New and Presale Condos Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver New Condos & Presale FAQ

What does Vancouver New Condos Do?

Vancouver New Condos are licensed Realtors who help the buyers and sellers of properties especially presales throughout British Columbia, Canada. This includes assisting with the following:

Purchase of presale condos and off plan properties, new homes, and new townhomes across BC
Purchase and sale of presale condo assignments of contract.
We can also help with the purchase (and sale) of existing properties across BC.
Early VIP Access to Vancouver presale condo projects.
Advising you on a suite selection that will work best for your needs, be they investment-oriented or related to personal use.
Guiding and advising you throughout the entire purchase process, with the offer, and with related documentation.
Supporting you once you have purchased with any questions you may have as well as the completion and rental and other referrals you may need post-completion.

What does Vancouver New Condos Not Do?

Vancouver New Condos does not do the following:

Provide information, pricing, floor plans, and/or advice to people working with other Realtors.
Provide information, pricing, floor plans, and/or advice to other Realtors.
Provide strata management services.
Provide rental management services (We DO work with very good rental management companies and are happy to make an introduction).
Rental placement or rental search services.
Develop and/or build properties.
Project sales/project marketing.
Share any information with people who do not provide a phone number.

What are areas Vancouver New Condos cover?

We originally just covered Greater Vancouver, but have expanded to serve the Fraser Valley, Victoria, Nanaimo, Squamish as well as Kelowna and the rest of the Okanagan and the rest of the BC Interior.

What is a Presale Condo in British Columbia?

Our specialty is helping owner occupiers and investors purchase presale condos in British Columbia, Canada. We have written this article to help prospective better understand what is a presale condo in BC.

What is the 7-Day Rescission Period?

The seven (7) rescission period is an important protection for presale condo buyers in British Columbia and is a key part of the Real Estate Development Marketing Act. Please have a look at our page on what is the 7-day rescission period for presales in BC.

Are Presale Condos in BC Covered by a New Home Warranty?

Yes!

All new homes (with some exemptions) are covered by BC’s New Home Warranty Program. For more information on this important protection for presale condo buyers, please see our detailed article on the BC New Home Warranty.

What is The Disclosure of Representation Trading Services DORTS Document?

The Disclosure of Representation in Trading Services DORTS document is a mandatory form in BC since 2018.

This document is to ensure transparency in real estate transactions by clarifying the agent-client relationship, rights, and responsibilities, especially vital for presale condo buyers.

Realtors representing buyers and sellers of real estate in British Columbia are required to present this to their clients.

Clients are not required to sign it.

How to find a good Real Estate Agent

Finding the right Realtor is as easy as contacting us. We can help you with all of your real estate needs across British Columbia. But, if you would like more information on this, please check out our article on how to find a good real estate agent.

What are The Pros and Cons of Buying Presale Condos in BC

Presale condos are not for everyone. In this article, we delve into the The Pros And Cons Of Buying Presale Condos In BC. Would love to hear your thoughts.

Canadian Citizen Non Resident Buying Property in BC?

Can Canadians who are not resident in Canada buy property in BC?

Yes!

Canadian citizens are exempt from the 20% BC Foreign Buyers Tax as well as the federal Foreign Buyers Ban. For more detailed information, please check out our post on Canadian Citizen Non Resident Buying Property in BC.

What’s it like living in Vancouver?

Vancouver is one of the most highly sought after place in the world to live. This is large part due to its high quality of life. Have a look at our page on What’s it like to live in Vancouver.

What’s it like living on the North Shore (North Vancouver & West Vancouver)?

Greater Vancouver’s North Shore, which includes West Vancouver as well as the City & District of North Vancouver, is close to nature with fantastic beaches, mountains, an pristine forests. Please have a look at our page on Living on the North Shore.

What is life like in Victoria?

With its mild climate and proximity to ocean and forest with housing much more affordable, Victoria is an extremely pleasant place to live. Please check out our page on Living in Victoria.

What is life like in The Fraser Valley?

British Columbia’s Fraser Valley (including Abbotsford & Chilliwack) with its proximity to Vancouver, mountains, lakes, and the Fraser River offers affordable, urban, suburban, and rural lifestyles. Have a look at our page on Living in the Fraser Valley!

What’s it like living in Squamish?

Squamish is known as “Outdoor Capital of Canada” for good reason as the area has some of world’s best skiing/snowboarding, kiteboarding, mountain climbing, and much more! Squamish has a wide variety of housing and investment options ranging from presale condos and townhouses to single family houses. Please have a look at our article on Living in Squamish.

What is happening in the Real Estate Market? BC Real Estate Statistics

The best way to find out what is happening in the real estate market is to contact us at Vancouver New Condos. We are active Realtors who cover the Greater Vancouver area, The Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island,the Okanagan, and elsewhere in British Columbia.

Another way to get up to speed with areas of BC you’re interested in is to look at the statistics provided by the various Real Estate Boards across BC. We have pages with statistics for Greater Vancouver, The Fraser Valley, and Victoria.

Buying New and Presale Condos in Vancouver BC has advantages for all types of purchasers including owner-occupiers, first time home buyers and experienced property investors.

Real Estate Terms Canada for Presales – Confused?

We have compiled a list of real estate terms for presale condos in BC to clarify the confusion around the jargon so common in this industry.

What is the Difference Between Presale and Resale Properties?

Presale properties are different from Resale properties. Here we will explain the purchasing process and the relative benefits of purchasing presale homes. Contact us if you have any questions at all at 604-265-7217.

Many people expect that buying a new home is as simple as buying a new shirt or new car.

This, unfortunately, is not the case in Canada’s most expensive and active real estate market, Vancouver BC and it can be very difficult to buy or get a good deal when buying a new condo or a presale. Here’s Why Read More…

Here is a rough guide as to what to expect when purchasing a presale or pre-construction condo in Vancouver.

You receive an email about a presale project that interests you (Before anyone else) from the Vancouver New Condos VIP email list.
You let a member of the team know you’re interested in the project by responding to the email, calling, or texting us.
We will add you to our shortlist for the project and will follow up with you as soon as we get floor plans and price range lists (again, we get this before anyone else).
Once we have access to the display centre or marketing company offices for early previews we will get in touch for an early preview appointment.
In many cases (but not always), early VIP access, the marketing company or developer will need a bank draft (Generally for $10,000) to signal that you are serious about a purchase.
The marketing company will not be taking the draft at this first meeting. They just want to see it and take a copy of it.
At the preview, we will meet the sales manager who can answer all of your detailed questions. They will also have a scale model and large touchscreens with all of the building visuals.
At this point, we are waiting for the developer/marketing company to get the disclosure statement.
Once they have received the disclosure statement, we can purchase.
They will notify us of receipt of the disclosure statement and we will set an appointment to meet at the marketing company to sign the contract.
For the purchase appointment, we will need to bring the $10,000 bank draft and a personal cheque to the remainder of the initial 10% deposit (minus the $10K draft)
At this appointment, we would sign the contract and give the marketing company/developer the draft and the personal cheque.(which will only be cashed if, at the end of the 7 day rescission period, you decide to go forward with the purchase).
At this meeting, you will get a copy of the disclosure statement.
Either later that day or the following day we will get a signed copy of the accepted offer and your day rescission period starts from there.
This is the time to review the contract with your family, friends, accountant, lawyer, etc to be sure about the purchase.
We are always available to answer questions and help you throughout the whole process.
If you decide not to go forward with the purchase before the end of the 7 days rescission period, you need to let me know asap so I can get the documents for you to sign to kill the deal.
If you do decide to go forward, the marketing company will deposit the personal cheque and bank draft.
Within about 6-9 months, you will need to deposit the second deposit and 6-9 months after that you will have to deposit the final deposit.
After that, we wait until the project completes.

An offer on a presale condo cannot occur until the Vendor has the disclosure statement ready.

The disclosure statement is a comprehensive document that allows a prospective buyer make an informed decision about a purchase and is required and vetted by the provincial government under REDMA to be prepared before sales can begin. Once the Disclosure Statement is available, the Vendor can give exact prices and you can make a decision with that important information in mind.

According to the legislation covering the sales of new property in BC, the Real Estate Development & Marketing Act (REDMA), presale condo and new property buyers have a 7-day rescission period from an accepted offer during which the buyer can kill the deal for any reason.

So that means the buyer has 7 days to review the disclosure statement and project from the date of an accepted offer and has the right to kill the deal for any reason.

Normally, Vendors ask for a deposit with an accepted offer which is refunded (usually it’s a cheque, which isn’t cashed until the end of the project and which is given back to the buyer or destroyed if the buyer decides to cancel or kill the deal within the rescission period.)

When you buy a presale condo in British Columbia, you will be required to review and possibly sign and initial the following documents when signing the purchase contract:

Disclosure of Representation of Trading Services (DORTS) Form – This document explains the agency relationship and the agency options to a prospective buyer when working with a Realtor in a purchase of a new condo in BC.
Privacy Notice & Consent Form – This document explains to how a Realtor and their brokerage will use and disclose the buyers information. To learn more about the changes and working with the updated form
FINTRAC – This is a document we as Realtors are required to fill out to ascertain the identity of any and all clients or non-clients we transact with in the course of our business.

No. You do not need to pay any commission when you purchase a presale condo in Vancouver.

The Vendor pays us only if you go forward with a purchase and we disclose to you in writing how much we get paid.

Do I start paying before the construction is complete or is there a percentage that I should pay before its done to “secure” the apartment, and then I pay the regular mortgage when the building is complete?

When buying a presale, you usually pay a 20% presale deposit to the developer top secure the property. Once the property is completed you get a mortgage for the remaining 80% payable and the 20% you paid the developer is included and forms part of the purchase price.

Presales offer numerous points of interest for speculators. Beneath we lay out six appealing components of the presale market.

A. Investment Benefits

You can buy a presale condo for a meagre deposit of 5% to 10%. Should the properties value increase over time, you could see a huge return on a small investment. For instance: you choose to purchase a $300,000 condo with an arranged completion date as far off as 5 years. To secure the property, you make a 10% deposit of $30,000. Because of an increase in the market, your condominium is worth $360,000 2 years after the fact and you choose to put the property on the market (this is known as selling the assignment of contract). You leave with your $30,000 deposit as well as the increased value that is, 60,000 or a 200% profit on your initial investment.

Presently say you choose to keep that same property and the value stays steady until your fruition date. The property is still valued at $360,000 when you go to your representative to see about getting a home loan. Since you have more than 20% in value ($60,000 + $30,000 = $90,000 or 33.3% of your $270,000 mortgage) you can keep away from costly CMHC high proportion protection premiums that are required for properties bought without a 20% up front installment. You made a 33.3% down payment on your home loan with just putting 10% down at first.

For non-Canadian residents, presales offer a great investment. As a rule, non-Canadian residents need to put down a 35% default (please confirm this with a mortgage specialist) when purchasing a current property in Vancouver at the time you buy. At the point when one purchases a presale in Vancouver, the deposit is generally 20% of the country where you live. What’s more, this is additionally paid over 9 to 15 months much of the time.

B. Less Stress

Presale properties follow regular market trends, with prices rising and falling pretty much as property does. The distinction between holding a presale and a current property lies in the way that an investor can profit by the potential capital without the stress of occupants, the expense of property taxes, and the month to month maintenance costs.

C. Lower Upkeep Costs

New condominiums built by legitimate developers will not require exorbitant repairs or upkeep with respect to an owner/investor for an extensive period after the finish. The same can’t generally be said for more seasoned structures.

D. Tenants Like New Condos

New Condo structures are exceptionally popular with tenants because of – new appliances, modern layouts and new condo fixtures; no need for repairs or large maintenance; and a lot more features are available with new structures, such as, pools, hot tubs and saunas as well as, exercise rooms and the main entrance attendant, and so forth.

E. Higher Rental Profit

Tenants are often willing to pay a premium to rent a newly built condo over an older unit for the reasons detailed above.

F. Protection Warranty

All presale construction receives BC’s 2-5-10 Year Home Warranty Insurance. This warranty does not begin until the building is complete and, in most cases, assures the investor low costs and low hassles for the duration of the warranty.