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Seattle considers limits — or taxes — on Airbnb rentals

by David Kroman What does Airbnb have to lose with Seattle’s new proposed regulations on rentals? By one estimate, a lot. Last Thursday, the data-centric news website FiveThirtyEight (a media outlet spun off from the New York Times) released an analysis of Airbn...
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Vancouver's Flimsy Foreign Tax

The 15 percent charged to offshore buyers won’t slow the real estate market—there are too many loopholes to make it effective BY KERRY GOLD When bc premier Christy Clark announced that foreigners would be charged a 15 percent tax on real estate purchases, Vancou...
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Burnaby community group appeals to province over zoning amendment

FRANCES BULA | The Globe and Mail   As Burnaby faces increasing protests over planning decisions that have allowed cheap apartments to be demolished for condos and permitted so-called “supersize density” at four key sites, a community group is appealing to the p...

Permit red tape holding up 69,500 housing units: Development industry

Kent Spencer | Vancouver Sun Complex permitting rules are holding up 69,500 housing units in a half-dozen Metro Vancouver cities, homes that the development industry says would help alleviate the region’s housing crunch. “It’s a bureaucratic quagmire. Municipali...
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Vancouver mayor against proposed housing tax targeting non-residents

FRANCES BULA VANCOUVER — Special to The Globe and Mail A new housing tax proposed this week by West Vancouver’s mayor that targets non-residents would be “discrimination,” says Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson. Mr. Robertson said he doesn’t support a propert...
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Canada Real Estate: Homeowners Are Stuck On A Broken Property Ladder

Jesse Ferreras | The Huffington Post  Matthew and Vanessa Pitcairn are fast outgrowing their apartment in the Vancouver suburb of Richmond. Matt was born in the city. A fixture in the community, he works for the local chamber of commerce and ran for school board...
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New data shows more than 5,000 short-term rentals Vancouver

City councillor says plan is to have enforceable rules for Airbnb-type rentals by December By Chad Pawson, CBC News New numbers released by the City of Vancouver show up to 5,000 active short-term rentals in the city with 85 per cent of those on Airbnb. The data...