Apartmental rental seen as alternative to home ownership

Housing rental may have increased by 2 percent in 2013, but costs of home ownership have risen higher at 9.8 percent .  This is one reason why renting is fast becoming an alternative to owning one’s home among Canadians, changing decades-old cultural bias.
 
In a report by the Financial Post, Benjamin Tal, deputy chief economist of the CIBC World Markets Inc., remarked that this growing preference  could indicate a trend.  He also attributes  a possible reason  the current status of Canada as the most expensive global place for a home purchase, as stated in another report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).  The IMF report notes that the housing to rate comparison in Canada is 85 percent above the norm.
 
According to the Royal Bank of Canada, the increase in  mortgage rates further weakened affordability.  A bungalow owner devotes  43.3 percent of his pre-tax household monthly  income to  utilities, taxes, and mortgage payments.
 
The Canadian Real Estate Association notes that during the third quarter, the average home sold for $391,085, nearly  a 10 percent increase from home rates in 2012.   During the third quarter of 2012, a two-bedroom apartment rented for $908 or a mere 2 percent increase from 2012 rates.

More Mortgage Guide