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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.4 R& O2 r6 E; p) H' I
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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, T, e5 L' s/ ^- H* COTTAWA - 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.
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/ Y" t! V( I1 M9 g8 JPeople 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 w% ^( \. n' g2 w8 N' h2 K
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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.
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Why might it be a good time to sell?7 P8 Z) o% @: E
' P2 {$ g1 w F& i* |' v" wAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.' `5 A% S( Q- m4 @
1 r% n' O8 {% k- O# V+ P"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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W2 ~6 G$ h$ i( LThe 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.3 i5 p' p5 d* }$ \8 a; i5 Q1 w# w
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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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3 e; y1 O# B4 N8 o* SBurleton knows how they feel.3 u+ `& C8 ?' @' S( b
4 k/ n# ^9 M2 T4 x$ l8 O# h7 ["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.) F$ ~, i; _! z5 A
9 K2 O' G& T3 S) \; A% lWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.2 }4 A/ w |8 ~8 f- f
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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.5 `" V) I$ |) B
+ F9 @" v/ h$ h9 f5 u; |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.
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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.7 K& y0 Y' Z8 N
) S: S V& K/ V7 r) L" A% ~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./ A- \3 g, l8 B
) p2 i2 R: u! _4 w0 a+ cThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.% E8 o" F+ c8 D* h2 I
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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.
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0 ^) [1 [+ \/ P9 H8 z 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.
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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."6 z9 M/ E' Q' A8 t2 b! q8 Z
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The 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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