-   Many say owning a home provides a sense of accomplishment
    -   Main reason to buy: didn't want to spend on rent anymore
    -   Main worry: assuming responsibilities of a homeowner

    HALIFAX, Feb. 29 /CNW/ - For the individual woman home buyer in Atlantic
Canada, houses are by far the preferred choice, according to TD Canada Trust's
Women and Home Ownership Poll.
    57% of Atlantic women poll respondents bought a house as their most
recent home purchase as an individual, whereas only 5% bought condos. 11%
opted for a duplex, triplex or fourplex; 3% bought a townhouse and 11% chose
other types of housing. For all of Canada, the corresponding averages were 34%
buying houses, 42% condos, 6% duplex/triplex/fourplex, 13% townhouses and 4%
other types of housing.
    The findings are part of a national poll by TD Canada Trust that portrays
the individual Canadian woman homeowner, on average, as single, financially
savvy and most likely to purchase a condominium.
    "Cities in Atlantic Canada don't have the over-heated real estate markets
that Toronto, Vancouver or Calgary have right now," says Joan Dal Bianco, Vice
President, Real Estate Secured Lending. "And that means there is relatively
affordable land close to or in the downtown core, and lots of traditional
housing stock. And so it may be more a matter of availability than preference
when it comes to the types of homes Atlantic women are buying."
    When asked what aspect of home ownership they like best, Atlantic women
are most likely to say that it gives them a sense of accomplishment and
personal fulfillment (31%). Only 12% of individual women homeowners across
Canada say the same. For them, financial security (23%) is what they like
best.
    The national poll, conducted in the first two weeks of this year by Ipsos
Reid, was among women aged 20 to 45 who have purchased a home as an individual
rather than jointly with a spouse or common law partner. Among this group, the
average age at which they purchased their first home is 29 years. 82% are
single, 80% have no children and 49% have a university degree. The vast
majority (86%) still live in the last home they purchased and have made only
one home purchase as an individual (81%).
    The biggest worry of Atlantic Canadian women before buying their first
home was having to assume such homeowner responsibilities as maintenance and
legal liabilities (71% vs. 51% national average response). The main reason for
buying a home as an individual is that they no longer wanted to spend money on
rent (77% vs. 61% national average).
    Respondents were also asked what would be the main reason they would sell
their home. For Atlantic women, 60% say they would do so to trade up to a
better home (compared with 50% nationally). Marriage would motivate only 20%
of Atlantic women surveyed to sell their homes - less than women in Toronto
(41%), Calgary /Edmonton (40%) and the Prairies (38%), but more than Montreal
women (11%).
    The online survey was conducted among 713 women living in major
metropolitan areas across Canada and reflects the population of Canadian women
in these areas aged 20-45 according to 2006 Census data. The margin of error
for the national sample is +/-3.7%, 19 times out of 20.

    About TD Bank Financial Group

    The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are collectively known as
TD Bank Financial Group. TD Bank Financial Group serves more than 14 million
customers in four key businesses operating in a number of locations in key
financial centres around the globe: Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking,
including TD Canada Trust; Wealth Management, including TD Waterhouse and an
investment in TD Ameritrade; U.S. Personal and Commercial Banking through TD
Banknorth; and Wholesale Banking, including TD Securities. TD Bank Financial
Group also ranks among the world's leading on-line financial services firms,
with more than 4.5 million on-line customers. TD Bank Financial Group had
CDN$435 billion in assets, as of January 31, 2008. The Toronto-Dominion Bank
trades on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges under the symbol "TD", as
well as on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

For further information: Kelly Hechler, Media Relations, Corporate and
Public Affairs, TD Bank Financial Group, (416) 982-2469