Canada Bans Foreigners From Buying Property After Property Price Hikes

Canada started prohibiting foreigners from buying properties after the surge in property prices. Politicians said that houses are for people not investors.

Foreign investors may find it difficult, at least for the foreseeable future, to acquire a home in Canada. Residential property sales to foreign investors are supposedly prohibited in the nation.

On January 1, a new law in Canada came into force. According to CNN Business, the rule effectively prohibits foreign buyers from investing in residential real estate for two years.

The law was passed as real estate values have risen sharply since the pandemic began. Politicians assert that the supply of available residences was quickly purchased by foreign investors.

However, non-citizen immigrants and permanent residents of Canada are exempt from the new ban.

According to the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s party’s campaign website, the appeal of Canadian homes is drawing profiteers, powerful corporations, and international investors. 

“This is causing a serious issue with vacant and underutilized housing, rife speculation, and increasing prices. It stated, “Homes are for individuals, not investors.

The average home price in Canada reached a height of just over $800,000 Canadian in February, as reported by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), and since then, it has been progressively declining, down by roughly 13% from that peak.

Mortgage rates have increased as a result of the Bank of Canada raising interest rates.

The CREA pricing index has increased by 38% since the end of 2019, before the outbreak. The inventory of available dwellings has, according to the organization, increased to pre-pandemic levels.

The group added that Canada has earned a reputation for being a multicultural country that embraces immigrants from all around the world. 

The restriction on buying homes was also said to have potential effects on the country’s standing as a friendly one.

It also expressed worry that the embargo might lead to reprisal by the US and Mexico, who would then forbid Canadians from making purchases there.