 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.4 ?: e2 p6 X% T0 b
/ t7 t$ U5 |9 u6 M# Y( khttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html a' T2 |2 b) ~
! ~9 L9 y% d2 H1 L! z
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.
! C7 a- @% Z% P9 Z& [0 q$ K: `+ v+ Q( [$ C. a; ]
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.% M" G. K" V1 m, y& j2 v
! `5 _2 T8 E0 {1 I- A' X, \! M0 ^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.
( ?9 O1 q8 [& x6 Q$ o2 u) e" _
, `/ F7 w. T1 I! ]: D- y" Y3 tWhy might it be a good time to sell?
- `" g% ~* H2 W1 _- V1 M/ W: h! W/ g: q& o; C
At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
' n4 e% o& @7 F3 A, c# s7 ~! d4 f9 X4 I6 t- ^( U
"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
! b* b! y$ X' J
{! h5 _" B# B. i) W# ?! d* T j"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
4 ~' K+ J: S7 F) I2 y* |
0 ^' G0 O2 l- S4 w* d7 @* bThe 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.
% Q8 P7 u8 }' b! X0 [ G5 x3 W
' _$ j1 w- [$ W" `/ z# AOf 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.
1 {5 C3 g$ a5 V6 f7 V& m8 p" E; C& |& y- s$ w% H/ W+ K& [8 }
Burleton knows how they feel.
6 m( ~0 f1 c: c, }
( ]' b2 v1 N" H( ~4 ~. u/ e"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.
( R" O j6 [8 P8 ]9 v' e/ f
! T) D9 A7 }, [& W# [3 h( d+ i" zWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.+ r: Q2 ^" h& t; N0 I# @4 s
5 [3 K: `+ u) e/ G9 Y# I2 _! lWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.
0 n9 x) g% p) q% I
3 G. Q; J! ~8 A. z; T5 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.( ^: y4 y5 |5 c9 Q8 g1 X
/ @, C2 S0 K/ B, q4 Y+ O; f* O4 @
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.1 {/ {! @) L* T+ ~& j% o
: H* S7 F1 D/ L( B- T% o) e
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.
; }% _# h7 A# ^( j# _1 s7 g p9 o) q* C' [
That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.' \0 j" e- p6 O: u& I0 b
! G+ q2 R7 y6 j6 A& B9 xDavid 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.
/ Q* o7 l7 E3 F4 ]/ N( g( P/ j4 [$ }- }' E! c
"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.
4 J& ?7 @2 `# m/ X9 x2 M# w
, h) O4 M/ j9 J* r$ r"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."
8 _ ?+ a7 m0 z
+ L$ h; S. i# j2 nThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
/ ?$ O6 k4 Z/ t; _# Y: L: \/ W
! ?3 ^! `, a8 T* X6 oBut 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. |
|