WHY NOT TO SELL YOUR PRE-CONSTRUCTION CONDO AT OCCUPANCY

A pre-construction condo assignment is when you sell your not yet fully built condo before the occupancy date. You’re essentially signing over a contract, but with it you’re also signing over plenty of profits. When buying a pre-construction condo many agents will include an assignment clause in an investor’s purchasing agreement which basically says, “you can sell your property prior to or during the occupancy phase without actually having to close the register (for a nominal fee).” While this condo assignment clause might seem like a solid backup plan, as an investor, there are a number of reasons why you should avoid enacting this pre-construction condo assignment clause and choose instead to rent for at least one year post-occupancy.

3 REASONS WHY FLIPPING PRE-CONSTRUCTION CONDOS DOESN’T ALWAYS WORK

1. Decreased Profit due to Unfinished Building

When a pre-construction condo first finishes and is taking occupancy, it’s likely that the building will still be a “work in progress”. Even though the condo is ready for its residents to move in, there are still some elements throughout that need finishing. Chances are some of the amenities won’t function properly, common spaces will be unfinished, hallways may be taped for paint, and in some cases, elevators may even be grounded. It’s not a good time for a new buyer to see the full potential of the building, which means that they’ll put in lower bids and you won’t maximize your profits at sale.

2. Increased Competition due to Inventory Surge

After construction it’s not abnormal for investors who are misguided by their agents (or want to cash out quickly) to sell their pre-construction condo at occupancy. What this does is create a massive amount of inventory in a building, which means buyers have more choice at a time when the building is in less than tip-top shape. This inventory surge serves to lower bids even further, driving down the selling price and diminishing investor profits. 

Related: Flipping Pre-Construction Condos in Toronto: What You Need to Know

3. Higher Taxes due to HST Conundrum

If you decide to flip your pre-construction condo investment without renting for one year, you’ll not only forfeit your HST rebate (max $24,000), but will also need to now pay HST (13%) on the deposit you’ve already paid to the builder and the net profit from your sale.

Let’s say, for example, you pay a $100,000 deposit to your builder and sell the property for $100,000 net profit. You not only have to pay $26,000 in HST (on top of your break-even) but you forfeit your tax rebate.  That’s a net loss of $50,000. On top of this, when you sell on assignment you also run the risk of being deemed a trader rather than an investor in a quick sale, which means the government can charge 100% of your gains as income, rather than 50%. That’s another potential loss for the books.

While that temptress assignment clause might seem like a good idea at the time of occupancy, in the long run it’s best to hold onto your property for at least one year before negotiating a sale. At this point the building will be in fine form with a well-developed reputation, there will be less inventory for buyers to choose from, you’ll have a year’s worth of rental income and you’ll have cashed in on some well-deserved tax cuts and rebates.  The amount you’ll gain by holding your property for (at least) another 365 days is soo worth the pay-out.

Search: Best Pre-construction Condos in Toronto Launching in 2022

 

If you’re thinking about investing you definitely want to check out our Guide to Investing in Toronto Real Estate for everything you need to know. Don’t forget to sign up as an Insider. Our Insiders receive Platinum Access to the hottest and most lucrative pre-construction condo opportunities in Toronto.

Looking to Buy an Assignment?

Some of the reasons that we encourage our investors not to sell on assignment can be advantageous for you as a buyer. You may have some serious negotiation power when targeting investors trying to sell their assignments. Book a call here and we can talk more on the ins and outs of assignments.