Kamloops only Median Residential Price: (does not include condominiums or mobiles)  $405,000

Kamloops and District Median Residential Price: (includes all areas, not just Kamloops, does not include condominiums or mobiles) $375,000

Say goodbye to summer by adding a few cozy fall touches around your house.

Time to put away the sea shells and nautical themes and bring out the golds, oranges and rusts.

There are so many fun ways to welcome fall into your home and add a splash of color to your front door. It doesn’t take much to make a statement, have fun with the new season.

Enjoy the crisp days, warm sweaters , raking leaves and putting the gardens to bed.

April was another record-breaking month for home sales in British Columbia. There were 12,969 sales through the MLS of BCREA last month, beating March’s 12,560; and up 30.3 per cent from April 2015.

“Housing demand is exceptionally strong across the southern regions of the province,” said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist. “Consumers appear to be particularly active in the Vancouver Island, the Fraser Valley and the Thompson/Okanagan regions.”

The average MLS price was up 17.2 per cent year-over-year to $743,640 and the total value of all home sales surged 52.7 per cent to $9.64 billion.

The city’s real-estate market continues on a roll as booming sales and declining inventories threaten to push prices higher.

The Kamloops & District Real Estate Association reported yesterday that 320 homes changed hands in the greater region, up 40 per cent from April 2015.

The number of units sold year-to-date is up by about 28 per cent.

There are no changes to the first time home buyer exemption limits;

All buyers (whether first time buyers or not) no longer pay PTT on purchases of newly-built homes up to $750,000 in value; note the buyer must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident; there is a partial exemption for homes between $750,000.00 and $800,000.00; The newly built home exemption will only apply to people who actually occupy the home as their principle residence for a year after purchase. (relatives do not qualify)

PTT has changed so that there is now a 3% tax on amounts over $2,000,000.00. The 3% tax is only paid on the amount over $2,000,000.00, not the full price.

The existing first time home buyers program for re-sale homes remains unchanged. The threshold remains $475,000 with a partial exemption for homes between $475,000 and $500,000

House Sales Expected to Increase in Kamloops

Open the door to your new home. Exclusive High Country Estates. 1 acre private lot backing onto green space, 20×40 inground pool, 3 decks, hot tub, gardens & magnificent views of city, river & mountains. This spacious rancher with daylight walk out basement & park like backyard offers space & privacy yet is only 10 mins to town. Main floor with updated kitchen, granite counter tops, walk in pantry & breakfast nook. Dining area open to spacious living room with built in cabinets, picture windows & 28′ deck with new glass railings. 3 bedrooms including master with w/i closet & sliders to deck with morning sun. Laundry & 2 piece bath with access to garage. Walk out basement features large family room, wet bar, fireplace with heatilator, office or music room with double insulated glass doors for soundproofing, bright bedroom, bathroom with sauna, hobby room, workshop & storage. Lower level deck has a built in hot tub. 26×22 garage, large driveway.

CUT WATER COSTS

Up to half of water consumed in your home is used in the bathroom. Here are some easy ways to save hundreds of dollars – and gallons of water from going down the drain.

Slow the flow. New toilets are equipped with water-saving, low-volume flushers. Have an older toilet? Save by filling a quart-sized plastic bottle with water and placing in tank. Flow should be reduced by 40%.

Cool the water. If your water heater is set higher than 120degrees F., water is hotter than you need for showers or hand washing. For every 10 degrees you go down, you save up to 5%.Check for leaks. A leaky toilet can waste 250 gallons of water in a month. Test a leak by dropping some food coloring in the tank without flushing. If the color shows up in the bowl, you have a leak. Courtesy of Cliff Brauner Pillar to Post home inspections

DLC Weekly Rate Minder courtesy of Starr Webb