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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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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.: [' P6 s4 a% d& t4 ^+ ?0 o
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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?
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; }8 C6 N# h9 w6 J+ ?. BAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.: s8 n9 R$ \7 l2 C& j
' ]5 T- z. J9 b |8 f7 O"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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' }( U8 l2 H% T" `5 r"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 p! E& y% v. U5 d4 Q% F- 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.
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* K/ D; @) P& T# A8 ]* ?4 FOf 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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" X+ b0 f) W1 p, VBurleton knows how they feel.% R) F$ h& O) h6 r9 L+ s" }8 M
! M3 J0 F3 y' Z1 D# r8 D* t, ]"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.% `6 o' G+ i9 `* J
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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.
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0 _! w. e8 P' |! r* D( DWith 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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! b, [9 W4 H \5 ~3 f4 wAnd 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./ p; n" i2 w f6 V* T( H
% t* Z, W b: v& a+ B# G- 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.( l4 U8 k# a% B$ [) k5 S' S' T; m
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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.$ z6 u8 A5 J( d$ V1 L
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.# I. f" F4 h& 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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"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."$ c/ m8 V7 ]4 g/ t
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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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