 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.$ H* u7 \% m/ E0 R' S( B2 z& O$ g
! u6 x+ y) J4 m5 H* `
http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
, H5 j1 {& {/ O$ Q0 V4 b$ T( [. t( _+ U! a8 g% b
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.6 {( ]) c9 _, X8 q4 b
3 L7 A6 _) M Y9 Z. y0 wPeople 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 D4 }: ^' U ~/ `5 h+ J) \! ~1 n8 g% t6 R; U
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.6 Q" v1 r; q/ L4 C a: C5 e0 F
* x6 W* o8 a( K. W( bWhy might it be a good time to sell?
/ s7 t$ }; U: t8 w/ L. a# Z, \$ D
) a' w% Y" L: hAt 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.
5 S9 A: ^/ R2 W' C& ?4 o! j! `! l! ?3 j, 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.
$ n; W+ Y( i. J, f/ I+ V2 A4 Z3 y6 T6 C) N
"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.- ^3 _% x" J9 B# Z4 J$ {1 }
* L- C6 Y) ^8 M& H& l- N IThe 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.
5 K9 D# D8 |- i& h7 l/ o( y t/ v( j
% @: z6 U' ?7 t4 D8 O) H8 XOf 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 D, L" I% Z9 e% }* v
" `' [% l/ L6 Q; _# ABurleton knows how they feel.
) `' P' S I h5 |! w( V% o; M! y, ?' B. P3 ^% h% s4 q
"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.
/ d- J( D. p0 B( T6 V! u7 _
1 z6 @& _$ |* g/ |8 E# o1 H) q- PWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.- U9 H' ]4 ]0 W6 r) \: H2 }
4 E+ @# _% f: l- S9 W _4 a; }; K
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.1 p0 ]( R3 W) L4 D% A
5 O8 V1 U' {+ [ mAnd 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.
$ ^% u9 w4 Z6 F7 y z% S
g+ W; f9 g1 Q; M) E0 q5 ZIn 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.
2 t2 \0 ~1 O' n- C. W1 r: P7 S1 E5 M3 X4 V6 B
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.
5 A5 {* i7 k% J& r% I6 F+ G% r1 I+ j' r1 k+ x5 ]+ B
That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.; p( ^/ W8 @$ v7 |
3 W/ G/ Q( K3 f9 t, s0 N" f7 n: G
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.
7 ? e* c! U: A
9 v s* _0 ?, x4 Z"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.
, a( h0 Z' u- N+ H! y* q, u9 o5 R6 [% J
"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."3 ]7 O- A" w% E$ x" l
; [3 ]3 b1 j2 o
The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
8 c" R7 I! H! @% c; _# L. j' E* B7 p3 r g/ O5 d/ A
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. |
|