 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.2 @0 p1 ^! m8 O& h8 C
( m" k/ j# |+ r5 e8 Q+ z. c
http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
. g' U& t/ b' u& S, N0 r
" t- M$ d+ D! N' _. S' U# X& \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.
% z) h$ }" v& b4 P' t( P, ^! D3 h5 I7 v5 w% x# [ t9 k! ?9 q" |. b) c
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.
' [- x6 R: C7 r7 V
d1 N( n2 P' g6 |! n+ h5 N8 LIn 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.# K" z5 s( U0 z# h4 R, x
" i$ V7 ~- r% S* UWhy might it be a good time to sell?. `& a" s7 k! y) \# a D
. b& u. J0 ?- q" \# XAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
' K0 K$ @0 d- I1 p
) Q9 P6 |; |# |9 l1 [5 q" I"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.! R* K; {' s8 C- v; {! X) a
% v% Y4 X; t/ f/ ~7 E"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
4 z& i9 L8 T$ L
- m o' Q4 S& M- s/ ?) }. UThe 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." ?2 G. p% f9 Y5 j1 W
4 d {5 p' }5 `6 O5 e0 HOf 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.
- g2 y3 [# O k9 d9 o) T4 t- h4 T+ r* s( v
Burleton knows how they feel.
2 |7 W d- v- }0 r) f3 Y+ m/ y7 t$ j$ R' d& Z3 t
"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.& q2 q" L' I* V$ J+ h: B
! E" x4 `; N" P- u% ~$ }" O- @. BWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.
. x/ S; Z8 E4 p9 W1 o3 |8 H- u7 k
/ M! p, K9 o, v$ e6 A; e# \With ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years., b U# I1 J+ }; Z0 H6 @( D
6 ~6 C: w" `7 X2 xAnd 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.& I& N/ D" c# f6 N$ X2 c2 X1 ~2 t- p
+ H/ f7 \' j/ E7 M7 b. C& MIn 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.0 J+ C4 [2 R% e) ]- D' q# H
# L `+ z+ I. c6 Z2 d( C9 g) ]
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.+ H- Q* k7 }( y* c3 ]& K
* Q7 m& I7 T t0 o! jThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.6 o0 ?! j' U2 U' U Y$ F
- H6 ]# z7 a+ p7 F1 FDavid 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.
- A2 S' n' X4 B* A; b8 T% T. j( R& C2 x, ?5 _! F
"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.
. t; ]: u; ~# G3 d8 |: B: D* t# @1 y4 t P3 X* u
"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."
! x6 Y& [+ c3 a5 Y) q" q
7 d7 R- E9 x+ J4 N7 QThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
$ v( g2 d. A6 W; _; S& z% Q: }4 z9 I7 [/ w( {9 J" Y
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. |
|