Canadian housing prices: the road to wealth?

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.