バンクーバーやトロントでの異常とも言える不動産価格の上昇で、A級戦犯は海外からの富裕層の爆買い？と言われていますが、これらは主に一等地の高級住宅の問題で、一般的な購買層を見てみると実に45%はファーストタイムバイヤーと呼ばれる、始めて不動産を購入する人達が占めています。購入の理由で最も多いのが『家賃の払い捨てを止めたい』が51%で、購入価格帯は20万ドル台から40万ドル台が多いようです。カナダ全土で見ると一戸建てを買う人が47%と半数を占めますが、バンクーバーやトロントエリアではコンドミニアムやタウンハウスといった集合住宅の購入比率が上がります。頭金の平均額は$67,000で、ローン保険の必要がない購入額の20%程度を目安にする人が多いようです。頭金は個人の貯金で賄う場合が多いですが、現在では両親からのサポートも多いのが実情のようです。

『賃貸と購入は生涯でのコストは変わらない』などという記事も目にしますが、所得が少なくなる老後を考えると、ローン無しの家持ちと、高い家賃をずっと払わなければならない賃貸との差は歴然です。特に資産価値の下がらないバンクーバーの不動産の場合は、『若い時にいい車』より、『いち早く不動産！』が賢い選択ではないでしょうか。

First-time homebuyers make up 45 per cent of the 620,000 homes sold across Canada in the past two years, according to a new survey by the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals.　“There is intense interest in the Canadian housing market, especially from first-time buyers,” said Jim Murphy, president and CEO of CAAMP.　“CAAMP’s spring report focuses specifically on this group and we can say with confidence that first-time homebuyers are some of the most engaged, enthusiastic and well-researched groups in the market.”　The survey, published on Tuesday, found that the average price that first-time buyers spent on a home was $308,100, and the most common price range was between $200,000 and $249,999.

Nearly half (47 per cent) of first-time buyers purchased single-detached homes, followed by condominiums (22 per cent). Condos were purchased most often in B.C. (31 per cent) and Ontario (21 per cent).　The highest prices on average were for the purchase of single-detached homes ($360,000); however, other housing types are not much lower, with townhomes at $351,000, condos at $336,200, and semi-detached homes at $327,500.

The most common reason that Canadian first-time buyers gave for purchasing a home was to stop renting (51 per cent). Another interesting reason was buyers’ perceptions about the advantages of owning a home, such as providing financial security and the perceived pride.

When it came to financing this first purchase, the largest source for down payments was personal savings, followed by the bank of Mom and Dad.　First-time buyers on average were able to put $67,000 down as the first payment on their new home. This represents 21 per cent of their average purchase price.