Are Canadian Real Estate Prices Too Expensive?

Are Real Estate Prices Too High in Canada? Assessing Affordability in the Great White North

It’s one of the most common questions our investors and clients ask us: Are Canadian real estate prices too high? We put together a report to give an in-depth analysis with data and insights from our management team.

Key Points

  • How do Canada’s price to income ratios compare to other markets?
  • How does Canada’s population growth compare to other markets?
  • How does employment quality among Canada’s foreign-born population compare to other markets?
  • How does Canada’s household disposable income compare to other markets?
  • How do Canadians’ ability to sustain higher levels of debt compare to other markets?
  • How do Canadians borrow in the face of tighter Schedule A bank restrictions?
  • How can I learn more about private real estate investing?

Our community of investors asks us all the time: Are Canadian house prices too high? Is Canadian real estate pricing too expensive? These questions don’t have simple yes or no answers, so we put together a report on assessing affordability based on a number of factors to hopefully provide additional insight. Here, we outline indicative data that might point to some of the reasons why major urban centres in Canada still show a positive price trend, based on how certain factors compare to other markets.

How do Canada’s price to income ratios compare to other markets?

A good place to start when assessing affordability is the price-to-income ratio. The price to income ratio is the ratio between the price of a home and the annual household income in a particular area. Based on OECD data, when compared internationally, Canada may not appear to be an expensive real estate market. However, when compared to the G7 countries, Canada is currently the highest — in both price to income ratios and nominal housing prices.

How does Canada’s population growth compare to other markets?

Canada receives about 300,000 – 400,000 new permanent immigrants annually, making it the fourth-largest inflow in the OECD in absolute terms. This number is only expected to increase as the Canadian government raises the annual immigration intake, recently announcing a target of over 400,000 new permanent immigrants per year in the 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan. Overall, Canada has an annual population growth rate of 1.1% (0.35% in the USA), the 8th highest in the OECD.

More than 21.0% of Canada’s population is foreign-born — one of the highest in the OECD. For context, the USA has a foreign-born population of 13.6%.

How does employment quality among Canada’s foreign-born population compare to other markets?

Population growth attracts high-quality immigration, which makes up 70% of Canada’s population growth. Canada attracts quality immigrants, with approximately 60% falling under the ‘economic category’ admissions — these are people selected based upon their ability to establish themselves financially and economically.

In absolute terms, more than 69,700 people who became permanent residents of Canada in 2016 were ‘work’ or ‘economic category’ admissions. 

This increases the demand for housing from a productive segment of the population.

How does Canada’s household disposable income compare to other markets?

Canada has one of the highest growth rates in disposable income, driven primarily by high quality immigration equalling approximately 70% of the population growth.  Canada’s immigration is unique since over 60% fall under the ‘economic category’ admissions – people selected for their ability to become economically established. However, it is also important to assess household debt as a percentage of net disposable income, and Canada does not have the highest in the OECD.

How do Canadians’ ability to sustain higher levels of debt compare to other markets?

Generally speaking, the higher one’s education level, the more likely they are to remain productively employed and earn a stable income stream. Thus, the more likely they are to be able to sustain higher levels of household debt or have higher levels of savings. More than 64.4% of Canadians aged 25-34 and 50.0% aged 55-64 have a post-secondary education. Both age groups are the second-highest proportion in the OECD, just behind South Korea and Russia, respectively.

How do Canadians borrow in the face of tighter Schedule bank A restrictions? 

Financial policies determined by OSFI have been very proactive at managing household indebtedness, including higher down payment requirements, stringent stress tests for borrowers, and higher ratio tests to pre-qualify borrowers for mortgages. As Schedule A banks tighten restrictions, this creates opportunities for private lenders to offer financing solutions to a segment of borrowers that seems to be increasing in borrower quality given tighter and tighter restrictions. The above chart shows the impact of credit tightening and borrower loan quality.

 

References

 

How can I learn more about Canadian real estate markets and investing in private real estate?

We’re dedicated to empowering investors. If you’d like to continue discussing Canadian house prices or learn more about private real estate investments, visit our Education Centre at www.fundscraper.com. You can read helpful articles, watch informative webinars, learn about the latest market trends, and get all your questions answered. We also encourage you to sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest.

When you join our community, you’ll gain access to our most valuable resource: Us! (As well as accessing a variety of exclusive investment offerings. Our experienced licensed dealing representatives will be happy to answer all your questions as you continue on your journey of diversifying your portfolio into passive real estate investments.

 

Fundscraper’s Most Asked Questions – New To Private Real Estate Investing

Barbara Pucher from our team answers FAQ about private real estate investing.*

 

0:00 Introduction

0:16 What is Fundscraper?

1:08 What types of products are featured in your marketplace?

1:30 How does the marketplace work?

2:36 Are there fees?

2:44 What is the minimum investment amount?

2:59 Why add this asset class to your portfolio?

3:22 Who invests with you?

3:46 What are Exempt Securities and Exempt Market Dealers?

Play Video

The contents hereof are for educational, informational and illustrative purposes only and may change in the future. Copyright in such content is owned by Fundscraper Capital Inc. (“FCI”) and no user may sell, republish, modify, or distribute all or any part thereof without written permission. The views expressed by any speaker, author or participant, are their personal views and not those of FCI, an Exempt Market Dealer, registered with the Ontario Securities Commission (and equivalent regulators across other Canadian jurisdictions), or its affiliates. Any content is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for investment, tax, legal or accounting advice. Nothing in any presentation shall be construed as a recommendation or offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. The information presented may consist of investment opportunities that include projections and forecasts based upon information, including forward-looking assumptions and estimates. There can be no assurance or guarantee whatsoever that this information is accurate, complete or fair and any projections and forecasts  will be achieved. Historical performance is not necessarily indicative or a guarantee of future results and investments may be illiquid. You should refer to the offering documents contained within each investment opportunity for full details including risks relating to such opportunities. All securities involve speculation and a degree of risk and could result in partial or total loss of your investment. In addition, you should consult with your investment advisor and other professionals, including legal and tax, before making any investment. FCI may be a “related” issuer (as such term is defined in National Instrument 33-105—Underwriting Conflicts) of a party offering securities mentioned in this presentation and in some cases may receive a referral fee or other compensation therefrom.

Fundscraper’s Most Asked Questions: Investing in Real Estate with TFSA

Terence Cheng from our team answers FAQ about investing in real estate with your TFSA.*
0:00 Introduction
0:12 How long have you been at Fundscraper?
0:29 What does Fundscraper do?
0:38 Can I invest with only $1,000?
0:50 What is an Accredited Investor and do I need to be one to invest with you?
1:17 Can I invest in real estate with my Tax-Free Savings Account?
1:36 Do I get taxed on capital gains in my Tax-Free Savings Account?
1:48 How does investing in a Tax-Free Savings Account work?
2:10 What’s different between investing with a TFSA vs. RRSP account?
2:50 Passive vs. Direct Real Estate Investing. Which is better?
3:20 From your experience, why aren’t more investors investing with their Tax-Free Savings Account?
3:54 How do you help investors find the right products?
4:37 What are the top reasons investors choose to add real estate to their TFSA?
5:20 Reasons to not invest with TFSA?
6:09 I’m ready to invest. What do I do now?
Play Video

The contents hereof are for educational, informational and illustrative purposes only and may change in the future. Copyright in such content is owned by Fundscraper Capital Inc. (“FCI”) and no user may sell, republish, modify, or distribute all or any part thereof without written permission. The views expressed by any speaker, author or participant, are their personal views and not those of FCI, an Exempt Market Dealer, registered with the Ontario Securities Commission (and equivalent regulators across other Canadian jurisdictions), or its affiliates. Any content is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for investment, tax, legal or accounting advice. Nothing in any presentation shall be construed as a recommendation or offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. The information presented may consist of investment opportunities that include projections and forecasts based upon information, including forward-looking assumptions and estimates. There can be no assurance or guarantee whatsoever that this information is accurate, complete or fair and any projections and forecasts  will be achieved. Historical performance is not necessarily indicative or a guarantee of future results and investments may be illiquid. You should refer to the offering documents contained within each investment opportunity for full details including risks relating to such opportunities. All securities involve speculation and a degree of risk and could result in partial or total loss of your investment. In addition, you should consult with your investment advisor and other professionals, including legal and tax, before making any investment. FCI may be a “related” issuer (as such term is defined in National Instrument 33-105—Underwriting Conflicts) of a party offering securities mentioned in this presentation and in some cases may receive a referral fee or other compensation therefrom.

Fundscraper is currently only available to existing clients.

If you have any questions, email info@fundscraper.com and one of our team members will direct your inquiry.

GET YOUR FREE DIGITAL COPY

The Modern Investor's Playbook
to Super Successful Investing

Become a master of real estate investing! This playbook has inside industry knowledge that you can use to help generate passive income! Discover tactics used by the savviest investors, how to diversify, maximize your returns and avoid mistakes. It’s everything you need to know to invest like a pro.

Start investing with Fundscraper today.