The traditional homeownership model is changing, with new forms of homeownership emerging every day.

Co-Buying

Co-buying is when two or more people purchase a property and agree to share ownership. This can be a partnership between a couple, relatives, close friends or even a company.

Co-buying is a way for unmarried individuals to get out of the cycle of renting and begin building equity in a home through shared ownership. It’s been gaining popularity over the last few years with co-buyers purchasing 16.3% of single-family homes in 2017, up from 13.7% in 2015.

Community Land Trusts

CLT’s allow residents to buy a house while securing a long-term lease on the underlying land from the CLT.

Condos

A condominium, often shortened to condo, in the United States of America and in most Canadian provinces, is a type of living space similar to an apartment but independently sellable and therefore regarded as real estate.

Co-Ops

A “housing cooperative” (or “co-op”) is the legal term for a housing unit that is owned and controlled jointly by a group of individuals who have equal shares, membership, and/or occupancy rights to the housing community.

Rent-to-Own

A rent-to-own home is a house you can buy through a rent-to-own agreement. With this type of contract, you agree to rent a property for a specific time period before gaining ownership. The time period can range from several months to several years, depending on the specifics of the contract.

Timeshare

The arrangement whereby several joint owners have the right to use a property as a vacation home under a time-sharing agreement.