 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
" v, x: a2 m$ F4 _ u6 R" C! P# v8 X3 ` \
http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html; [; B. ?7 u8 o1 z
o- J/ Z6 j% [( E
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.
/ M. m; |/ c+ C/ v, |
; q9 a+ W4 k" n8 F% n* uPeople 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.
! T6 u& J5 O6 {$ u6 ~
' t0 d. _# {3 X' K; t: i, Z6 LIn 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.
( f' H& I% p0 r, `3 e, k# H% i2 H6 s( c3 q
Why might it be a good time to sell?3 ?' k' W- |0 T7 ?8 P
9 G. ^5 H( p! L, o4 e7 w3 v _
At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
& F7 K3 |3 g1 ]$ D( ~8 Z3 g: D( 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.+ D! }# G5 U3 f- Z/ j% }2 }/ j
% l8 o' @' @6 V. h
"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
9 W" g' A$ K2 T" C4 O9 E, V2 g2 |
' `5 z& W5 { a3 r: P- t# h* ]) ^ VThe 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 x6 V7 A$ z: X |
& C; j" y% z% X8 t" JOf 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.
, q1 i8 E$ T. n6 Y) |6 u" n9 N( [$ h3 R/ c H; n2 o: J6 d" `7 }
Burleton knows how they feel.
$ I; N: f: [# s: y3 n. v2 P& S+ R" ~! I* [) i. K1 i5 H3 t m
"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- }2 p }; {# i4 R$ K
, _* b. E3 r, \" f2 \0 ]% b/ nWhile 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 ]+ \, {) D; f2 c1 f9 s3 f$ D1 c
: R9 K# P; w, \3 }
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.
8 v' \( T# N1 t8 w) j* b9 ]
; u/ O6 i5 M* L# yAnd 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.
7 P( r$ g1 c4 P5 @5 G5 { C3 M' c3 U
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.# F* Z' U7 y2 c: x6 b
* l$ H* U+ H2 I. M, [; k4 x. C! s
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.
4 ]( E* W9 w# n- m; o9 ], |; \9 r. \ ?5 C) C# v
That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
x6 M$ M+ A: w& t5 s8 m3 V1 F( c& D9 n9 `# N/ \+ n- q5 R3 F
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.
; J" P' k+ W1 U
8 o* F) z* h* K"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.
& ?+ _# V- m) @$ S" j0 i2 j6 O1 O
"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."
& w; u, z, M$ }5 \5 o! G
# I; Z4 j. Z8 b# I. Q' W) f1 {The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.5 E5 h% J) X- O! F4 y
7 N% ?/ r/ k8 N; \& |3 D$ j
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. |
|