Monday, April 7, 2014

The ALR - Moving Forward

REALTORS® with clients buying or holding land in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR), who plan to have the land removed, should take note.
At a meeting with BC Real Estate Association on January 28, 2014, Richard Bullock, chair of the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC), made clear the ALC’s primary purpose is to:
• preserve BC’s ALR land, which is 5% of the province’s land base; and
• encourage farming on agricultural land.
Bullock explained that the ALC is an administrative tribunal whose members are appointed by government to:
• develop policy that encourages agriculture;
• determine the ALR boundaries;
• make decisions on applications to include and exclude land, as well as applications involving subdivision and non-farm uses within the ALR; and
• ensure local government land use planning is compatible with agricultural use of the ALR.
This mandate will be reinforced in coming years. “We are refocusing our program on farmers, not developers or speculators,” said Bullock.
Where is prime ALR land?
The top 1.1% of prime farmland with the highest capacity for growing food is located throughout BC.
Some prime farmland can be found in suburban areas including Richmond, Delta, Surrey, the Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island and the Okanagan.
The ALC plans to strengthen this arable land base and is hiring more staff to ensure this happens.
 “It’s considered a precious resource by 95% of respondents to a recent survey, who also approved of the ALC’s processes and purposes,” said Bullock, noting that in the past as much as 6,000 hectares (15,000 acres) have been removed from the ALR each year.
“They’re not making any more agricultural land,” explained Bullock. “Lands capable and suitable or growing food are a finite resource.”
ALC’s top priority
“There is a perspective that the ALR is too restrictive,” said Bullock. A top priority is to change the viewpoint that agricultural land is vacant land being held for development.
Advice for the real estate industry
“Support agricultural business and its contribution to the economy and quality of life,” advises Bullock. “Look at alternatives before looking to the ALR for non-agricultural land uses such as residential, commercial and industrial, and ensure REALTORS® are educated to knowledgeably advise clients about the ALR,” said Bullock.
Why is keeping the ALR important?
“There are three important benefits to keeping the ALR,” says Michael Goldberg, Dean Emeritus, Sauder School of Business, UBC, who describes himself as a market economist.
First, the ALR contains and constrains growth, and forces growth into urban areas, where it can easily be served by transit, explains Dr. Goldberg. “This is more efficient.”
Second, the ALR provides open space. This encourages recreational use since residents can cycle or walk alongside farmland.
Third, the ALR protects farmland, which is increasingly important for food security. We can’t rely on importing food from areas such as California, which is currently facing its worst drought in history
“When the market doesn’t work well, there is a case for market intervention,” says Dr. Goldberg. “I see the ALR as a reasonably cheap way to buy an option on the future.”
Did you know?
• In 2012, BC’s agrifood’s sector generated $11.7 billion in gross revenues and exported $2.5 billion worth of products to 130 countries.
• Farming and the processing of farm goods, transportation, warehousing, wholesaling and retailing generates $40 billion in revenue or 19% of BC’s GDP, and employs an estimated 300,000 British Columbians or 13.6% of BC’s labour force.

(Source REBGV)

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Changes to Mortgage Insurance Premiums


Are Canadian home buyers overextended? Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty thinks they are.

To cool the housing marketing and slow down the growth of household debt, his government has brought in changes to the availability of mortgage credit through the federal budget and to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

Federal budget changes

The federal government’s budget, Economic Action Plan 2014, delivered on February 11, 2014 made the following changes:
Mortgage debt insurance: each year the federal government insures a set amount of mortgage debt. For 2014, the amount is reduced to $9 billion from $11 billion in 2013. 
Mortgage guarantees: each year the federal government limits the amount of loan guarantees that CMHC can provide to securitize mortgages. For 2014, loan guarantees decrease to $120 billion from $135 billion in 2013.
Private securitization: the federal government will bring in measures to tie government-backed insured mortgages to CMHC only. This means that government-backed insured mortgages will no longer be available to non-CMHC sponsored securitized investments. The goal is to reduce credit guarantees to small lenders, who can’t fund mortgages through their deposits only. This is a source of mortgage funding for many small lenders, and this change may result in higher costs for them.
What does it mean to securitize mortgages?
A lender providing mortgages sells those mortgages in a pool of investors. To facilitate the supply of mortgages lending in Canada, CMHC then guarantees the solvency of these investments by providing guarantees in the form of government-backed portfolio insurance.

CMHC changes

The federal government requires home buyers with a down payment of less than 20% to buy mortgage insurance.
CMHC is the largest provider of insurance in Canada and charges a percentage fee based on the mortgage amount and the loan-to-value ratio.
Effective May 1, 2014, CMHC will increase its mortgage loan insurance premiums. The increase will apply to mortgage loan insurance premiums for owner occupied homes and to 1-to-4 unit rental properties, including low-ratio refinance mortgages.
The increased premiums will also apply to owners who are self-employed. Increased premiums will not apply to mortgages currently insured by CMHC.

What will this cost home buyers?

According to the CMHC, the average Canadian home buyer requiring mortgage insurance will see an increase of approximately $5 a month to their mortgage payment. Below is an example of a $450,000 home.
                             Loan-to-Value
Ratio with 15% 
Downpayment
Loan-to-Value
Ration with 5%
Downpayment
Mortgage Financed$382,500$427,500
Current Insurance Premium$7,875$12,375
New Insurance Premium Effective May 1, 2014$8,100$14,175
Difference in Premiums$225$1,800
Increase to Monthly Mortgage Payment$1.12/month$8.98/month




*based on a 5 year term at 3.49% and a 25 year amortization 

To reduce taxpayer exposure to the housing sector

Since 2008 the Federal Government has adjusted the rules for government-backed mortgage insurance four times. Significant changes include:
  • requiring a minimum downpayment of 5%; and
  • establishing a maximum amortization period of 25 years for mortgages with a downpayment of less than 20%.
 (Source REBGV)