Understand the Risks of Using Crypto to Purchase a Home
Before we get into the specifics of buying a house with bitcoin, please keep in mind that this is not financial or tax advice. To make an informed decision, you should consult with your lawyer and a financial professional if you are thinking about buying a home with cryptocurrency. This is uncharted economic and legal territory that must be navigated with caution.
Is it possible to buy a house in Canada using Bitcoin?
Yes, you can buy a house with bitcoin because there is currently no law prohibiting it from being used to purchase real estate in Canada. That, however, is not the end of the story. It is not as simple as getting a mortgage from a bank because it is a new technology and means of exchange.
Regulatory bodies such as the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) are currently investigating the use of cryptocurrencies in real estate transactions. RECO has regulatory authority over salespeople, brokers, and brokerages, but not over homebuyers and sellers. They cannot impose restrictions on how they choose to buy or sell a home.
A standard purchase agreement, such as this one from the Ontario Real Estate Association, specifies that the purchase price is to be paid in Canadian dollars as the default currency. This is the standard method for purchasing a home in Canada. If you want to buy a house with bitcoin, you'll need a carefully drafted Agreement of Purchase and Sale.
Using Bitcoin, you can directly purchase a home.
The more difficult option is to buy the house with bitcoin directly. If the seller is a member of the cryptocurrency community, they might not hesitate to accept bitcoin as payment. To comprehend the difficulty of purchasing with bitcoin, you must first comprehend trusts. Typically, when purchasing a home, funds are paid to your lawyer. Your lawyer must keep those funds in a special trust account. Because digital currencies cannot currently be held in trust accounts, bitcoin transactions are more risky.
To make the transaction possible, the buyer and seller would have to negotiate for a third party to hold funds. That is a risk. If the deal falls through, the funds in the trust account are protected by your lawyer. Going outside the traditional path has financial and legal ramifications. Consult with both a legal and a financial professional to help you navigate this process.
Why Would I Use Bitcoin to Purchase a Home?
There are numerous reasons why someone might choose to buy a house with bitcoin. Buying a home, whether as a primary residence, a vacation property, or a rental property, has historically been a good investment. By reinvesting your bitcoin profits in real estate, you are transitioning from a volatile cryptocurrency market to a more stable real estate market while diversifying your portfolio.
Cryptocurrencies have a place in the real estate market; it is now impossible to ignore the use of digital currency in real estate.