Should Building Plan Approval process be regulatory or revenue generating?

“Kindly refer to the above subject matter on your Building Plan application for a Development Permit which is under processing in this office. Kindly be informed that the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) has adjudged that your income tax status is not up to date. You are therefore requested to make additional payment of …….”

If you put in an application for Building Plan approval in Lagos State, it is an invitation for the State to review your tax affairs. So virtually all parties who put in an application, get letters with content similar to the opening lines of this article. The result is that the application suffers delays as tax issues are sorted out and no building plan application can be concluded in the 30 day period, the State Government has indicated as the maximum time for such applications.

When the CASTLES Lifestyle correspondent asked the Commissioner of Physical Planning and Urban Development, TPL ‘Toyin Ayinde, at a recent FIABCI seminar if Building Plan applications should be regulatory or revenue generating, the Commissioner’s answer was brief and to the point: “both”. TPL Victor Emdin, at the same event, however argued that by its revenue generating and administrative duties, the Town Planning authorities are compelled to delay the approval process.  He argues that the Building Plan application review is a technical process but when the applicants have to sort out tax matters and proof of title, delay is inevitable.

A commentator sitting beside our correspondent grumbled beneath his breath that his own grouse was that the tax authorities seized on the size of the project to come up with a ‘Best of judgement’ assessment of what the project owner’s tax should be. This is assessed on current values despite the owner buying the land several years ago when the prices were low and speculatively putting forward a building plan in the hope that sometime in the future, he would have some funds to start the project. He also recollected another instance where Government levies Infrastructure Development Charge (IDC)  but does not provide any infrastructure.

While TPL Ayinde indicated that the Government was reviewing IDC, the consensus around the table where our correspondent sat was that until the Government separates the revenue generation duties from the technical assignment of vetting the applications, building plan applications will always be delayed.

Original copy found here: Should Building Plan Approval process be regulatory or revenue generating?

4 Truths to Remember During Your Home Search

Keep these mantras in mind during your hunt for the perfect abode.

Everyone said it was going to be tough, even grueling, and that defeat was definitely possible — but I wasn’t going to let that stop me.

Last fall, I was dead set on finding the apartment of my dreams. Armed with a notebook, pen, and a list of exactly what I wanted, I took off into the concrete jungle of Los Angeles real estate.
And I’ll admit it was a struggle (I cried once or twice), but I kept thinking and repeating to myself, “Don’t settle for less,” and “It’ll be worth the wait and effort.”

“House hunting isn’t just a financial expedition,” says lifestyle expert April Masini of AskApril. “It’s a relationship journey. Many emotional decisions are made, and they have to do with the relationship you have with your own past, your current spouse or partner, and family.”
Ultimately, I found a home that I absolutely adore — and if I can do it, you can too. Because just like my mantras, there are certain truths we have to keep in mind when shopping for that ideal home to buy or rent.

1. Don’t settle for what you don’t want
I had a clear vision of what kind of living space I wanted: a one-bedroom (not a studio) with a dishwasher, a parking spot, and a refrigerator (not commonly included in L.A.). After seeing a bunch of apartments, I realized that was going to be a hard combination to hunt for, but I knew I wouldn’t be happy unless I had it.

And real estate experts agree — a checklist is key.
“Make a list of your needs and stick to them,” suggests Monica Fry of the Minneapolis/St. Paul–based Fry Group. “For example, if you need three bedrooms, do not look at two-bedroom homes. You do not want to get emotionally attached to something that does not meet your needs.”
Dallas-based real estate agent Clayton Collins advises to categorize your list using the three N’s: “Need to have, nice to have, and nope.”

2. Location, location, location
Yep, it’s true, even if it has turned into a shopworn cliché. Christopher Rither owned a home inspection company for 12 years in scenic Hawaii and worked with many folks moving to the islands, who then departed about a year or two later.

“After some time my employees and I came up with this saying: ‘Paradise is only paradise to those visiting paradise,’” he says. “Make sure the house you buy is in a place you want to live in for quite some time into the future. The location of a home is just as important as the home itself.”

3. It’s strictly business
Home is where the heart is, but you have to remember to keep those emotions in check when going through the house-hunting process.
After all, at the end of the day, it’s all one big business transaction, says Washington, DC–based real estate agent Craig McCullough.

“There are many things that can go wrong and change during a home search, but keeping a business mindset has helped many of my clients work through the stresses,” he says. “For example, in an urban market like Washington, DC, many properties are escalating over ask price. I remind all of my clients to keep a focus on what price the property is worth, not what price will this property escalate to.”

4. It ain’t over ’til it’s over
For Tracy Bobbitt, editor of thehollywoodmomblog.com, and her family, their third offer was a charm as they searched for a house in the Atlanta area last fall.

The first offer fell through because the property turned out to be the former residence of a well-known celebrity/murderer — yikes! The second house had a lovely view of the water, but it was falling apart, to the point that the home inspector strongly warned the Bobbitts against buying it.

“Needless to say,” says Tracy, “we’re still anxious about this third home because — as another saying goes — ‘It ain’t over ’til it’s over.’”

Original Copy found here: 4 Truths to Remember During Your Home Search