TORONTO, April 10, 2014 /CNW/ - More Ontarians plan to buy homes this
year compared to last, according to the 21st Annual RBC Home Ownership Poll. Nearly one-in-four (24 per cent)
residents of Canada's most populous province said they intend to buy a
home this year, up from less than one-in-five (14 per cent) in 2013.
"Ontarians continue to see the value in home ownership," said Erica
Nielsen, vice-president, Home Equity Finance, RBC. "The continued
belief that the housing market is a good investment, combined with the
increase in number of those who intend to buy, really highlights that
Ontarians have no doubt in the strength of the housing market and want
to participate more than they have in recent years. These findings are
uniform across Canada, and may be the result of a number of factors,
including job stability and having saved enough for a down payment."
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
