'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
