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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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' u8 D# n4 w N4 _6 Qhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html, H& D8 g# @ W, ?
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OTTAWA - For most Canadians their home is the biggest investment they'll ever make — but they might be surprised to learn you can use if for more than just sleeping.1 X4 _( o# A$ X8 a' _
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People generally don't think of their homes as a potential pile of cash in the bank, but experts say it's something worth pondering now that home prices in Canada may have hit their peak.
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In fact, analysts say if finance is the only consideration, conditions now and into next year or so form a seldom seen sweet spot for using home equity as a type of asset for investment.
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0 w. f- I/ h+ Z/ kWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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; s( W# u& {+ ]"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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9 p5 T" K- L2 U& r$ d5 S gThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.# M; N; A# ?6 V
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.
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. c$ E( \# i" D9 I" r; S2 DWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.$ ?& p/ s6 b3 G& {8 r* g
6 @6 E" B. y$ B7 MWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.
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And Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney warned last month he was preparing to hike rates, which along with tighter lending rules being applied by federal authorities could trigger a flight from real estate.# \" q6 Y3 W, `9 ~+ _# A. H
% @1 E/ l7 O1 }. A* Z, zIn market terms, selling a home at the peak is a way of "locking in" profits accumulated over the past decade of price appreciation — and tax free if it's the principal home.
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0 \9 e8 U) \' k6 p. t! T7 xMeanwhile, home valuations have been rising far faster than the rent they would fetch since at least 2000. Canada's home price-to-rent ratio is well above historic norms and among the highest in the advanced world.
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.- @( l& w8 ?8 J& j0 a" H- a4 Y
* e8 k8 q* O5 dDavid Madani of Capital Economics, who anticipates a 25 per cent price crash over the next few years, cautions that like selling stock shares, timing is always tricky.7 R/ s& M" j. L- Y/ D. H
& o# B" k" L0 c3 u$ N"We're dealing with irrational exuberance. We've been treating housing like some magical financial asset that is going to solve all our problems because prices are always going up," he said.
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"Of course, when the turn comes, the over-confidence that drove the market up can turn to fear. You are dealing with emotion ... so I don't believe in a soft landing."
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6 o. [" K; a6 k- W% i( aThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.: ~. ^! }! [! [3 X0 f! I* g/ D
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But then again he felt that way a year ago, he points out, and if households had acted on his advice they might not have gotten all the value they could from the premature sale. |
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