A simultaneous fit of euphoria and vertigo weakens your knees as you gaze out the living room window of a brand new 22nd floor luxury penthouse. Amidst the flood of emotions and peer pressures, you manage to clear your head and ask yourself one sobering question -- is this a good long-term investment?

Despite the rumours surrounding the "real estate bubble," there is one thing that is certain; lenders are tightening their belts and imposing greater restrictions on both consumers and developers. For those that aren't aware of how the process works for a new construction condominium, here's a quick lesson: Developers in Canada need to sell 75 per cent of a project in order to get their financing. In Canada, basically, not enough sales means no money therefore in some circumstances, no project. So where does that leave investors?

Renting is always an option but the allure of owning your own home is hard to beat! And over the long run owning a home that is appreciating in value is a good investment. Where else can you enjoy the comfort of an investment and pay no capital gains when you cash out?

Conventional wisdom is that this is the market at work. This is not the market at work. This is manipulation of a government system of open-ended mortgage insurance that is poorly supervised. What is going on here is a deluge of hot money from abroad that is creating an artificial, and potentially dangerous real estate bubble.