 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
! _9 S2 q, f! S, p% D7 N+ F6 U$ t
( \- S7 g7 M" F! x* d" Shttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html- R8 T9 Z i) N+ b- ~: S- a' @
: S7 p( u9 x7 ]8 v% n: BOTTAWA - 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.4 Y+ l$ f- }" n& N1 e
. a3 A7 p+ e( O+ M$ I8 [) DPeople 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.
: Z9 E5 w, U! l+ |
$ c0 ?8 ^' c' z 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.2 d- J& v8 p0 D6 a
. ]: L+ B0 z# ~: z, `Why might it be a good time to sell?1 k# p$ v$ X+ Y
' e- R) Z1 s. q x% G) kAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
; y: F u1 a, b) N! |% `! c/ b8 Q7 b' T; O; V
"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
' Q# U- `/ x1 z1 K9 P- v& o0 f9 v3 Z4 L* V- | M m$ {
"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.( V0 I1 ^" U+ m3 @
8 I& H4 _7 O. k/ }0 x8 I( A; 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.
8 P" d# t, D8 o) s* }4 @
; v' x6 Y% ?* L K! m4 w& z8 nOf 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.% c: x" {4 d& Q5 @. }$ k
8 o! b' M7 d* U5 m* I
Burleton knows how they feel.
3 v! p9 H5 Q+ q; H: H0 L3 u6 g
" m2 O; E* ^. G) 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.
6 n0 k( Z4 b4 F0 s/ L6 l! m6 Q4 l1 V, @& {: t$ N, D3 p5 Z
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.3 p, p$ C5 c, \$ V8 P; A
' \' W6 O3 f3 i0 ]! E6 [) i
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& n4 ^% c, t3 D; C/ t0 ~, }
( Q0 L) o% X8 s7 J0 o* i4 AAnd 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.
! m; ~: q9 N0 c+ z2 s2 Y
3 g$ z- _9 Z" D3 U& Q" 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.
* O: ^$ ]3 [* D, h4 W* G( U( I4 ~' E W. \
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.( ?+ |9 z% t0 ?8 D
g" \; C) W+ o. H/ g, B# Y7 ?That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
7 X j: w7 Z* g4 v* q- \; m( O; b7 G) n) X" Y3 M! W) H9 [
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 k( S7 S, G# ~ G
7 n7 a4 ~' Y5 p, W2 b"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.
8 j: F" g! X$ W( |
- T ?+ ?. y% ~- |2 O"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."
W/ m' [+ P/ D4 f# J9 w) y( \( k W
The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.$ N9 _* h" `1 P. |8 l
1 J: s# |' @6 x' A7 tBut 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. |
|