 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
' ~3 q' N x q6 w0 g
: G$ g) g/ P% D: Whttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html8 `; i7 o9 v1 D- g
h" i& E- V( {' C6 T& Q9 bOTTAWA - 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 e+ @( F4 _5 M) D
& |3 e- U: P: G4 x" z7 v( K' lPeople 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.: {: x0 y8 [$ n F/ Q8 ?8 g
9 e/ k" d) E. m3 hIn 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.
/ L1 q( O, N1 t
2 p6 R! h1 J; r5 _0 s; A5 [! Z3 aWhy might it be a good time to sell?
! @! V; ~$ t; V5 H c1 N
$ |9 R) G" [# {5 r% w: N$ v) AAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
4 A. s. X5 u& K" _% u
q2 D% O3 w0 N& H6 P" X* Z"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
+ x' ?6 f0 A% t, ^* o# G- W$ X5 L3 q% M& Q* X) n
"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.1 u& c1 X; p2 H+ c
/ ?% T5 h; R1 g! a$ F) B2 F
The 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.
7 c4 W2 w& V1 o+ Y/ s A4 f, j
6 e) L7 f3 f9 _+ N s7 W+ SOf 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.
8 T) N( U; S9 c' ?" y
0 c8 ~7 j- e- v& F4 g, U) M9 I+ W* QBurleton knows how they feel.
1 |9 F0 a1 l6 b% u- ~% O: P/ u2 R) d: 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.
' [. \$ x$ y! d8 K; ]8 e) v# ?$ ^, j+ V$ {+ f
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.+ ]7 R, w* t0 z# M. Q
7 J" N( F$ d d+ l7 `/ _
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.
6 V+ J. @8 U0 @+ S
9 o* C3 T. E- M& 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.; [: z5 i2 a: U; V$ S1 Q5 v( ?3 t+ Q
* [. p) V: e' }In 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.' n: E/ s# @ Z4 E q
; N+ v. C F* q
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.
t) ]4 \% v' i& e
2 m' e/ C# [/ ?% k5 J0 a- HThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
5 D' n$ o) ]$ v, v$ [* q4 u# l' R8 w6 J
David 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.
6 `& ^4 }5 v0 m0 G3 F
4 j* H7 k9 e* G7 |, S! i- d"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.
0 w6 e5 U! w# W1 [! [- g) ~; q
+ b: p; e# x9 ~' h5 ?/ l"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."
! A& K* s) W) k, J- M! L
! |5 k' Z2 t0 ^3 V8 u, ~# BThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
9 I) _7 k) b; J- @. ]$ ~0 Q# h* z+ X' }4 W, M L( _: e
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. |
|