David Eby accuses BC Liberal housing critic of flipping property

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NDP leadership candidate David Eby has accused BC Liberal housing critics of flipping over Dawson Creek homes.

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Mike Vernier, BC Liberal MLA of Peace River South, says that rather than reselling homes, he buys abandoned and uninhabitable homes, renovates them, and then makes them still affordable for first-time homebuyers. He said he put it on the market at a reasonable price.

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Vernier sold three Dawson Creek properties within 14 months of purchase, and since 2018, the three properties have generated more than $500,000 in revenue. “minimum”

“What I’ve done is I’ve been buying old houses that no one wants that they think should be demolished, and I’m going to fix them up and sell them as affordable housing.” We do,” Bernier told Postmedia News on Monday.

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Vernier said people in his community were happy with what he was doing, “a very good service.”

Bernier bought the house at 1509 101 Avenue on October 1, 2018 for $110,000 and sold it for $260,000, according to real estate records provided by Eby’s Camp.

Bernier, through his company, Jomic Enterprises, purchased a home at 9001 8 St. on March 11, 2020 for $75,000 and sold it a year later on March 15, 2021 for $324,000. You made a profit of $249,000. The company purchased his $50,000 home at 1425 100 Avenue on April 16, 2021.

On March 31, Vernier shared a property listing for a two-bedroom blue bungalow for $229,000 on Facebook. If the house sells at the asking price, this would represent a $179,000 profit for him.

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Eby said last week that if he became prime minister of BC, property profiteers like Bernier’s would be subject to a flipping tax. The tax, which aims to deter real estate speculators and increase housing supply for middle-class families looking to enter the market, was one pillar of Eby’s housing platform.

The tax rate, which Eby didn’t specify, is highest for those who hold the property for the shortest period and drops to zero after two years.

Eby told Postmedia News on Sunday:

“What[Barnier]has done is made these homes out of reach for many families and for his own good. I fundamentally disagree, I believe the housing market is there to provide housing for families.”

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Falcon has appointed Vernier as Housing Commentator in February 2022.

Bernier filed a public statement on May 5, 2022, citing Jomic Enterprises Ltd. as a controlled private company owned by him and his wife. The property was listed as a residential property at 1425 100 Avenue, Dawson Creek. MLA must disclose its assets, liabilities and financial interests to the Conflict of Interest Commissioner.

Financial commentator Peter Milover was given the chance to speak last week about Evie’s housing platform, saying the plan calls for more taxes and more government money to be put into the system, and the NDP’s 5 He said the year-long administration and Evy’s two-year strategy had not worked. as Minister of Housing.

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Bernier said he is not against measures to tax people who buy homes speculatively, sit without making any improvements and sell them for a profit “betting where the market will go”. But Vernier said developers renovating homes and benefiting local communities should be exempt from such taxes.

kderosa@postmedia.com

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