 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.5 t6 C+ a& d' C' I
8 a$ a- ~2 \1 r- r5 d3 w& [) d
http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
5 j) i( W& b1 O) i! e8 D8 t) N$ C# ?+ M- R7 O( N, F5 e
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.9 A: C! D H& X( q P7 S
$ P3 J( J/ O K
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.& T' A! [" A, n! z: ~
# c5 }. x: B' Q: OIn 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.
/ V% ]: J& z; T/ i* d" w0 p
, D) Y' A6 O$ n$ nWhy might it be a good time to sell?: d- k$ E7 O8 t+ ?5 S7 U8 {
2 n. X1 _0 g4 _- n0 ?6 CAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
: J7 `6 k) G9 R4 M* U N7 Y5 P" s0 B) }) J6 I1 N
"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
" C! z( v8 X. F
* g+ \ Y2 o! s( \8 d7 x7 {4 {"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop." Z/ |$ F0 N+ G% ?" W
& l- i% V5 X2 ]
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.. y: t2 `2 o) \3 A1 M& |% M! h, R, z
9 T' z/ O, n9 E
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.
+ ]' ]) v& v; Y* h, v% _7 l: e* l2 [6 H5 @
Burleton knows how they feel.8 P. y/ ^ R7 s) w6 N+ Q
' j, s% |& U! }" l: ["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.2 i6 u, Y4 Y' g1 I' t
9 q8 u w* B1 R$ q' P
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.
9 p1 t5 h0 z5 X1 [( K1 e9 q; _: v% H/ [' K$ L/ W" [" J
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.
" ~& `. H h% F; J B
H8 o/ i; t$ _: v2 ^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.2 h$ D5 c2 w/ l2 D+ `/ J
- S% u) L( A$ _- u. V8 E- O
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.+ S! }9 p1 n! t& N6 N. y) D, d
! q$ V' |5 I# p
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.3 o- ^$ x3 h' J2 v2 n% Z4 |- J- h
% ?/ Y" z; Q1 _+ n; e
That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.. H$ }7 r0 q5 q: I6 n! Z. J- O
0 x5 [/ w* h9 \' v% E6 @0 g
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.
, S. L' c! o& n0 Y9 p6 z, a: n, F% m3 h3 C5 Y" x6 ?1 B
"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.7 R3 {2 D6 w' H* T( ^" C3 m5 c
# T( R: L1 v$ p3 o5 S0 H: i"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."
! K6 Q) b, g% a9 l( N, L& z6 |+ ?, D7 L: n3 E% p9 S: U; H7 W
The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.3 f2 J# \4 \- {0 T a
2 L) ]( c0 D* j, u/ D
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. |
|