 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.: n' e( d; q/ I0 ^
4 S' P# A* R$ ]1 T7 g
http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
0 O* {3 W/ s" y) V: ?
! h3 K+ J/ K& d* k$ a# V9 TOTTAWA - 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., [. y2 l+ P- K# i/ [; o* _6 q
8 z) H9 o/ L4 z0 ?3 x z
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.6 Y- P/ V" P" P1 e. L2 {# B/ L
! b/ M( r% i& A5 m. fIn 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.
2 Y. M* w2 z# V( H/ k2 T7 X* o& a1 A7 O e
Why might it be a good time to sell?! ^. K+ g& `- R
t7 L+ w+ k6 g% u/ H) ]At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
4 M* ?+ s% n# Z2 k. G5 i4 _5 x+ f1 g" j" O7 b0 O6 Y7 h& ^% w5 D
"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
3 N% S5 X4 {* _5 a: ^$ J1 L4 v; F8 }
"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
! s, t1 `7 D: z/ ^; h. |1 C2 V7 j7 }
* U' n7 E d& G! UThe 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.
3 U( e2 l! ~% c _; j9 H* K, d5 W2 ~& N. A
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.
2 Y! M7 w1 s1 X7 A9 Y& i9 b6 f7 f
Burleton knows how they feel.8 j& h o5 {% v1 I( H; \, _
( f! S# i9 \8 O/ j"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.2 s& p8 j' Y: K/ e% w3 _& Y
: V& u* m/ {9 Y8 |5 l5 cWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.$ k1 K9 G; b M/ f4 c% j
+ L1 k! F' {: `; ~
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." j+ h' c' W4 F
* ~, F/ J8 Q7 h% r9 ?/ q5 n) }2 uAnd 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.
; f+ ]5 j! s& o" p J; n/ W6 T
0 b3 G% g) x$ B9 B: O: i* i5 M, V, iIn 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.0 ^! p4 i7 ^ C( J$ G$ Y
" k5 a6 V7 w/ V% W/ nMeanwhile, 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.
9 a* d' _1 ~" M& J2 L: e# q4 W2 h2 g% S4 v
That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying., W* i0 P4 i5 a3 C b
: ~0 F" @% D, d3 w7 `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.! x% }3 @9 T! \; k- t1 q9 A
, t( F% A3 Y7 {3 Y2 \5 x; R, p
"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.* n; P. u5 D m. E1 x! c- Y! P
$ B. h, _2 ^; w5 G' u
"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."
' ]" @- G( X! }: S' ^- C' c' l8 U. o1 L
The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
1 r1 j, H, G l
+ M ]9 e2 e# e2 cBut 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. |
|