 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
8 B0 {$ F) n' R& e# [' i# Q8 P$ U' _8 u6 `
http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html! k7 e0 O- J4 f6 o
* V5 S% f9 _1 e# o( R5 x5 ]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.
1 J. A! V" |" i& D' d9 m: n
U& T; D5 V* pPeople 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.
# O: q1 b0 E8 i1 g* [; O7 n& n- \+ B. p4 [
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.7 e) v- [9 U5 E2 Y& e! g- M+ _
" z. n/ F3 s6 d% g) ~% h8 U* I2 B* _
Why might it be a good time to sell?) R& P) U3 [8 [) K( v1 w
& c: }. T7 Q! A% x9 T7 `: Q
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.; f- ?3 E, O, {
% U2 P; a- X# E% b" J: Z# P"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.
2 j0 {( o# u Z6 v' L
$ V1 ]7 ~& x6 R"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
+ J. A U* u9 ~1 j# H P* ?& u* e- l
8 ]9 X$ C8 `+ Y. 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.
5 R8 c& |# _: \" P# w+ f5 _4 `# [5 b# a- Y0 O/ X! U
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.- q: x0 v0 ~9 ^9 |. c) K- W# U- W0 H
1 v, c' m8 J9 gBurleton knows how they feel.+ K* d" I. ^! ?9 ~1 ? Y; Z3 n' \5 q- r
" [1 F. I8 n3 C8 Q"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.
4 r5 y, X6 a) h
; {2 Y0 c- ~0 k1 ^: ^5 C- z) ]& B) [8 VWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.5 i7 U1 ^: I }! } g
3 U7 {7 y% V$ t, k
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 u" W- ^* @8 _1 t, z
; N9 d7 G$ z, H; S% f4 s h: xAnd 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.
! t' ?# d# G2 B0 ]4 h
& m4 P! |3 b8 l8 P# 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.
. N( |. @3 Q y' N1 x* x
6 P* M- q1 V9 v. p) ]. m0 Z' iMeanwhile, 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.
, N8 s+ b7 l) n2 H
" y! T8 S K& J) ^That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
& J6 L( w# c5 h' x$ r+ I0 m
" g/ d7 [7 [+ m5 K cDavid 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.; d3 a2 H4 q4 n2 J
" d" }# j/ |: W* P& c9 y
"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.
6 J1 ]; H4 w$ W) s W5 k R# ^+ W4 A! ] \
"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."$ @3 Z9 u; \2 M% X% v" D
. P/ P5 Q, G( Y' A$ E: ?9 D* m: TThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
0 y- N. P. E' M7 L% l" B! V$ X& d6 ?
; ~2 y- P5 q3 u+ x( 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. |
|