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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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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.( L" o" V% ~8 q* C4 T% N7 _( u/ R
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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.9 p6 g, N1 l7 N- g* q
0 |4 w" p' M: Z! R. ZIn 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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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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+ ]& }2 _. c) A" PAt 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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"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.* D! ]. j7 z( i7 X1 s% y% j
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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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# i7 @/ g% j; j6 i1 NThe 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.% V5 B5 ]4 R& A
$ |( { g! u' X7 AOf 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.0 p/ i8 s( o: q
0 n8 a- @, T8 |! e1 Q"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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/ G; ~, C" Z$ N- ~1 H5 @3 O. c6 @While there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way./ G' n1 A, t9 H; v, l& l ~- |1 K
/ p1 r7 |0 _ p3 BWith 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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% g/ Q4 W/ n. R) W, N2 ]2 ?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.4 A, w' j; a ^( J& j0 {
- o6 }! I( `) K! jIn 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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' M( `3 g: {/ j: U, \7 ^Meanwhile, 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.3 ]2 M" e+ U2 G
. e0 U8 a4 ?) F" D5 IDavid 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.' C; ]7 f! W7 n$ r4 d
- o/ k8 e8 d1 F8 N, H, c! ^"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.2 ^% P% k0 \2 j# h
9 L7 w, o( J; | M) Q8 s"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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# A8 j# l# r' _The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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6 k. U* ]" t+ w+ t4 B; N/ c( D" XBut 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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