 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.5 M. q- F0 H. H: X- R
. E' v) S, O1 I& ~7 shttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
9 `% u. X( A' x6 F5 G9 @( V7 H) }0 U7 l$ z7 |" I
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.
: n3 s+ j# j8 b4 V
- ?' T, o# x3 \- w; K- p! P. ~4 tPeople 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.
3 k; v. m, I7 d6 H/ m* b! n8 l2 b$ ?- y: h4 R' K% z
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.
5 x" l: Z! o( h0 ~
, U% v. Z- A, P6 [- oWhy might it be a good time to sell?7 ~/ O9 L( h x$ Y
! z2 [7 N% b# a
At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.6 M9 E0 C% u( {7 J; `
; w1 F: A; D. N- t3 x# Z
"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
F" K# D/ e* t! I7 n
6 V9 i! ?3 \% G6 Z& L: d8 K& k"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.: h9 Y2 a2 l; F9 y# R9 {$ _1 ]
4 `" d: l$ I2 k
The 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.7 w2 E( A7 o, N# O
/ E. E, w$ P/ [5 ^; |1 DOf 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.
% k+ Z' S x x4 W8 h" u! m( b0 }" i3 s
) @4 |7 J$ U* P" M& s$ Z+ t# QBurleton knows how they feel.7 I/ _, y, a) I. X# K
" _* X4 f" T" H* o3 X- @"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.& `9 Y d' k) o" q' E5 o
, C0 P, x) V) n tWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.
+ y2 M9 W; J5 V- n- _" F& k" V! A& [' T) s3 U
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 W5 T0 Y, s( ~+ e
2 C/ S$ C, m7 } I3 i7 K3 c
And 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.
9 {; Q5 c1 z6 a& P
4 O$ a) m5 B9 K( ]1 @" J, MIn 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.- _; R& F- C ]
. c9 W' u3 j" O0 E
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. ^" g& z4 X @7 ?" c
7 E+ @: n) }# Y2 J: w2 [0 ?4 A
That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.+ A" M, |6 A2 A6 S
4 \9 F0 X6 h: J2 [, bDavid 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., ]% [" B: ~7 R- @+ h0 J0 B. v
+ P- S- T D( o) m+ f4 c"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 m3 k+ z+ F' `* ]+ S, f. a9 ~
4 [ i6 {/ r/ K" m, B2 {+ e" ^"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."
. C, H4 @7 I! Q- P
1 W; n' [$ k$ b1 M; ?The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
) I! x% x" t1 r$ A/ N% a" s
. ~3 a; o& f/ L: pBut 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. |
|