Property Transfer Tax (PTT) | |
| Home buyers in BC pay a provincial Property Transfer Tax (PPT) when they buy a home. The tax is charged at a rate of 1% on the first $200,000 of the purchase price and 2% on the remainder. First-time home buyers may be exempt from paying the PTT of 1% on the first $200,000 and 2% on the remainder of the purchase price of a home priced up to $475,000. There is a proportional exemption for between $475,000 and $500,000. At $500,000 and above the rebate is nil. | BC Ministry of Finance For information: Property Transfer Tax 250-387-0604 |
| BC property tax deferment programs | |
| SeniorsQualifying home owners aged 55+ may be eligible to defer property taxes. Financial hardshipQualifying low-income home owners may be eligible to defer property taxes. Families with childrenQualifying low-income home owners who financially support children under age 18 may be eligible to defer property taxes. | BC Ministry of Finance For information: Property tax deferment programs and enter ‘Property tax deferment’ in the search box or contact your municipal tax office. |
| BC Home Owner Grant | |
| Reduces property taxes for home owners with an assessed value of up to $1,100,000. The basic grant gives home owners: • a maximum reduction of $570 in property taxes on principal residences in the Capital, Greater Vancouver, and Fraser Valley regional districts • an additional grant of $200 to rural homeowners elsewhere in the province • an additional grant of $275 to seniors aged 65+, those who are permanently disabled and verterans of certain wars | BC Ministry of Finance For information: Home Owner Grant Or contact your local municiple tax office. |
| Home Adaptations for Independence (HAFI) | |
| A program jointly funded by federal and provincial governments provides up to $20,000 to help eligible low-income seniors and disabled home owners and landlords to finance modifications to their homes to make them accessible and safer. | For information: BC Housing604-646-7055 1-800-407-7757 ext 7055 |
| Rain barrel subsidy programs | |
| Many Metro Vancouver municipalities offer rain barrels for sale, often at a discount for their residents: Burnaby - $70 Coquitlam - $72 Richmond - $30 Other municipalities have similar offers. | For information: Burnaby Coquitlam Richmond |
| Local Government water conservation incentives | |
| Your municipality may provide grants and incentives to residents to help save water. For example, the City of Coquitlam offers residents a $100 rebate and the City of North Vancouver, District of North Vancouver, and District of West Vancouver offer a $50 rebate when residents install a low-flush toilet. | For information: Visit your municipality’s website and enter ‘toilet rebate' to see if there is a program. |
| Local Government water meter programs | |
| Your municipality may provide a program for voluntary water metering so that you pay only for the amount of water you use. Delta, Richmond and Surrey have programs and other municipalities may soon follow. | For information: Visit your municipality’s website and enter ‘water meter’ to see if there is a program. |
| BC Hydro rebates/savings for the home | |
| Fridge buy-back: $30 to turn in spare fridges in working condition. Appliance rebate: save on selected ENERGY STAR clothes washers, refrigerators, and freezers from $25 to $75. Next rebate period is October 2014. Lighting: switch to ENERGY STAR LEDs, CFLs and lighting fixtures. Home electronics: televisions and other electronics identified with Power Smart messaging use significantly less energy than standard products. | For information: BC Hydro - Rebates and Savings |
| BC Hydro Power Smart Partner program for business | |
| The Power Smart Partner program partners BC Hydro with BC’s largest commercial, government and institutional customers (who spend $200,000 or more/year on Hydro). Customers gain access to a wide range of energy management programs, tools and incentives. | For information: BC Hydro 1 866-522-4713 |
| BC Hydro Power Smart Express (PSX) for business | |
| Launched June 2, 2014, the PSX program partners BC Hydro with BC’s largest commercial, government and institutional customers (who spend $200,000 or more/year on Hydro). The program provides incentives for various technologies, including lighting, cooking and refridgeration appliances. | For information: BC Hydro 1 866-522-4713 |
| FortisBC rebate program for homes | |
| Rebates for home owners include: • $300 rebate for buying an EnerChoice® fireplace • up to $1,000 off an ENERGY STAR® water heater • $1,000 rebate for switching to natural gas (from oil or propane) and installing an ENERGY STAR® heating system | For information: Fortis BC1 888-224-2710 |
| FortisBC rebate program for businesses | |
| For commercial buildings, provides: • a rebate of up to $45,000 for the purchase of an energy efficient boiler • up to $15,000 for the purchase of a high-efficiency water heater • funding towards a new construction energy study | For information: Fortis BC 1 866-884-8833 |
| Energy Conservaton and Assistance Program | |
| BC Hydro and FortisBC offer free energy assessments and energy saving products to low-income customers. Qualified contractors will install upgrades ranging in value from $300 to $5,000 depending on the need of the home. | For information: BC Hydro FortisBC |
| Energy Savings Kit Program | |
| BC Hydro and FortisBC offer low-income customers a free energy saving kit containing products to help save energy and money. | For information: BC Hydro FortisBC |
| Home Energy Rebate Offer | |
| BC Hydro and FortisBC offer home owners rebates for various upgrades and improvements, including insulation, draftproofing, space heating systems, water heating systems and ventilation. These improvements can reduce the average residential customer’s energy bill by 30%. There is a bonus offer for completing three or more of certain upgrades. Total value of available rebates is almost $6,000 per household. | For information: BC Hydro FortisBC |
| Financial institutions - energy-related savings | |
| RBC's Energy Saver MortgageHome owners who have a home energy audit within 90 days of receiving a RBC Energy Saver Mortgage may qualify for a rebate of $300. RBC's Energy Saver Loan Offers a 1% interest rate discount or a $100 rebate on a home energy audit with a qualifying purchase through a fixed rate loan over $5,000 BMO Eco Smart Mortgage Offers home buyers a special rate on qualifying green properties. Vancity’s Bright Ideas home renovation loan Offers home owners up to $20,000 at prime + 1% for up to 10 years for green renovations. CMHC Mortgage Loan Insurance Premium Refund Provides home buyers with CMHC mortgage insurance, a 10% premium refund and possible extended amortization without surcharge when buyers purchase an energy efficient home or make energy savings renovations. | For information visit your financial institution or RBC-mortgage RBC-loan BMO Vancity CMHC 1-800-668-2642 |
Have a seat and
Let's talk real estate.
Photography by Maria Mak, Burnaby Realtor
@www.mariamak.com
Let the dust subsided
Beyond the horizon...
Sail our dreams far and wide .
Photography and written by Maria Mak.Burnaby Realtor @ www.mariamak.com
Lone nail by the dock...
I have witnessed the comes and goes of the quiet tides.
I have witnessed the rises and falls of the glamorous empires.
I have witnesses the greatest love of all - unconditional love of my sweetest mom and dad .
Last but not least ,
I have witnessed the fullness of our humanity, truthulness and kindness.
Photography and written by Maria Mak
Chasing my paper moon...
crunched,
tossed in the bin,
bewildered,
lost,
not a clue;
with the grace of your pull,
and the gent of your push;
rebounced,
refurbished,
re-enlightened,
will you follow me
chasing my paper moon?
Drawing and written by Maria Mak. Burnaby Realtor
Drawing by Maria Mak
I am in the kite wind ...
Too high in my cloud nine
But if ...
I am the wind
Will you be my kite ?
風箏在風中
Photography and written by by Maria Mak
Doggie is my name today,,,
I am relatively quite prolific today...
Morning - watering my garden , made my plants happy ,
Noon - picnicking @ Spanish bank, made my belly happy,
Afternoon - revisiting my old pottery studio, made my spirits happy,
Evening - watching dogs running freely around me,
made my day happy.
All in all - doggie is my name today !
Photography and written by Maria Mak
What's not on the property title may be importantIn West Vancouver in 2007, on the advice of her REALTOR®, a property seller checked to see if there was an underground fuel storage tank on her property.
There was and the seller had the tank removed and the contaminated soil remediated. The bill was $202,963.07.
The seller had bought the property in 2001 without using the services of a REALTOR® and had been told by the previous owner that the tank had been removed or decommissioned.
The seller sued the former property owned and won because the owner hadn’t disclosed the severity of the problem.(Note: a REALTOR® was not involved in the 2001 sale).
• In Richmond, an illegal drug lab in a rental home on a busy street
resulted in a neighbourhood evacuation.
• In Marpole, the owners of a non-profit theatre learned from a
neighbouring business that the building they own is one of a dozen
commercial sites sitting on a midden, the location of Aboriginal artifacts.
None are registered on the property title.
This means that current and future owners may not know about issues associated with their property that could affect its safety, ease of sale and ultimate value.
The legal description of a property, including:
• the parcel identification (PID);
• taxation authority;
• registered owner and their address;
• the title number;
• the previous title number;
• legal notations against the property (may include heritage);
• charges, liens and interests (under-surface rights, rights of ways, covenants, judgments);
• whether a duplicate title has been ordered and by whom, and
• transfers and pending applications.
• Archaeological sites.
• Former grow ops and illegal drug labs.
• Heritage designations (not always on title).
• Highway entitlements.
• Stigmatized property.
• Streamside issues – if there are fish-bearing ditches or creeks on the property.
• Underground fuel storage tanks.
1 Ask the owner.
2 Visit the local government (municipal) website where you will find a range of information, for example:
• Richmond provides a road map of designated heritage buildings and homes, and includes photos. (Note: there is no
available universal public registry of homes previously used as grow ops and illegal drug labs.)
• The City of Vancouver confirms if a property has been used as a grow op or illegal drug lab to anyone phoning
604.871.6231. The City does not provide the owner’s name in keeping with privacy legislation.
• West Vancouver provides a list of properties known to have underground storage tanks. Visit:
www.westvancouver.ca and search Fuel Storage Tank Program. Scroll to More Information and see Fuel/ Oil Tank
Records Search.
If you don’t find what you need online, phone your local government or go in person. Depending on the municipality, there may be comprehensive data.
• There is a BC Heritage Sites Inventory. Information about its properties comes from local governments, so start there
first.
• Check the BC Archaeological Site Inventory at
www.for.gov.bc.ca/archaeology/accessing_archaeological_data/index.htm.You can also phone: 250 953-3338.
• Search the BC Government’s Contaminated Sites Registry which lists some contaminated sites. It is available through
www.bconline.gov.bc.ca.(Go to Products). There is a charge to access the database.
Throughout the Lower Mainland aging fuel storage tanks in yards are potentially corroding and leaching toxic materials into the soil.
In worst case scenarios, the contamination extends to neighbouring properties and the groundwater system.
These tanks, used until the 1960s when natural gas became readily available, were never required to be registered.
In the 50 years since, many tanks have been decommissioned or removed, while others have been long forgotten.
This makes it difficult to determine how many still exist, although estimates indicate there are still tens of thousands remaining underground throughout the Lower Mainland.
In more remote areas such as Pemberton and the Gulf Islands, tanks may still be in use.
Oil tanks are regulated by the BC Fire Code, Part 4, which covers tank installation, maintenance, repair, removal or abandonment.
Each municipality has different requirements and provisions for enforcing the removal or abandonment of underground or aboveground storage tanks.
Contact your local fire department. They will advise you on how to properly deal with your tank.
Tanks can contaminate soil and groundwater, may pose a fire and explosion hazard, and may impact human health.
If you plan on selling your property, you must tell your REALTOR® about the tank and also disclose the tank on the Property Disclosure Statement.
If you are buying a property, your REALTOR® will advise you to have the property inspected and to seek an expert opinion on the matter, especially if the underground or aboveground storage tank is thought to be leaking. If you have questions about fuel storage tanks, contact your municipality.
Between the dawn and the dusk, the truth is becoming ...
my insatiable hunger is becoming of a better self ,
maybe in the process of becoming ,
I will evolve into a more loving, kinder and giving human being.
Written and photography by Maria Mak
As of May 30, 2014, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is discontinuing mortgage loan insurance for buyers of second homes.
CMHC is also making it more difficult for self-employed home buyers to qualify for mortgage loan insurance.
In Canada, home buyers with less than a 20 per cent down payment are required to buy mortgage insurance. The largest provider of mortgage insurance in Canada is the CMHC.
This program offered mortgage loan insurance to second home buyers with less than a 20 per cent down payment. The program ends May 30 and could affect parents helping children buy their first home.
This program previously allowed self-employed buyers to prove their income without traditional third-party validation. Starting June 1, 2014, the program will require self-employed buyers to prove their income with copies of their Canada Revenue Agency Notice of Assessment, audited financial statements, or unaudited financial statements prepared by an independent third party, for the previous two year period.
Regardless of the closing date of the home purchase, both programs are available for new mortgage loan insurance applications received by CMHC on or before May 30, 2014.
CMHC is reviewing its mortgage loan insurance business and making changes to reduce taxpayers’ exposure to risk.
Private insurers such as Genworth will still offer mortgage insurance to buyers of second homes and to self-employed borrowers unable to provide traditional sources of income validation.
