Skip to main content

Home buyers look south of the line

The strong dollar has Canadians snapping up properties in Point Roberts.
Out of all my buyers this month, 50 per cent were Canadian, says Paul Rush of the Points National Real Estate, via telephone.

Ive had an increase in Canadian buyers in the last two to three months, prior to that it was mostly US buyers. Canadians are strictly going by the exchange rate and they know (Point Roberts) is close.

Waterfront properties, after all, may seem more affordable in the U.S. as the going price is about $10,000 per foot (measured along the shore). Small beach-front properties are selling for US $550,000 to $600,000 although at least one luxurious home is selling for US $1.6 million.

In Tsawwassen, however, RE/MAX manager Bob Cooke could find only two listings for waterfront homes and the cheapest was $1.7 million for 3,500 square feet and a 35-foot shoreline frontage, looking west.

Views are anywhere from $1 million to $2 million, Cooke says. Waterfront starts at about $1.8 million. I think theres a shortage of waterfront properties and prices are only going to rise.

But before you sell your home or drain that bank account to join the migration, Canadian buyers need to know a few things about purchasing American land.

First off, a Canadian without a Green Card may only reside across the border for 182 days per year and must have a home in Canada. The purchase must be for recreational use or pleasure.

Rush notes there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to access your property when you want to, either.

“It’s really up to US Immigration whether they let you in at all. It’s very strict; you need a permanent residence in Canada, not just an address, and you may have to show your mortgage payments or utilities as proof. It’s a delicate thing – I’ve known them to not let people in.”

As a result, Rush has found that most of the Canadians appearing at his office have dual citizenship, like him.
“They’re taking advantage of the high prices of Canadian real estate, selling out and moving here.”

Point Roberts realtor Jim Julius says most of his Canadian buyers are grandparents who are shopping for recreational property for their grandchildren.

“What we have now is a baby boomer demand for properties. They’re looking for places for their grandchildren so their children’s children have a chance to get out of the city—that’s a big deal.”

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Home Equity Loan or Home Equity Line of Credit?

Home equity loans and home equity lines of credit continue to grow in popularity. According to the Consumer Bankers Association, during 2003 combined home equity line and loan portfolios grew 29%, following a torrid 31% growth rate in 2002. With so many people deciding to cash in on their home's equity value, it seems sensible to review the factors that should be weighed in choosing between out a home equity loan (HEL) or a home equity line of credit (HELOC). In this article we outline three principal factors to weigh to make the decision as objective and rational as possible. But first, definitions: A home equity loan (HEL) is very similar to a regular residential mortgage except that it typically has a shorter term and is in a second (or junior) position behind the first mortgage on the property - if there is a first mortgage. With a HEL, you receive a lump sum of money at closing and agree to repay it according to a fixed amortization schedule (usually 5, 10 or 15 years). Much l

Canada's recession resilience (article below)

There will be lots of information coming out today. Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney will be explaining (maybe vaguely) the reasons for the BoC rate drop and expectations we should have for the future, quantitative easing (printing money), and how this will all affect the Canadian economy. Here is an article from the Financial Post that expands on this. Keep an eye on this as it will affect bond rates/yields which could affect mortgage rates. Terence Corcoran: Quantitative schemes at the Bank of Canada Posted: April 22, 2009, 9:17 PM by Ron Nurwisah Terence Corcoran , central banks On Thursday we will learn what the Bank of Canada will do next to stimulate the economy, how it will apply the now famous “quantitative easing” phase of its ongoing effort.The bank is already giving away money, setting an overnight rate of 0.25% — “virtually zero,” as former governor John Crow says in his commentary . At the chartered banks, astute mortgage borrowers can almost lock in less than 2% for