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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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# i4 o) c" ?- ^: `+ ?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.
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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.% \2 A+ E7 k' Z3 u6 L$ ]
3 `. g8 v9 ^2 X0 V6 H7 T; I- QIn 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.( Z' v0 i+ b/ t5 H3 a0 h1 o
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Why might it be a good time to sell?" j& F2 a& m; ]2 e6 J
. D( I5 V W5 O( x. q; i3 ]( ]% _/ rAt 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.
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/ f4 m9 {- _, \- n2 X0 A0 h* q( S4 F"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.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.( _' M: A" I7 d( W
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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.( k( C# f! e4 _: m! a2 i
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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.6 g" c9 P. i! ]6 X; `" S
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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"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.
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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.
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7 i5 b* J. L' M: i# n8 M! F3 x3 {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.2 w1 L5 K/ K2 i# Z4 U" ?
! I F, C- \! Q( u 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.- Q4 L l2 @( R" h2 S* y
- t. a/ Z y1 B7 M @3 M- VIn 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.
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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.
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& _# D, I. m1 lThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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. R0 |5 p* _$ k, [5 U7 Q8 `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.
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"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.
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( }/ r1 b/ y1 y* S0 S8 l: p"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 h+ t0 [" l1 C/ W# C
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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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. |
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