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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.! Z* ]( f- C5 s9 a" l+ v
! @1 V4 e2 a7 [# P$ j& ?/ d1 i( F& |4 shttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html6 Z8 {8 i1 `- ?
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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.% l8 F5 {2 {$ L8 f5 S
4 g' L# {! H8 v5 H. T3 S* J) Z/ u1 ]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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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." u8 ?. t: I2 q* c
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Why might it be a good time to sell?4 T; k1 j+ B |0 L- O2 e7 x
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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./ o; e2 G/ ]6 n8 p2 `7 y* D, H8 ?
$ Z! X# `) a9 g0 U( H"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.
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2 {+ n8 u3 C7 M# e9 `. @"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.$ Y7 q6 O: {' _* [
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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.. J% i0 F4 \# v' ^3 @: g/ ~$ ?. Z
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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.
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Burleton knows how they feel.% e9 e5 o; @7 b
5 G8 M$ E: \) N6 ?"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.
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2 X7 U/ ^# s g1 {4 \ _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." ~/ c. J# T, x" G# o+ Q# K% V
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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.8 [ w. T R6 m0 |' Q7 r9 g2 v
$ c% ]* f6 l: X9 tAnd 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.$ D8 I! k, t% I' n z! J! L* ^
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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.; ^+ `$ {$ b, J S& u
; s$ O" ^8 Z2 y% C# T7 hMeanwhile, 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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! q: N& u5 u7 Y, vThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.. P u0 P% }8 l, s. I, J+ W
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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.2 r" x& ~7 _ p+ H$ W+ {
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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.% z% o! @$ y/ Z/ c
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"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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* l. n% T2 M- C- b, d; F& JThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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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. |
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