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investment property appraisals

Home Appraisals for Rental Properties

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Investment Property Appraisals – What You Need to Know

Let’s take a look at investment property appraisals because it doesn’t look like our gold rush of a real estate market is slowing down anytime soon. Perhaps your family has outgrown your home and are thinking of moving but would like to keep your current place of residence.

Mortgages, property taxes, and utilities aren’t going to get much cheaper, so what’s a viable solution? 

If you are planning on moving or looking for more passive income, it might be time to rent out your property.

While having a new stream of cash flow can be exciting, you’ll also be taking on the role of a landlord. 

However, before you take on this exciting challenge, you’ll need a rental property appraisal first.

At D. Fritz Appraisals Inc., our team offers the most accurate, fair value assessments for rental properties. 

Why Rent Out Your Property?

Typically, when people sell their homes, they use the equity they have built in one house and use it on the next. But that’s not always the case.

Some homeowners will convert their primary residence to an investment property, and it’s usually done for one of two reasons.

  1. A homeowner might do this because the housing market is struggling, and they’re concerned their home’s value has dropped. By renting it out instead of selling it, they can hold on to the property and wait for the value to rise again. 
  2. Another reason to rent out your home is to increase your monthly income. By converting your primary residence to an investment property, your family can enjoy the perks of having their mortgage payments paid for.

But what’s the difference between a primary residence and investment property?

What Makes a Primary Residence or Investment Property?

Whether it’s a house or an apartment, you can only own one primary residence at a time.

If you are buying a home as a primary residence, you may be able to receive lower interest rates and lower down payments. Depending on where you live, you might be able to apply for tax benefits. 

An investment property is purely to generate income. If you are purchasing a home or apartment as an investment property, you may need a larger down payment and pay a higher interest rate.

Whether you are converting a primary residence to a rental property or purchasing an investment property, it can have its own set of challenges. 

What to Consider Before Renting Out Your Real Estate

One of the most important things to consider is your mortgage agreement. Typically, when you sign a mortgage, you must live in your primary residence for 1 to 2 years. If enough time has passed and you want to convert your primary residence to an investment property, you are free to do so.  

When your primary residence changes over to an investment property, your taxes are likely to change. You can benefit from a wide variety of deductions on your taxes, utilities, and much more.

Finally, you’ll need to speak to your insurance company. Switching from your current house insurance to rental insurance will likely increase your rates. This covers your building, but not your renters’ belongings – they would have to get their own renter’s insurance. 

With all of these things to consider, it’s time to get your investment property appraised. But how do professionals find an accurate assessment?

How to Value Your Real Estate Rental Property

With income from investment properties at an all-time high, rentals can offer an increasing source of revenue for your family.

While there isn’t just one solution to appraise your property, a combination of different methods can help you find an accurate assessment.

Here are some of the more common ways to value your rental property:

  • The Sales Comparison Approach

SCA is one of the most popular ways of valuing residential real estate. This involves a comparison of similar homes that have been sold or rented locally over a certain period. 

  • The Capital Asset Pricing Model

CAPM is a more comprehensive valuation model. This details the potential return of investment from your rental property and whether or not it’s viable. 

  • The Income Approach

This indicates the potential income for your rental property, compared to the initial investment. This approach is commonly used for commercial real estate investing. 

  • Gross Rent Multiplier Approach

GRM will value a rental property based on the amount an investor can potentially collect every year. While it’s easy to measure whether or not a property is worth the investment, this won’t take taxes, insurance, utilities, and other expenses into account. 

  • The Cost Approach

This model combines the land value and the depreciated value of any home improvements. While this approach can value newer homes reliably, it may not work for older properties. 

For more in-depth details about the appraisal process, feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. 

Deducting Taxable Income 

One of the benefits of owning a rental property is claiming tax deductions for any expenses related to the property. You can claim rental income and additional expenses on “Form T776”. 

The most common rental expenses can include:

  • Home insurance
  • Heat
  • Hydro
  • Water
  • Mortgage insurance

Claiming these expenses will save you money in tax deductions, but why not take it a step further? As long as it’s concerning your rental property, you can claim so much more.

You can deduct additional expenses such as:

  • Advertising your rental property
  • Bank fees and interest
  • Property taxes
  • Cable
  • Office expenses
  • Travel if your rental is in a different municipality
  • Repairs and maintenance
  • Salaries and management

Some expenses can be deducted in full if it’s spent to maintain the rental property. However, if your rental is a part of your primary residence, you can only claim a certain percentage.

Much like anything home-related, there are always stipulations on how much you can deduct. Check out rental expenses you can deduct from the Canada Revenue site to learn more. 

Get Your Fair Value Rental Assessment Today

While there is no one way to appraise the value of a rental property, it’s important to look at the different valuation methods before making an investment decision. 

By learning these valuation concepts and researching how to save on expenses, you could be well on your way to getting into the real estate investment market.

At D. Fritz Appraisals Inc., our team has over 40 years of experience appraising homes, offering the most precise assessment according to the market today. Our appraisers are certified, professionally insured, and committed to the appraisal process every step of the way.

 Contact us today for a professional appraisal of your rental property. 

what to do when you inherit property in victoria bc

What To Do When You’ve Inherited Property

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Inheriting Real Estate – Should you Keep or Sell?


Inheriting property can be an emotional event. In one way, your family just lost a loved one. On the other hand, you’ve possibly been gifted one of the biggest contributions of your life. Dealing with whatever life throws at you can be complicated, but luckily there are professionals to help you every step of the way while you grieve and process. It’s common practice for parents or grandparents to leave their home or cottage to a child or grandchild. However, that means the taxman could expect a share of the transfer proceeds, as the value of the property has now transferred from one owner to another. Another aspect is whether or not it is a primary residence or a secondary residence. This will factor into how much tax you potentially pay. How much can you expect to pay? That depends entirely on what you do with the inherited property, and this is why appraising the property is so important.

What Utilities Do I Keep Running?

Track down all of the utility accounts, and cancel the ones that aren’t necessary. Keep the electricity, heat and water running. Be sure to update the homeowner’s insurance policy. Contact the insurance company immediately, because it can potentially lapse if the house is unoccupied. It’s also a good idea to change the locks to make sure the property is secure, just in case someone you may not know has a copy of the house key. Other things to consider would be arranging upkeep around the property, and dealing with the belongings left behind.

What Taxes Do I Pay on Inherited Property?

Capital Gains Tax on Inherited Real Estate

Capital gains tax is considered taxable income in Canada and this is what you’ll pay on the profit of the sale of the property. You will be taxed on the “Fair Market Value”, at the time of inheritance to the time you decide to sell. It’s important to note that you will be taxed 50% of the capital gain.

Real Estate Inheritance Tax

In Canada, there are no inheritance taxes. Which means you don’t have to pay in order to take over a property. However, you do take over property taxes, repairs, mortgage payments, and insurance. If you have inherited a primary residence, you do not have to pay to have the residence transferred to your name. If it’s considered a cottage or vacation home, you may have to pay for property transfer tax. If siblings share an inherited property, they split the cost of the capital gains tax.

Should I Rent Out My Inherited Property?

If you plan on renting out the property, you’ll need a real estate appraisal. In theory, you would owe capital gains tax on the difference between the value of the inherited home, and the fair market value of the home when you chose to rent the property out. This is changing it from a primary residence to an investment residence. In other words, you will owe on the difference of the inherited value and the fair market value when you started to rent out the property. While renting out an inherited property can provide a steady cash flow, you’ll also be taking on the role of a landlord! One other option before selling is if one or more siblings wants to stay in the inherited home, they can simply rent it from the others.

What Happens When I Sell My Inherited Property?

One benefit of selling shortly after inheritance is that the capital gains tax would be nominal. There would be little difference between the assessed fair market value when you inherited the property and the sale price. The easiest way to calculate the capital gains tax is to subtract the sale price from the fair market value price and 50% of that is how much tax you owe. If siblings have inherited the property and have agreed to sell, they would all have to share the capital gains tax. One important detail is if one sibling wants to sell but the others do not, they are still entitled to sell their share. However, they may have trouble finding a buyer interested in a portion of a property. Keep in mind if you sell the property, and you already own a primary residence, you will be subject to capital gains tax. 

What If I Want To Move In?

The most common scenario here is if one inheritor wants to keep the home, the others will have to be bought out in order for them to become the sole owner. If that inheritor buys them out and considers the property their principal residence, they don’t have to pay the capital gains tax. 

Do You Need An Appraisal For Newly Inherited Real Estate?

It’s important to note that your own circumstances will dictate whether owning the property is a financial burden or an improving investment. Is it too far away? How much maintenance and upkeep does it require? Do you need the money, or is it a worthwhile long-term investment? Be sure to discuss all options with your relatives, siblings, and anyone else who has ownership.

At D. Fritz Appraisals Inc., our team has over 40 years of experience appraising homes, offering the most accurate valuation according to the market today. Our appraisers are certified, professionally insured and committed to the most precise property valuations possible. Contact us today for an expert appraisal of your newly inherited property.

canadian real estate trends 2020

Cost Comparison and Trends in Canadian Real Estate

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2020 has been a year of highs and lows for the Canadian Real Estate Market

Fitting with the times we’re in, the CREA (Canadian Real Estate Association) couldn’t even publish a quarterly trend forecast in June. Instead, a notice on the webpage stated that “as providers of the most accurate and timely housing data and statistics, CREA believes the outlook to still be too uncertain to release a forecast at this time.”

However, there are still monthly forecasts. As of August 2020, the CREA’s monthly stats and forecast was quite positive, showing home prices and sales increasing across Canada (on average).

Canada’s Real Estate Market is Still Hot

July 2020 was a record-breaking month for many markets, which otherwise floundered during April and May. In fact, according to the CREA monthly stats report, home sales rebounded by 26% in July 2020. Transactions increased country-wide on a month over month basis.

At this point, supply has exceeded demand in many markets, creating a competitive and busy market as we close out summer 2020. Major markets like London-St Thomas, Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver have seen large jumps in average home prices in the past year.

Sales Increases in the 11 Largest Markets

  • 49.5% in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)
  • 43.9% in Greater Vancouver
  • 39.1% in Montreal
  • 36.6% in the Fraser Valley
  • 31.8% in Hamilton-Burlington
  • 28.7% in Ottawa
  • 16.9% in London and St. Thomas
  • 15.7% in Calgary
  • 12.1% in Winnipeg
  • 9.7% in Edmonton
  • 5.4% in Quebec City

Housing Prices Across Canada

Note that this statistical information includes all housing types. This average price information is used for determining trends over time and doesn’t account for price ranges between dramatically different neighbourhoods or geographic areas.

  • Home prices have been rising nearly constantly for the past 17 years and between 2016 and 2019, pricing rose by 27.8% (18.5% adjusted for inflation).
  • Across Canada, the average home price rose to $571,471 in July 2020, compared to $500,164 in July 2019. B.C and Ontario are currently the most expensive markets, with average pricing of $699,300 and $606,400.
  • During 2019, Ottawa’s home prices rose the most at 7.38% (on average). Next was Halifax at 7.35%, Montreal at 6.37% and Toronto at 4.48%
  • There were also smaller increases in Quebec at 1.49%, Victoria at 1.13% and Winnipeg at 1.02%
  • Pricing fell in Vancouver at -4.05% and in two of Alberta’s major markets: Edmonton at -1.49% and Calgary at -0.94%

Average Housing Prices in Major Canadian Cities

East of Saskatchewan, most markets have seen strong sales and increasing prices. While prices have also risen in B.C. and Alberta, they haven’t been as distinctive. According to the CREA’s monthly statistical report, the actual (not seasonally adjusted) national average price for homes sold in July 2020 was $571,500, up a record-setting 14.3% from July 2019.

This number is influenced by the increases in Canada’s two hottest and most expensive markets- Greater Toronto (GTA) and Greater Vancouver. Without the increases in these markets, the national average home price would be around $117,000 less.

View CREA’s National Price Map

Greater Vancouver

Average Price- $1,031,400 in July 2020 compared to $987,200 in July 2019

Fraser Valley

Average Price- $858,300 in July 2020 compared to $824,500 in July 2019

Victoria

Average Price- $724,600 in July 2020 compared to $700,300 in July 2019

Edmonton

Average Price- $319,000 in July 2020 compared to $323,800 in July 2019

Calgary

Average Price- $411,200 in July 2020 compared to $417,200 in July 2019

Regina

Average Price- $272,200 in July 2020 compared to $269,000 in July 2019

Saskatoon

Average Price- $296,900 in July 2020 compared to $291,300 in July 2019

Winnipeg

Average Price- $284,000 in July 2020 compared to $270,500 in July 2019

Hamilton-Burlington

Average Price- $687,000 in July 2020 compared to $608,600 in July 2019

London-St Thomas

Average Price- $485,802 in July 2020 compared to $406,125 in July 2019

Montreal

Average Price- $401,300 in July 2020 compared to $351,700 in July 2019

Greater Toronto

Average Price- $880,400 in July 2020 compared to $800,200 in July 2019

Ottawa

Average Price- $506,700 in July 2020 compared to $428,100 in July 2019

Quebec City

Average Price- $258,000 in July 2020 compared to $244,800 in July 2019

Halifax- Dartmouth

Average Price- $363,692 in July 2020 compared to $310,251 in July 2019

St John

Average Price- $202,297 in July 2020 compared to $185,632 in July 2019

The Price Gap Between Condos and Single-Family Homes is Shrinking

The mortgage stress test is potentially making it tougher for home buyers to get into single family and more expensive types of homes (particularly in major cities). First time buyers in major markets may opt to purchase a condo over a single-family home. Condo prices are rising due to increased demand (4.2% year over year) and single-family home prices remain relatively similar – the gap between condo pricing and single-family home pricing is narrowing.

Single Family Homes Under Development

In 2018, there were 46,747 units under construction, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). This was down from 55,000 units in 2017. As people move further away from the larger cities (Toronto and Vancouver) there are more opportunities for development and more affordable housing prices.  Within pricier markets, home buyers may often look for properties with rental income potential to offset the cost of the mortgage.

Multi-Family Homes Under Development

Condos are the leader for new home construction. In 2018, inventory still under construction reached almost 121,000 units (54% of new builds). Condos also eclipsed single family and rental homes (apartments) at 46,747 units and 56,394 units, respectively. Condos purchased by investors also supplement and supply the rental market. Thinking about getting into the market this fall? Whether you’re considering buying or selling or just want to know what your home is truly worth, our team offers accurate, comprehensive and professional residential real estate appraisal services. D. Fritz Appraisals serves clients from South to Central Vancouver Island (Victoria to Nanaimo) as well as the Gulf Islands. For any questions or to order an appraisal, contact us today.

Purchasing an Income Property with Equity

Purchasing an Income Property

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Appraising Your Home to Access Capital for Purchasing an Income Property

How to get the best appraised value possible out of your current home to help you purchase an income property.

Own your own home and thinking about buying another? Excellent idea! Purchasing a secondary property to use as an income property or rental property is a smart investment and is often more possible than you’d think, especially if you have capital or home equity building up in your existing property. A local appraisal company working with a mortgage broker local to Victoria BC, can help you find out if you have enough capital or home equity in your existing property to qualify for a mortgage refinance so you can purchase another property.

Using your existing home’s equity, or increased value, to purchase an income property is something financial advisor and mortgage brokers advise all the time in order to help homeowners get ahead and secure financial freedom into their retirement years. With an income property, you’re allowing tenants to pay down your mortgage for you, and once it’s paid off, you have a property that has increased in value that you can either sell, pass on to your grown children, or downsize into and enjoy yourself.

Owning more than one property is made easy with a simple refinance of your existing mortgage. Mortgage refinancing involves having your existing mortgage re-evaluated so that you can borrow additional funds (access your home equity) from your lender to put towards a second property, or spend however else you’d like. This borrowing of extra money is made possible only if you have enough equity on your first home built up – and that is precisely where a real estate property appraisal company comes in!

Here are 5 things you should know about getting your home appraised to access your home equity.

1. An accurate appraisal of your property’s current market value is essential to the refinancing of a home.

If you’re like most homeowners, you are likely already somewhat aware of your home’s value in the current market. After all, you get annual assessments from BC Assessment, and you may see your neighbours selling their properties for top dollar, or receive letters from hopeful realtors informing you of how much your home is worth.

However, when it comes to something as important as refinancing, you want to make sure your home’s indeed got enough equity to refinance. A property appraisal company can confirm what you already know to be true, and in many cases delight you with an even higher number than you or your lender were thinking possible.

Remember, the cost for a property appraisal is a flat fee – it is NOT calculated as a percentage of your home’s appraised value.

2. The higher your home is appraised for, the more money you can borrow for your income property.

When refinancing, homeowners can borrow up to 80% of their home’s appraised value, minus the amount that is left still owing on their mortgage. For example, if your home’s appraised value is $500,000 and you have $125,000 still owing on the mortgage, you can apply for a refinancing amount up to $275,000. (80% of $500,000 is $400,000, minus the $125,000 still owing). This is $275,000 you can put towards your income property.

3. A home appraisal company comes to see your home in person, which provides a more accurate appraisal for your lender.

Depending on the property, some lenders can tell when a homeowner has equity or not, without even having to step foot on the property. They use an automated system that computes enough of an appraisal for them to deem that you have equity you can access during a mortgage refinance.

However, if you’re looking for a more on the nose appraisal, an on-site visit by a certified real estate property appraisal company is recommended and make a difference of tens of thousands of dollars in your appraisal, and therefore how much capital you can access for your desired income property.

See: Home Appraisals vs Online Home Value Calculators

4. There are several things you can do around your existing property to better your chances of a high appraisal.

Again, the more your home is deemed to be worth, the more capital you’ll be able to access to purchase a second property. To get the highest appraised value possible, you might have to work with your appraiser a little bit to make sure they have all the details they need to complete a fair assessment. For example, be sure to point out any renovations, additions, or value-added features to the home. Pointing out these items to the appraiser should be done in addition to Doing These 8 Things to Increase Your Home’s Appraised Value.

5. When you receive an appraisal that was much higher than you expected, you don’t have to borrow the maximum 80%.

As mentioned above, you can borrow up to 80% of your home’s equity to put towards your rental property, but that doesn’t mean you have to take the full 80%. It’s up to you when it comes to what amount to borrow. Take only what you need!

On a similar note, you don’t have to spend the borrowed money right away. When you access your capital and your refinancing is completed successfully, you’ll receive a cheque with the amount of money you’ve decided to borrow, which can be put into a savings account until you are ready to buy that perfect investment property. So, there’s no need to rush into anything, but it can be a nice comfort in knowing you have the highest amount possible ready to go when needed – achieved through a top-notch property appraisal.

Contact D. Fritz Appraisals at 250-413-7319 to book your next appraisal in Victoria, BC. We offer the fastest turnaround time in the region and can often deliver an appraisal within 24 hours. specialize in real estate appraisals for all situations, such mortgage refinancing, new construction, division of assets, and estates.