Farmland values continue to grow

According to a Re/Max report, Canadian farmlands have shown good year-over-year increase in many of the rural areas, but low commodity prices indicate appreciation in coming months.

Almost all agricultural centres reported limited inventory levels and continue to add to strong rising pressure on the rate per acre in 88 per cent of the markets surveyed. High value of commodity with low interest rates has created a perfect situation for growth in the past year in demand for farmland.

Regional director and executive vice-president of Re/Max Ontario-Atlantic Canada, Gurinder Sandhu, feels that no actual fallout is seen due to the decreasing value of commodity this year. We may see some moderation with many years of huge gains. There has been a decrease in purchase by many investment funds that are moving ahead cautiously. This trend is expected to continue with rates stabilizing at present levels. Demand will stay healthy for near future with the positive long-term position for agricultural markets around the world.

According to the report, the percentage of land value increase ranges from one market to other with maximum increase seen in Alberta and Nova Scotia land for sale. It is best in the London-St. Thomas’ Middlesex West area, Kitchener-Waterloo and Windsor/Essex County in the east. The rates have held firm in the Annapolis Valley and Fraser Valley year-over-year.

Most sought after proposition is the cash cropping land and empty land is in high demand. You can gain a lot from irrigated and tiled land. Premium is paid for land close to farm and adjoining area. Livestock farmers have also joined the cash-cropping business and a few West Canadian markets are transforming vacant land into grain land.

Re/Max, regional executive vice-president Elton Ash feels that the end-users are the key drivers of the market. It can be livestock farmer or cash cropper economy of scale continues to support growth. There are several buyers but sometimes the momentum is hampered due to a scarcity in the listing of farmland. Institutional as well as individual investors are active in Canadian agricultural market even today, but the number has diminished recently.

The report also suggests that individual and private transactions account for almost 50 per cent of the farm sales and deals between neighbours is common. There are reports of multiple offers, but typically property is moving at fair market value. The demand is really strong but there is some sign that it is cooling. Number of properties that did not move in the auction have gone up but were sold at good rates on the open market. This shows that buyers have become more cautious and diligent.

Land Investment Opportunities in Ontario

Investing in real estate has been preferred by many for getting good future financial returns. Second half of 2013 has been quite positive for the real estate market in Ontario. It is true that the market is repositioning and transforming constantly with the changing trends but one can see favorable land investment opportunities. 

Real Estate Market Trends in Ontario

Ontario in Canada has seen a massive increase in sale and marketing of homes on re-sale during last 5 years. Home sale has gone up and the rates have also reached the top. Canadian government along with the bank of Canada is trying to bring down the real estate market rates.

Buy and hold is an old money making strategy. Investors buy when the market falls and wait for the prices to go up to get the best deal and accumulated profit.

Ontario Investment Opportunities  

It is not difficult to find a good deal in Ontario, known as the land of opportunities. In fact it is very safe to invest in real estate here as the prices will never come down. You can find several places in Canada with empty lots as low prices. Wait till the region develops and then sell it at a profit in a few years. Canada is among the popular countries and expects an increase in the immigrant population; consequently investment in land will always be profitable.  

 Northern Ontario Lands  

You can find cheap land in Northern Ontario region. If you locate property that is close to developing towns then there are high chances of the land increasing in value. It will be cheap now but in future when the area develops, the value of the property will escalate. On the other hand you will not really gain monetarily by buying land in an area just for its beauty with little chance of development. It is not advisable to invest in such neighborhoods.

Areas in north Ontario, including District of Nipissing and Township of Calvin are some of the regions with cheaper lands to invest money. Such regions are still sparsely populated and are quiet with a number of homes and family farms. These are green areas with plenty on natural charm and trees. Buying land here can be a great land investment deal for the future as they will develop with the passage of time.

Attractive Ontario Vacant Land for Sale

Purchasing Vacant Land in Ontario

Purchasing vacant land is one of the investment options which can assure you of returns in the long run. The land market in Canada is making slow and steady recovery as is evident from the trends during previous two years. Canada offers vacant land at beautiful and serene locations, which can still be purchased at affordable prices.

An experienced and specialized estate agency would be able to help you to locate properties which suit your taste and requirements.  If you are planning to escape from the quick paced life of the cities, you can choose vacant land for sale at affordable prices at exotic locations. On the other hand if you are buying land as an investment for higher returns, you can avoid those in secluded areas and choose those near the developing urban areas, which can see a price increase. 

Being a large country with unlimited and unexploited natural resources, it is not easy to predict trends in land values in Canada.  However, the real estate markets in Ontario, British Columbia and Nova Scotia have shown encouraging trends recently.

Since it may not be possible for anyone to travel to various places in Canada to find out about available properties and prices, the best way to start would be to use the internet and have a general ideal about the places.  You can also find several properties listed for sale on the internet.  However, it would be prudent to contact a reputed real estate dealer, who would be able to guide you in the process and also offer you several choices. 

One of the leading real estate firms which deal with vacant land is the Dignam Land.  This firm had been in business for a long time and has the required experience and expertise in the field.  Following are some of the properties offered by it for sale in Ontario and nearby places:

o   Property 4778-ON is a fully surveyed land identifiable with the surrounding pins. It is situated at the Beckman Road, NortheastQuarter of Section 16 in the Municipalityof Atwood, District of Rainy River in Ontario.  You can still get at at a special price of $ 27,990

o   Another good one is the Property 4771-ON with an area of 55 hectares, situated in the district of Alogoma.  The price is only $ 13,300/- , even though electricity and telephone services are available at the site.

o   Property 4830-ON is a fantastic piece of land located at the Township of Clergue in the District of Cochrane.  It has an area of 8.9 hectares and has convenient facilities available and it is not difficult to access.  The cost is affordable at $ 26,660

o   An impressive vacant land available readily is Property 4762–ON near the Township of Way in the District of Cochrane.  The size of the property is 38.4 hectares.  Though situated at a remote location, the property has all the necessary facilities and is available at a bargain price of $29,990

o   If you are interested in a scenic location the property 4797-ON would be ideal for you. It is situated at Clarke Road, Township of Walker, District of Cochrane, and can be purchased at an affordable price of  $19,990.00.

o   A beautiful property with stunning views, good location and necessary amenities is the one at Property 4820-ON.  This attractive property in Township of Crook, District of Cochrane can be yours for a sum of $ 28,800.

Chinese Look to Buy Land in Ontario

Ontario Farmlands Attract Chinese Investors

Chinese investors are making huge inroads into the real estate in Canada, which include large areas of farmlands, especially in Ontario.  Monaxxion, which is a Montreal Based firm financed primarily by the Chinese investors, is planning to buy about 40,000 hectares of farmlands in Canada.  According to this company, which looks after the investment needs of Chinese immigrants, the current investment would be around $300 million to buy agricultural land for sale in Ontario.  The firm is also confident of getting a further $200 million worth of investments.

Monaxxion had been trying to buy land in western Canada and Quebec but were deterred by the local regulations.  The company along with its Chinese investors are now turning to Southern Ontario land because the regulations are favourable here and it is easier for a foreigner to do land dealings in Ontario as compared to other areas of Canada.

Though the current target for purchase is 40,000 acres, the firm says that this was only a beginning.  Earlier it was the Europeans who had the money to buy land in Canada.  The situation has now changed and the money is now pouring in from China.  Chinese are not fussy about the kind of farmland being purchased as they are basically only interested in investment.

According to officials of Monaxxion, the local farmers are also keen to sell their land to the Chinese.  This is evident from the fact that the company is getting an average of 30 calls daily from farmers who are willing to sell their land.  The company has so far received 850 calls mainly from farmers from Ottawa area and Quebec border.

Chinese investors are also very interested to do partnership with Canadian farmers, says the company.  They have shown enthusiasm about the methods adopted by Canadian farmers.  The Chinese also may bring in workers from China in future to do the manual labour in these farms. Though the Chinese had first looked for buying land in Quebec, they have now turned to Ontario, which they perceive to be a better market with favourable laws.

The Chinese investors are also attracted to Canada by the fact that the economy is stable and the land is still available at much cheaper rates as compared to other countries.  Also there is no barrier for any foreigner to invest in farmlands in Canada, except for non-residency taxes.  Due to this, much more investment can be expected from China in the coming days.

Land Sales in BC Where to Buy Vacant Land

Land for Sale in British Columbia

Most of us dream of living a luxurious life that is away from the hustle and bustle and offers you to relax and get away from the fatiguing urban lifestyle. Purchasing land in British Columbia is an excellent option in case you are looking for a place to relax and are exhausted of city life and a day to day office job.  There is land for sale in BC and you can pick the dream piece to enjoy a relaxed, safe, luxurious and superb lifestyle.

Why choose British Columbia?

British Columbia province is located close to the Pacific Ocean and is well known for its picturesque beauty. When you stay in BC, you will be charmed by its stunning marine attractiveness. When most parts of Canada freezes, the temperature here does not go below zero degrees and you can experience lovely and agreeable weather all through the year.

British Columbia is home to a number of exceptional locations for you to really have a wonderful time. The coastal regions of the Mainland as well as the Vancouver islands are extremely picturesque with a moderate climate making them very attractive. Like a number of other Pacific Ocean island the rainfall here id frequent and heavy. You will feel out of the world if you have a boat. If you want clearer and more humid weather, you can go to the Coast Range. The sky is always blue here. Kamloops and Okanagan are drier and more pleasant in comparison.  

Kootenays is the correct choice if you want to stay in a place with snow and like climbing. They have high mountains with stunning valleys. Colder weather can be enjoyed at higher up in the mountains. On the other hand the Province as a whole is not on the coast, the heart including Chilcotin and Cariboo are developed as well as naturally beautiful. There are numerous lakes that are very relaxing.

British Columbia can be your desired place to migrate for several reasons including:

·         The region is home to several beautiful locations where one can go and see

·         It is easy to adapt the local way of life.

·         It is cost efficient to buy land in BC.

·         The security of the area is of the highest level.

·         You can enjoy life far from the crowd.

It may not be very easy to find the suitable piece of land that suites you. Even though there is a lot of land on sale in BC, you may not be able to locate the one for you. You can take assistance from a company that deals in land to maximize your chances of buying in the correct place.

Is the Canadian Real Estate Still Going Strong

The Canadian Real Estate Market is Not Dead!

Why Property Investment Even Today is Your Best Option.

With the collapse of many markets, there has been a lot of misinformation regarding real estate investment. Unlike what people believe, even today real estate gets you among the highest return on your investment as it is based on leverage and just requires increasing its value in small amounts to capitulate a higher profit as compared to other investments including stocks. Canada, as one of the leaders in economic recovery globally, is in a unique place to provide sale land at low cost as it enjoys good economic recovery. Other than that the huge rural area here offers a chance to invest in open land. The land is vacant property and generally without any construction.

There are a number of advantages of buying vacant land including the decision to construct a home or a commercial building where you don’t have to spend cash on repairing the existing building, constructing when you are ready, potential tax breaks and lower upfront cost. Sometimes you can even get the land rezoned to better the ROI. Mentioned here are examples showcasing how these advantages work for you.

●     When you construct a customized structure, it allows you to include features you wish without any restriction of design and layout. You can also select the building contractor which finally determines the structural reliability of the building for future.

●     It can be costly to repair an existing structure especially if there are hidden damages. You may have to replace old gadgets, remodel and replace items such as foundation or roof. They are all possible when you purchase a pre-owned house.

●     You have the freedom to construct when you are positioned better financially to make all you want. On the other hand you acquire the property with no cost on upkeep of the existing structure.

●     The mortgage and down payment is more affordable as open land is cheaper. It is more reasonable to make a 20 percent down payment for a piece of land costing $50,000 as compared to the same percentage on a property worth $200,000. In case you need to pay half of the cost of the property up front, even then it will be less than the amount of 20 percent for a $200,000 building.

●     Tax breaks don’t apply to all who buy vacant land, but in case there are business expenses connected to even a portion of the property you can withhold them.

Making an investment in real estate is one of the best decisions and being able to understand the elements is a reliable way to success. You may be looking for residential or commercial property; there are plenty of acreages for sale all over Canada. You will find one that suits your requirements as a property owner as well as an investor.  

How to get the highest ROI Investing in Vacant Land

How to Evaluate Return on Investment (ROI) in Real Estate

Investment in Real Estate is considered to be very profitable and stable in most part of the world.  The focus, seem to be on growing economies such as India, China and Brazil where property prices are expected to be on the rise.  Nevertheless, there are lucrative investment opportunities even in developed countries, especially Canada.  Due to oil deposits, Canadian economy has survived the economic downturn and is on the path of growth.  This is supported by the strong currency and infrastructure.

While making any sort of investments, the major factor to take into account obviously is the Return of Investment (ROI). To know whether it is wise to invest in real estate, you only have to compare the ROI with other types of investments such as bonds and stocks.  While doing so, you may also have to understand that there are two types of returns – nominal and real.  Nominal returns do not factor the inflation but real returns include the effect of inflation.

This can be understood from this example.  While a nominal return of 20% may seem very attractive, the real return would be only 4% if the inflation rate becomes 16%.  Thus, any investment which offers a real return of 5% is better than 20% nominal return in such a scenario. You may have to keep this in mind when investing in real estate and should aim for a ROI of 10% or more which can cover your monthly expenditure on the property.  The ideal rate would be 15% so that it can offset taxes and inflation.

It would help you to make a wise decision if you compare the ROI in real estate to that of stocks and savings in banks.  You may also take into account factors such as tax advantages, leverage, government regulations and economic conditions which can impact real estate market in future.

The ROI of Real estate would depend on many factors including its location, growth prospects in the area, expenses for developing it and the money available for investment.  The purpose of investment in real estate may also vary for individuals.  After taking all these aspects into consideration, if you find that the ROI in acreages for sale is more than that of other investment options, you can go ahead.

Since investment in Real estate is a long term commitment, you need to undertake a good research about available properties and their future prospects. For this you may have to study the economic, political and other conditions in the area so that you can make an assessment of the possible return from the investment after a decade.  You may have to look for places with potential for future growth such as developing neighborhoods of cities such as Ottawa and Toronto as well as rural land with resources.

If you consider above factor before investing in Real Estate in Canada, you can be assured of good returns. A great resource to check out when looking for an investment property in vacant land is dignam.com

Country Acreage for Sale In Ontario Canada

For many people the term country acreage brings to mind a picture of an old-fashioned cottage located in an English countryside. Till some time back it was not very easy for the common population to own a secluded piece of land in Canada. Now a charming and extravagant cottage that you have wanted is much more possible than one may imagine, with several reasonably priced acreages available for sale all across Canada.

Tips for Purchasing Acreage

Different people have different reason for buying acreage. It may be because you want to build a weekend getaway far from the city hustle and bustle or construct a beautiful cottage to improve your quality of life. With more people preferring the concept of a fresh life in the countryside it is important to make sure that the land you buy meets your expectations and requirements.

When you are looking for that perfect acreage and have discovered it, you must find out more about it before buying the property. Is there a garbage removal service in the neighbourhood? How is mobile and Internet connectivity? In case you want to construct a cottage, does the land have water, proper sewage and electricity? When making your budget, you must include any added service that you may need to set up in the pastoral area. Check out the snow removal service if you will stay in your cottage during winter. It may not be possible to commute on some of the rural roads without the right vehicles. 

Gardens and Animals 

Once you start researching country acreages for sale, you will see many different kinds of properties. There are acreages next to ponds, lakes and streams and while some are full of timber and others have very few trees. In case you want to grow vegetable and fruits, make sure that that the piece of land gets proper shade or sunlight, based on the plants you will cultivate. To make the best use of your garden plots, plant foliage that need similar conditions near one another.

People who wish to keep animals must find out about the local regulations and ordinances to ascertain that you can keep the animals you like there. Some areas have restrictions on certain animals, in case of the property being within the limits of the city. They animals allowed on an acreage often changes with location. For example for property near water animals can pollute the water body. 

Purchasing country acreage to build a cottage is a very attractive idea for many people now. Even if one can spend a few days away from noise and air pollution, it is very appealing and can change life. Once you decide on the kind of property you want, it will become easy to locate acreages for sale according to your requirement. 

Growing Construction Rates, but a decline in Condo Sales

Declining Returns from Real Estate Investments in Toronto

Toronto is booming with real estate constructions.  According to available data, the number of sky scrapers under construction in Toronto stood at 144 in February 2013, which is matched by no other city on earth.  According to a Urbanation Inc, a Toronto research firm, there are 253,768 units of new condos, an increase of 10% as compared to the previous year.  This includes four luxury hotels opened during last two years, which houses condos. 

Notwithstanding this hectic building activity, the sales of condos are actually decreasing.  This is primarily due to the apprehension that there may be a stall in the Canadian expansion, which is presently based on debt funding.  This slowdown may continue till there is a global recovery which can increase exports. 

Economists also fear that since Toronto seems to be relying on its housing sector, any crash in Condo prices can adversely affect those who are investing in the constructions and real estate.  Many now find that their investment in condos such as Trump suite does not provide returns as anticipated.  Many such buyers of condos are currently suing their builders for millions of dollars for misrepresenting facts about returns from their investment.  In these lawsuits, the buyers of these condos claimed that the developers had projected up to 27% return for their investors.  The builders also were not clear about mortgage financing and room rates.  They complained that the developers are now declining to answer their queries.

The developers, on the other hand, affirmed that there are no merits in these allegations.   They claimed that the documents provided to the buyers tell about the risks involved in these investments.

Notwithstanding the slowdown in investment returns, there are several projects which are being constructed in Toronto.  These include three towers being constructed by famous architect Frank Gehry.  One of these towers has 85 floors and may become the tallest residential building in North America.  

Despite the heavy construction activity, it is apparent that there is a decline in the property market in Toronto.  For the economists, this is one of the indications that the Canadian economy, which is considered to be stable, is also being affected by the global trends.

Although the growth in the larges city of Canada may be going through a real estate slow down, out side of the city still fairs strong growth and investment. Land for sale in Northern Ontario continues to see the largest growth in profit year over year.