Holding a mortgage does not have a major impact on the homeowner’s purchasing power, according to a recent CIBC telephone poll conducted by Decima Research.

Seventy-eight per cent of homeowners and prospective homebuyers said that they could afford the things they want, even though they have a mortgage. Among those earning more than $80,000 per year, this figure jumps to 93%.

The survey also found that 75% of homeowners and prospective homebuyers think that mortgage debt isn’t really debt, it’s an investment.

“The vast majority of homeowners has a healthy attitude towards their mortgage by looking at it as an investment — but they still want to be mortgage-free faster,” said Paul Mims, VP, CIBC Mortgages and Lending, in a news release.

The popularity of real estate investment is likely to continue, with one in five renters planning to purchase a home in the next 12 months.

The poll also found that 83% of homeowners and prospective first time buyers would rather put money into their home than in the stock market.

The CIBC/Decima Research Spring Mortgage and Home Ownership Poll was conducted between January 29 and February 10.