 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
8 x; e U/ a& w8 F7 D4 m. |4 F9 B" T0 m. J9 `% n
http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
$ Z/ r5 A. a: a$ c/ Z' Z: D9 X" i4 V6 J; H; \* L! R$ F, l( J
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.: d0 I: X$ |4 I% G5 j' z6 U2 q! `6 ^
N. t- b# b4 E5 o$ ?+ rPeople 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.
\- n( `' G7 E9 I% o* K6 e; e( m0 t1 K
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.
: M. P2 @9 X% o- V S7 {0 v) t
7 H+ D z/ e6 h4 X+ CWhy might it be a good time to sell?; T- m" S. l2 C& e) l- G4 W& x
0 @/ l% M# T9 [# ?6 b0 _0 N# v
At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.2 B+ ?8 S9 m2 i' ?/ R
, X: \5 D$ j p7 x) D+ E- V" ]
"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.! @; h4 ~: ?$ H+ u7 ~ v
4 L& u; a0 y7 a" d" f
"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.2 i0 t" Z9 }$ \5 M- c) @
2 y) y, d: e/ V
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.
6 E7 y5 l8 ^' M. U7 k2 I$ i4 q* e1 U; h; c* d0 k
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.
/ ?9 w+ ?& `9 q( O/ d0 r
% w! ~. O* y6 o( k9 uBurleton knows how they feel.7 D2 U, s, h9 g3 |' {; D# W
' N3 U" V+ O6 r8 N+ 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.3 U! H% k* A% M5 y
6 l( Q$ z9 n+ V+ Y( F2 sWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.4 g2 z' v8 ]0 |0 g6 K0 ]( j# ^
* F4 D# t; T, k U* Y! O$ S( f, S
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.- n: i/ B/ _- i2 G
: N5 G4 h, S$ L9 FAnd 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.+ |: z/ P7 [8 ^6 N- N6 {
4 R; \9 T; f) E3 l2 c
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.' E# g2 y: U. }1 R( l c% t/ Z
, ~6 t, y) R. G0 I# q- b& Y2 wMeanwhile, 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.* k$ c6 E+ O0 U3 O( Z( A* j
0 o' I% ]1 w- C+ T6 C
That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying./ `' I( f# @! m' ~/ ~2 [
# V" _, B# e3 x5 ]3 y
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.9 k% \2 m3 a4 p9 V7 S: B( H. ?
% k" d* q3 M9 s
"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.
9 q5 T# ]! J% U' [0 [* e. l# |3 B e' Y0 [( u+ I7 R; |! o1 z9 \
"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."7 q" x; d% k9 Z' L) M
) r7 g d5 T6 T5 K& `' u- Z
The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
/ B& B7 c5 @/ X( u ~( j
1 E( P- q( s1 [* M, IBut 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. |
|