 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.3 z; g, `' d4 d6 h& P
% z: g9 Y b. g1 x5 X; _, ?1 R4 Q
http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
8 }; J6 X" F- ?1 o8 L3 H4 A* S% \2 V4 h3 _, ]
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.- I& E: }* R1 v4 |1 _$ g/ l, @
/ N- \2 T& W( h; e8 kPeople 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.
- Y. }5 M9 I1 X1 L6 p
( C1 a, t5 N+ p+ `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.. s) P" \# A W8 l5 Q* {
) G# Q: `% S* z" c+ p/ `, o
Why might it be a good time to sell?
J k0 ]* n7 P: T2 z
* a9 I4 P& y& d/ H) F9 M$ ]3 _At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
0 _+ I- ~; J% B) \9 v
! K$ ]" H8 r" s* a2 o z1 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.
( b" U) Q2 `; y% R. ?* c9 s6 h4 S: n, Z/ ]7 ?2 \
"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
8 C" _: g# C( A H5 t0 O# m
+ |; s4 [6 @$ ZThe 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.
# B+ j/ }" y! u5 J6 U6 e) A
& h1 R6 T4 S+ E8 f. TOf 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.
# m. W& H. d q
3 |$ l1 e, L+ ]5 ]" u- U0 UBurleton knows how they feel.
" {- L" @0 e7 Y& g! A; X8 K7 \7 @1 z! z, B2 Z. C
"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.
1 _- E+ p$ w5 I" @+ l7 m( B& C
* R8 f7 T& |# Q2 |; v3 V! F/ yWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.
' \, \& n8 E! F- J0 M& I, q! e, u
* I; W h9 O, i0 Y; L% xWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.
, N. V# }1 [. r8 F( B9 }: ^& Q% R9 C5 ?8 }, d) |' K
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.4 u+ X/ r# }+ P; i& V0 g+ p Z
: s2 E6 c1 F. \$ p& m7 g. w* UIn 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$ \7 `( R1 o' `3 t7 y1 T
2 U" d g. `! P- ]0 |( T8 pMeanwhile, 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.5 O' |( a' J/ a# o. Z4 I
! T3 V! s8 m2 M4 f
That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.1 M0 q& w2 p, a
7 h, o/ C1 [$ B8 |3 lDavid 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.+ B9 p' E/ @3 Z# M+ F9 m2 h' |0 S
8 b' m9 o r6 S. I I# d% v
"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.* L- \5 r Y$ B4 N9 E! p3 Z! H
, P* s* c# y" M& i: H/ `, {1 z
"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."8 z! ]7 O$ Y! r0 h2 I
8 J n8 ]! f6 }. c- }: i
The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
4 M- v- y- [2 D& T# a
8 `% L; D) I* m- L! d0 l1 j* UBut 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. |
|