Canadian Real Estate Investing in 2013, According to Thomas Napiontek

[Tom Napiontek]

What is to happen to real estate investing in 2013? That’s the question many investors and investor-hopefuls are asking as we start this somewhat uncertain year. After all, real estate has been a big enigma with many opinions surfacing over its fate for the last six months of 2012. There, however, has been a recent increase in consumer confidence, as reported by Bloomberg News, and the market seems to be making some repairs.

 

So, based on research and experience, I now provide you with some of my own predictions for the Canadian real estate market in 2013:

• The areas that have been most affected by the downturn, such as those areas that were in need of an inflation check (i.e. Vancouver and Toronto) will continue to see corrections, with declines in sales as well as housing values. But nothing too serious will result other than the normal cyclical rise and fall that can always be expected of real estate.
• The west will be the area of increased attractiveness to investors for many reasons, including:
  • Population increases
  • A rise in local GDP
  • Increased investments in local and regional infrastructure
  • A low unemployment rate
• Alberta in particular will become of great interest to investors.
• • The area is expected to see the highest amount of sales in resale housing across the country (Calgary Herald)
  • Prices in Calgary have continued to be the strongest in terms of performance, even throughout the downturn in 2012 (Calgary Real Estate Review)
  • Calgary was named the second best place to invest in real estate as we go into 2013 (Huffington Post Canada)
• Canadian real estate investments overall will rise in 2013. This is based on my own intuition, but also on the research performed by CBRE, which says that the commercial real estate market in Canada is expected to see a significant increase in investment volume through end of the year.