 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
7 g0 e& y" C" h; T1 M5 Y$ I
1 [. \( f* d. m5 N/ C+ Q2 p% Rhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html; [& J1 J7 B% Q: B+ R# F
6 O: N% }3 \) A4 V- z% q/ X( SOTTAWA - 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.
5 B3 }% Q7 N! U/ v5 r
3 N7 K+ ~0 \" ~# BPeople 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.4 o% s" ^* b2 t1 }! ?7 `
; J: M N" `! o9 w; ]8 h' Y
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.
* e, \5 U0 s6 }- B' e( }
8 z( d& N* B9 D% J4 l9 J' k: U5 `3 PWhy might it be a good time to sell?
* V2 j, t* P. P/ j
?& t, {. K1 i) S. B: Z. yAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.- J# @( o; B1 t L
" ~3 R; P0 }6 ~"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.# \: o, q- u) _* ? ^, G
& K5 J$ K" K0 x u6 N) z"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
6 S( n* z. [4 d& P ]4 F5 z" R$ P( ~, [% z" r8 s7 g8 C9 p
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.* i4 B& k2 E9 U1 {$ L& C* k
- j4 {! ?$ q/ Z: _
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.
. o7 I* ]* P% T1 }4 k2 c! n" |; |* s0 t$ h' a& j- A- T
Burleton knows how they feel.' {: T5 y+ G1 @8 B- r; t
R) P% G* ?. h! O"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.
9 j+ I: W |0 d! Z8 I, p' d# B. \ 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.5 _7 u/ }4 B0 E6 Z: {. x6 C
1 a9 e0 K" l; [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.
; ]) r6 v5 V7 P9 T0 `4 d& N
) p8 W3 C* S4 _0 c( Y8 `$ A' oAnd 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.' i0 G% A2 [6 m* R' |( y
6 M" s: |& C- [$ S. LIn 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.* u0 m& z* @& g9 ] T2 y
/ l5 s9 I' C& r9 M; ] tMeanwhile, 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.: [1 D% E0 R* _* o2 O
) s7 C* m% ^" `7 l8 \
That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.. n: x g( x" L+ C6 D8 c3 p6 x e
% t& s) _8 U' h$ E* S. 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.
( ]: R1 e! B1 h. N T
, \/ A) D& N6 B7 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.3 g+ T7 q8 R! N }! ^
: d- U( C1 Y0 u; [" `8 g0 X( F"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."
, k7 I0 h9 {7 q' @
H; b; R& `3 A$ w- k1 B6 ~& x% R# e PThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
* v; j/ i [; c* `5 H& y) e9 W! k
% l3 T# E6 l! {) H+ a7 H5 [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. |
|