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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.2 @3 B. Z3 m8 s3 }$ j- \
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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?4 X8 h3 t# H; R0 g$ W
* M; t( ~7 l7 s: u! @! g Q/ e/ RAt 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.2 l* M8 C* n4 ` V, H
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"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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/ P- ~9 i- f3 v"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop. q! h( B# k& t. _, R
; i' W& o7 \, ?! t5 T8 aThe 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.
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/ w/ \( t, I" L7 p* e/ F# ^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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" c! X1 A$ X; h9 c& z# P# ^Burleton knows how they feel., V. y: F: j/ X- P+ R+ @5 @: k$ T; a
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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.) G5 W; |9 w/ F3 p, j0 N
, H& B7 x0 |, V! e$ k Y! ?' ?; ?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.
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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.
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! M8 T9 u, E) K3 T6 l' `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.% Y* m, J# R% V, O7 k8 I* o
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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.
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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.
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.5 U$ `$ k$ P! v1 f4 W4 Y
4 l4 E7 D- h7 w7 T7 y) MDavid 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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"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. W) L; p5 B3 g- Q: Q# w; t0 Q. _8 }6 n$ V
3 P3 z5 ~# ], Y* ]- @" ^3 t"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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/ p) O# D4 ~: D: Q+ R5 l6 u- YThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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$ J9 O G, l+ S6 P3 n: C4 ^+ 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. |
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