Countries around the world have adapted the boom period prices and now are offering real estate properties with alluring discounts. Investors in real estate look forward to these days. To bag a low price. What are the dissimilarities between the competitors?

The USA real estate prices are not yet seeing a comeback, whereas in Canada the multiple listing services have a multitude of real estate and prices are beginning to climb. So do lower prices mean a prime investment? Canada is still seen as the prime real estate investment option by those whose job it is to monitor it.

The most viable option for real estate investment is still Canada over the the USA as stated by property experts all over the world. Even though prices seem to be levelling off in the USA, experts assume that there may be more drops ahead. At this time there is many problems affiliated with the US property market, such as inadequate returns and high taxes. As a result the US market received only 2 stars out of 5 in a long term investment assessment chart.

Canada has aquired 3 out of 5 stars in the same chart. This is because it has an improved taxation system, a fair rental market and a more reliable economy. (For clarification the city represented in Canada is Toronto and the USA is New York)

Transactions costs are smaller making Canada an even more attractive investment option. Transaction costs are inclusive of registration, real estate agent, legal charges and sales, transfer taxes. These costs are much less in Canada than in the USA, 6.96% compared with 9.07% Over 2% higher charges will make a variance when an investor tallys up their choices.

No matter which country you choose in the end, I wish you the best of luck with your investment.

According to the recent RE/MAX report, Generation X is taking over the recreational property markets in Canada this year, replacing the aging baby boomer generation as the most important buying force.

Generation X – what does it actually mean?

As you may have noticed, generations of the 20th century have been given interesting names by social scientists.  Dating of a certain generation depends on all the various political and cultural features of the period that influenced the upbringing of members of that generation.  The baby boom generation, that are people born from mid 40’s till late 50’s, was the most active buying force, or at least until only a couple of years ago. But now the majority of these people have retired or are preparing for it. 

Now the children of baby boomers (named as Generation X) have grown up and in their 30 – 40’s they are in a sufficient financial condition to purchase recreational property at almost any price.
The confrontation of this year’s results with last year will make this change particularly visible.  The trend moving towards recreational property buyers in their 30’s was reported by 74 percent of markets in this year’s surveys. The recreational properties sold varied from waterfront cottages to resort condos.  It is a significant change, confronted to the 40 percent in 2008.  Out of all the surveyed markets with recreational property, two thirds reported a decline in the number of units sold in the period from January till April 2009.  But now, since the start of the new cottage season, a lot of major centers are now reporting an increased buyer activity.

Highlights of the report:

Most markets report adequate supply, but in 18 percent of the markets the inventory levels for entry-level properties are tight, as most of the activity was targeted in the lower-end.  Younger buyers with families are now purchasing properties from older cottage owners, who often own their properties outright.  A lot of American cottage owners in Canada are taking advantage of the stronger dollar to cash out of the market.  There are some exceptions of course, but we can say that American purchasers have in most cases disappeared. Pent-up demand is a factor in the marketplace, as those buyers who had intended on buying recreational properties in the latter half of 2008 delayed their purchases to 2009. Florida, Arizona, California, Nevada and other warmer parts of USA are the places where older Canadians still continue to demand secondary homes. Buyers from the X Generation are now mainly prepared to spend their hard-earned money on holiday houses. But at the end of the whole transaction, they want to be sure they’ve gotten the best possible result out of it.

Searching online for real estate in Canada is a far different experience than searching for real estate in the U.S. If you are looking for Winnipeg real estate, for instance, you will find that up-to-date Winnipeg real estate listings are hard to find on the Internet. The best way to get the most accurate and current listings is to contact a Winnipeg real estate agent, because they have access to the most recent data.

Many agents prefer not to link to the national MLS, because broker reciprocity agreements in Canada require it the centralized listing website to place the listing broker’s contact information on the listing. This increases the likelihood that the listing agent would get the phone call from a potential buyer rather than the agent who linked to the MLS in the first place. The system is stacked in favor of listing agents, which just tends to discourage buyers’ agents from promoting listing agents’ properties.

The information available to the public on the official “Realtor.ca” site aren’t completely up-to-date as well, meaning most Winnipeg home searchers are better off contacting an agent from the start. By doing that, you will make sure you are only considering current listings.

About the Winnipeg area

Winnipeg is located in Manitoba, Canada. It’s the largest municipality in the province, with over half of population of Manitoba living in the city. Located near “The Forks” (named after the convergence of the Assiniboine and Red Rivers), the city has a population of more than 720,000 people.

Winnipeg weather

Before buying real estate in Winnipeg, most people want to know what the weather is like in the region. While Winnipeg residents (who call themselves “Winnipegers”) jokingly call it “Winterpeg” because of the low temperatures, it also happens to be the 6th sunniest city in Canada year-round. Though winter lows can get as low as minus 9 degrees F in January (not taking into account wind chill), they do go back to the balmy mid to high seventies in early summer.

Winnipeg neighborhoods

While there are over 200 neighborhoods in Winnipeg, the most popular are:

• The Waterfront District
• The Forks
• Central Park
• Broadway-Assiniboine
• Exchange District
• Chinatown

For more information on Winnipeg homes or searching for up-to-the-minute Winnipeg real estate listings, please see a Winnipeg real estate agent who is an expert in all the region has to offer.