New Homes
New Homes
Parade show homes still available for viewing
THE 2011 Spring Parade of Homes ended in March but you still have plenty of opportunity to revisit those fantastic show homes that you saw during the three weeks of Parade.
It's very difficult in the Spring Parade to visit all of the show homes that you want to see. With the crowds being so good, many people want the opportunity to go again and see the home in a more quiet and private setting.
Many people have the mistaken notion that show homes are only open during the Spring and Fall Parades of Homes. In fact, they are open year round and, although the hours may not be the same as during Parade, they are able to accommodate all interested clients.
So, now that your interest in a new home has been piqued by the Spring Parade, the timing is perfect to follow up with another visit. Aside from a little rain, the weather has been perfect for touring various neighbourhoods. With the benefit of daylight saving time, any time or any day permits an optimal viewing experience.
If you took an information piece from the home, it will have the contact number for the sales representative. Call and set up a private viewing and meeting. This will give you an opportunity to view in more detail and have a one-on-one conversation without interruption.
If you don't have the direct number but recall the name of the builder, call the builder and they can facilitate your meeting. If you recall the neighbourhood but not the specific house that interested you, you can still see the entire Parade of Homes magazine at www.homebuilders.mb.ca or www.winnipegfreepress.com
The magazine has a listing of all of the homes, where they are located, a brief description of each and the base and selling prices. Whether it was the subdivision or the builder or the particular home that interested you, it's all in the Parade magazine.
The important thing to remember is that most of the wonderful show homes that you saw during the Spring Parade are still available for viewing. In addition, other show homes are listed on the websites of the builder of your choice. Take advantage of the May weather and visit what may just be your next home.
Mike Moore is president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association.
New Homes
What's impact of Tory-NDP mandates?
MONDAY'S federal election sent a very clear message from coast to coast to coast.
Canadians elected a Conservative majority government, one that will lead the country for at least the next four years without threats of non-confidence votes and repeated elections.
Stephen Harper was definitely given a mandate to lead Canada.
However, Canadians also supported Jack Layton's NDP agenda -- to previously unfathomable proportions -- sending a message to Ottawa about what Canadians expect in terms of social responsibility.
What might the impact of the election be on housing? How will it impact the residential construction industry, an industry that employs many more 20,000 Manitobans and many more thousands across Canada? Without a working crystal ball, we'll just have to speculate.
Hopefully, a majority government translates into continued financial stability and economic recovery. Canada, and especially Manitoba, weathered the recent recession better than most parts of the world, particularly the United States. We didn't attempt to buy our way out of the situation, but rather preached and practised responsible spending and saving.
Steady-as-she-goes would seem to be a logical approach. We are fortunate to have the best banking system in the world, so now is not the time to be greatly increasing mortgage rates or tightening access to capital.
Canadians value the opportunity to purchase their own home and we need to make it possible for them to do so. The banks have a strong checks-and-balance system to determine the level of credit for which one is qualified.
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. is there to assist Canadians in realizing their dream -- but within their financial capacity.
Again, this is not the time to over-regulate or drastically change a process that has been working. Housing affordability is something that we value in Canada and Manitoba.
Affordable housing will certainly be discussed and promoted in the House for the next four years. The social agenda will undoubtedly come to the forefront and access to adequate living conditions is important to all.
What some don't realize is that the ability to move up from social housing to rental housing, to home ownership, is also the engine that drives new construction. A strong Canadian economy will benefit all aspects of housing.
The mandate has been clearly given and all Canadians look forward to continued and enhanced prosperity for Canada.
Mike Moore is president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association.
New Homes
Where do parties stand on housing issues?
In a couple of days, we will go to the polls yet again to elect a federal government. We have had quite an election stretch with the recently completed municipal election, followed by the federal next week and then the provincial coming in October.
There is no shortage of issues to be debated. However, surprisingly enough, housing is seldom one that comes to the forefront. Even though the residential construction industry accounts for about six per cent of our GDP, it has not been receiving a lot of attention.
The Canadian Home Builders' Association outlined its priority issues in a document entitled Housing Affordability and Choice for Canadians: Beyond Recovery into Durable Prosperity. Although the title is quite long, it essentially promoted three suggestions for the federal government to adopt, no matter what the party or majority/minority status.
The most important aspect is to get it right, not squabble about who gets the credit.
In 1991, a new house GST rebate was established that encouraged new home buyers into the market. For 19 years, that rate has remained frozen even though the price of a new home has since increased considerably. It's time to establish a new higher price threshold and to index it on a regular basis.
The recent Home Renovation Tax Credit was a resounding success. Everyone (consumer, manufacturer, retailer, government) won. It was a welcome respite from a GST that actually doubles the original tax on a contracted home renovation.
When the federal tax only applied to materials, it was half of what we pay today. It's time to consider a permanent 2.5 per cent GST Home Renovation Tax Rebate for all homeowners.
Finally, legitimate contractors everywhere are urging the federal government to implement measures to tackle the underground economy. The current system still provides too many loopholes for tax cheats to exploit.
Honest contractors and consumers are paying double their fair share to compensate for people operating out of the back of their truck, undercutting costs by working for cash, not paying any taxes and not taking responsibility for shoddy workmanship.
The Manitoba Home Builders' Association encourages lively debate among candidates, active voting and government action based on the direction of the populace. No matter who you support, let's make sure Manitoba leads the country in voting percentages.
Mike Moore is president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association.
