 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.; V5 ^% u# ~6 {7 K
3 @7 ]' L! @6 M3 p/ q, D( V' B& p: ihttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html$ ]/ Z- [- Q: d# { v* t$ n( F: N
! p7 B) U) K( S7 Y* _; l2 G/ xOTTAWA - 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.
/ I |& g* u( V+ i i( B3 o- X: K4 D8 O
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.2 s6 k; W7 [% z: v% w
& z2 _6 T$ W+ }# y ?: J
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.0 [, Y) V8 V! `3 U6 E# g6 x
- A, g5 ]( O( {- z) a( V$ }Why might it be a good time to sell?5 k: f3 B# w% X
4 B$ s" z0 X0 MAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
6 W# n! r* C, z# i4 ^/ R$ Y& h) y
"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.( | m3 i1 ^$ A' W, {8 i2 q
* {' a; W, T7 W! e; f, v"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
* X- {/ K: N, W+ `
# n6 H8 S" I9 t# 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.
$ @0 J+ y( b' }/ ?6 u# K% v
& M" f0 N, v/ B& y) A9 O* j" ]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.
% d1 E% a# U& X/ R8 A
& }) u+ f& ^! m/ {Burleton knows how they feel.
3 J+ e8 T) j% m) F( B1 Z* ?# `2 M9 i4 V: W1 m" F8 f( m1 Y; ?
"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.1 p o- L% D" h- B
/ o/ M( S: K s- K V6 x' I. QWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.% W: x8 Y! H, U S$ y
; O0 F/ A! E- l7 CWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.% P; l6 \0 R) W" q; `$ V! {
" i9 g/ @+ z: H' cAnd 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.
+ O! @8 i1 ^" I
4 n1 I7 K' M; @6 p9 u* `# V& 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.9 W) Y, O5 C+ A$ G
s/ Y( y' g7 I" c4 LMeanwhile, 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.
- m$ q0 [9 l. R7 J. T* ` |* T V/ E
That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
' s+ {& N. U; a) y* U! _( V9 A4 [( t; C# D2 q U. n
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.
n" O, n. H0 G2 Z2 d8 y
l4 u/ p. H" m0 W"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.
3 u8 ]4 Y5 A' @* B7 n/ g
2 W9 v# A; \4 p* |. C% |) V"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."5 ` A: h# I M) m) o+ T6 z9 j
; [& q; h2 Z7 w- n' YThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.8 ~( ?; w s( I8 a
! v0 F3 K6 }$ o# G1 a) zBut 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. |
|