 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.) C) ?5 j1 M8 X1 q( h- x
' S# b7 @$ b7 O2 S0 ` phttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
+ I* ?; _' F4 f; t: w: R- x
7 ?1 g9 X8 u; O1 r8 {# O w5 D N. ROTTAWA - 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.0 m4 y0 v: U- G$ Y, M1 F( x
, c6 [! F) n4 y4 ] J8 r. w; V
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.
( C& D2 o# {( U: }1 U
8 g; A8 K( L% Q6 }9 K% L4 f& NIn 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.7 X# e4 ^# u" h% _2 A) S$ S u o
4 d7 w2 ^7 p( k6 U' _
Why might it be a good time to sell?
$ ^+ ]8 t1 @: _; X3 ?% o/ K( l) b, P7 x( ]6 U- z
At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
- m1 X. j! N& r' T3 I0 U
3 l5 v5 v# I; [9 H" g' s"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
2 x. g7 q- G7 i$ S7 o4 k7 P: g% W
7 E9 H/ q$ J" _3 }3 P"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
6 {* I2 _- d9 m$ u3 ]; k/ D$ N& x9 M8 \9 i
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.
E- v; @' ~: j: y7 d" [( G; X1 r) A
4 s$ ], v# N6 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.9 L) i# o9 i. Q$ G
7 I* g" P C; J1 rBurleton knows how they feel.
* H+ b. K* T" P% Y$ F( G6 T7 w3 @+ G2 Q) q3 A- }+ W7 X$ X
"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.( a3 f' ~& y, }8 P* q
0 Y W, D& A9 c" ]/ z: ~0 C
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.6 K1 c: L! I; {6 Y
, }# \" A2 K$ T* j
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.5 n- a! V/ Z4 o% A5 I9 ~, k/ [" D
0 O' b: p; W: h( lAnd 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.
3 H' t Y4 F' `+ p
% A( V9 n$ L, h8 B" ^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.
$ H+ O; x4 V% a. e2 r! q m1 _" [) ^5 d
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.8 Q+ l: N* b5 R1 y; h/ o5 p
: W0 f- }$ f3 L; T, k' H
That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.+ b. S9 b) c3 Z; E# A( Q! I
' t3 G& ^) U6 |, _; k
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.
- r+ H% P; x: N5 `1 T8 n
$ h3 S% H8 i+ n; N5 E5 ^* x' Y"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.
, c' Q' n8 w0 S; J
- x. d, {, Q, Z6 R$ I"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."
- `0 s, o4 p/ p, ]9 L/ M7 n/ _
( s* y: i. o: L3 Z7 g$ ^The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.& I& r2 X/ _" X6 J8 @- R3 c" J
8 D3 }7 r: u' N# z- y7 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. |
|