Canadian housing prices: the road to wealth?

Abstract

Homeownership has been one of the best long‐term investments in Canada. Despite demographic, economic and social trends that would normally be associated with relatively stagnant trends in housing prices, investment in housing continues to provide owners in most areas of the country with attractive rates of return. However, national trends hide considerable variation. Not all regions, or all groups in society, have been able to capitalize on the wealth associated with increases in housing prices. Many real estate analysts are also concerned that the appreciation in prices over the past couple of decades is not a trend that will continue in the future. There is cautious optimism, but owning a home in the future is unlikely to be the valued investment it was for many in the past.

Keywords:

• home ownership
• investment return
• housing wealth
• housing markets

Notes

Correspondence Address: Tom Carter, Canada Research Chair in Urban Change and Adaptation and Professor of Geography, University of Winnipeg, 515 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3B 2E9. Fax: [phone]; Tel.: [phone]; Email: [email protected]

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tom Carter

Correspondence Address: Tom Carter, Canada Research Chair in Urban Change and Adaptation and Professor of Geography, University of Winnipeg, 515 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3B 2E9. Fax: [phone]; Tel.: [phone]; Email: [email protected]