Latest CMHC Report Shows Condominium Investors Are in it for the Long Haul

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - April 5, 2016) -

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Condominium investors in Vancouver and Toronto display stable characteristics over time. Most are small-scale investors that own only one secondary unit, nearly one-half purchased their last secondary unit for rental income and most expect to own their investment property for more than five years, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) 2015 Condominium Owners Survey (COS) released today.

The annual report, focused on the Vancouver and Toronto Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs), includes survey insights on what motivates condo purchases, how long owners hold onto their units, and the mortgage-financing profile of condominium owners whose primary dwelling is a freehold or condominium unit but who also own at least one secondary condominium unit. These households are referred to in the report as COS investors.

Report Highlights

• Results are very stable over surveys.
• Nearly one-half of COS investors purchased their last secondary unit for rental income.
• About 60% plan to hold onto their last purchases unit for more than 5 years versus 8% planning to sell their unit in less than 2 years.
• Nearly three quarters have only one unit and roughly 90% do not plan on buying new units in year following the survey.
• 56% expect their units to appreciate, 35% do not expect a significant change and 5% anticipate a decrease in value.
• The share of COS investors with a mortgage on their last purchased unit (at the time of the survey) stood at 53 per cent. This is slightly below the share reported for all home owners (59 per cent) in Statistics Canada's 2011 National Household Survey.
• The surveys of Toronto and Vancouver produced similar results. However, a larger share of respondents in Toronto expect the value of their units to increase than in Vancouver, but the gap is closing.

COS investors, as defined by CMHC, exclude households that own only one condominium unit in which they reside, as well as households that own a secondary unit but rent their primary residence.

The complete COS report is available here.

In order to access future Market Analysis Centre publications from CMHC, please subscribe to Housing Observer Online by visiting the following link: https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/observer/

As Canada's authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers objective housing research and information to Canadian governments, consumers and the housing industry.

For more information, visit our website at www.cmhc.ca or follow us on Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.

QUOTES

"COS investors in Vancouver and Toronto are generally in the market for the long term and expect to keep their last purchased secondary unit for more than five years. In addition, nearly 75 per cent own only one secondary unit and 90 per cent don't anticipate purchasing more units over the next year."

Robyn Adamache

Principal Market Analyst (Vancouver), Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

The mortgage financing profile of condominium investors in Vancouver and Toronto is broadly similar to other Canadian homeowners. For example, the share of COS investors with a mortgage on their last purchased unit stood at 53 per cent, similar to the share estimated for all home owners in 2015."

Dana Senagama

Principal Market Analyst (GTA), Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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