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7 `( L2 O, G8 M5 M6 O3 v( ahttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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" _ k s J: u* e/ f/ cOTTAWA - 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.
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+ T( G+ P* n8 {/ p6 aIn 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.
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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* y0 c W9 M( P$ U. t; Q; O, O" `At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.( a" y0 B# k4 B$ D4 z* J/ ]' G7 }% i
4 O. V0 i( I9 e: s"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.# w4 K$ b* I* T k
. g) j2 z: I+ g% R! e: j8 D+ P. Q( N* }4 p"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.$ j, M6 W0 B8 G& z/ t5 `
6 r3 ]" Q. ~+ C9 O# i9 L4 y8 cThe 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/ w5 u! Z- w2 E5 i& a+ X4 @
: [' Y- R# F( Y( W2 e) WOf 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.
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- l, z0 f' y0 P) |; kBurleton knows how they feel.
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X' m# r4 B2 C' r J N) ^ F6 \"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., y2 M! K5 h2 ?" r8 `" s5 i
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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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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 M0 R: V( W- ?) Y1 J' R1 D/ M
; B5 D1 q" y {9 KAnd 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." M3 @! ^0 o" F0 f* w
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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.9 ^( i9 r* T, W& j- ?
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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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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.; a5 ~" i3 Z1 z" s4 }( j$ e1 q
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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.. x/ L& B Q9 [) y
], g% `* U/ H& |) M/ q N& \3 F"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."
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: z. A, A7 D9 v9 `* bThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.2 F H o; i0 ~* b/ T& u* S+ {
6 u- F2 Y/ m; QBut 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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