CALGARY, April 10, 2014 /CNW/ - Albertans have a renewed interest in
home buying, according to the 21st Annual RBC Home Ownership Poll. The poll found that the number of those
intending to buy a home is up from one-in-five (22 per cent) in 2013 to
nearly one-in-three (28 per cent) in 2014, showing a renewed strength
in the market from last year.
Across Canada, 41 per cent of those in the 25-34 year old age group are
intending to buy, more than half of whom will be doing so for the first
time. This is a significant increase from 2013, where only 25 per cent
of those in the same group said they were intending to buy a home.
Nationally, a large majority (86 per cent) of this same age group
answered that home buying was a great investment.
"We saw a drop in purchasing intent last year in Alberta, so this
renewed intent in 2014 shows that people in the province are confident
in their ability to get into the market and invest in a home," said Don
Peard, regional vice-president, mortgage specialists, RBC. "Spring is
the busiest time for home buying, so we want to make sure that everyone
has their bases covered in terms of advice, to be ready to buy the
house or condo they want. I suggest speaking to a mortgage specialist
to find out everything you need on your checklist before making the
leap into home ownership."
While the majority of Canadians (62 per cent) intend to buy a home with
their spouse or partner, more than one-in-four (28 per cent) Canadians
intend to buy a home by themselves. The top factors considered by those
who intend to buy this year include the stability of their job
situation and manageable debt levels. Confidence in these areas
indicates that Canadians are more mindful of their finances than in
2013, which directly impacts the ability to afford home ownership.
Among those likely to buy a home within the next two years, four-in-ten
will be first time homebuyers.
"The increase in buying intentions across the country gives the strong
signal that there is renewed confidence in the market, but also that
Canadians are more prepared this year to take that step into
homeownership," said Rachel Wihby, senior manager, Home Equity Finance,
RBC. "We want to make sure that Canadians have access to the advice
they need when they are buying a home. Often, there are things that
first time home buyers may not think of that can ensure they are more
prepared, like budgeting for closing costs or getting a home
inspection. We want to help set them up for success."
About the RBC 21st Annual Home Ownership Poll
RBC is the largest residential mortgage lender in Canada. With over
1,400 mortgage specialists across Canada, RBC has helped thousands of
Canadians find a home. As the country's number one source of financial
advice on home ownership, RBC conducts consumer surveys as one way to
provide insight to Canadians about the marketplace in which they live.
These are some of the findings of the RBC's 21st Annual Home Ownership poll conducted by Ipsos Reid between February 4
and 14, 2014. The annual online survey tracks Canadians attitudes and
behaviours regarding home buying and home ownership. The results are
based on a sample where quota sampling and weighting are employed to
balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects
that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data. Quota
samples with weighting from the Ipsos online panel provide results that
are intended to approximate a probability sample. An unweighted
probability sample of 2,591 adult Canadians, with 100 per cent response
rate would have an estimated margin of error of ±2 percentage points,
19 times out of 20. The margin of error will be larger within regions
and for other sub-groupings of the survey population.
SOURCE RBC
