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% X( {7 N/ Z. `8 h5 |http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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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.
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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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- k7 n' e7 m( l- m2 }! [6 ]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.& G- C: y) _5 ?" R+ L5 m5 R4 h
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Why might it be a good time to sell?6 I6 x- }# d! g" l, d# J
# b/ J: S0 j: d! `8 HAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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5 e1 n' Z- S% M! c1 |"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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7 s0 B1 H* J4 A4 l* M" wThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.; D- D, n! Y6 k) D0 [/ J1 x$ c) l
8 C. L& q) F0 BOf 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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; G1 D( A; d; U7 v4 @' I/ HBurleton knows how they feel.
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"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.$ A0 }9 L+ I! G
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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.5 _5 _- a/ Z6 [% x8 N
3 M6 L( R# q2 }' \% \ V* MWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.
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7 V3 g5 R; _1 MAnd 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./ o" u. _7 ]" M+ n) }" ^4 G0 `
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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.5 w# f& M* }& V6 K
0 b% Z( n5 x! _# j$ ^ Y/ bMeanwhile, 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./ t- W5 h: b" Z k7 d- R* _. d
4 R' m0 Y# z+ M! KThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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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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( N) a4 O5 k0 L7 N$ O"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. Y# U1 z: }4 U' {, x
9 }3 E f% e2 q8 Q6 _"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."* t* l* t& F- _4 I& `9 M$ b3 L
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.2 I% m7 @/ }' a4 j
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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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