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Although the median price paid nationally is $293,000, there are significant regional variations across Canada. This amount is highest in Toronto ($425,000) and Vancouver ($420,000), and lowest in the Atlantic region ($185,000). These price variances explain the higher proportion of condo and townhome purchases in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, where these properties are the most affordable way to enter home ownership, according to the Genworth study. Condos are the most popular option in Vancouver (47%), Montreal (40%) and Toronto (39%), while in Atlantic Canada, fully detached homes account for 71 per cent of all firsttime home purchases.