 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖., {1 r- T% G6 l
8 ?" Y2 j0 k2 ]0 o, } X# thttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html, G8 h& Q8 U7 D
u7 p; ^) L( t. G* ?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.
% [, s" G# {( L6 g& t
5 c9 y& H1 p% N, ?+ P% H/ K4 ePeople 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.
- |6 O* l. C; u/ q' y$ A# Y; ~. P# d0 W3 O h" e- `+ f( ~" Z1 H
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+ T0 N% W% k: V3 A0 o# E
$ r9 d$ {0 m+ H4 Y/ y+ ?Why might it be a good time to sell?
6 Q) `: p. r- L, m5 S" G/ c1 r6 v$ t) H8 V
At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
2 Q( _( |7 Y8 c8 b s: y) e. r7 }: R; G5 m! j2 z4 h' v
"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
& }" R# p+ x& X6 {2 M, f3 A
; v+ \8 t6 t9 s% j* P"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
9 z: ?/ N3 T) `' U% F6 {. c! I! L# p+ B) ?
The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
' J3 R" E; M U& e( f& N; p* `
0 R" ]7 y$ C$ h" J7 o x3 jOf 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.
/ ~& {( W# R+ z. H3 }& z$ t/ ]
/ @( S3 r) x( j0 h# ]6 rBurleton knows how they feel.' t. i' `# k* `" N0 z C
- H: }. D. e$ |8 H( E"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.
, {% z1 g5 i" l1 R' a! e. ^) ~ c
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.! j) m6 W! a* }; Z' b% k( p- g
8 {7 B! V% k2 C+ y/ T
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.
: x6 U3 {/ {4 D8 ?+ K
4 m$ F" F* v$ W: a$ q$ sAnd 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 V* y, C: [; a. i. p1 O
/ N4 j0 |" Z) d5 sIn 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.
: M; w, z/ P" N7 n0 v
/ q* g9 }* ~- \* d( 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. e O6 d7 ~$ p3 o+ r" V* H* z: z
* Z" O. i* b$ b& ?9 j4 U( `1 ^
That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
: c8 T6 c1 P v; u
& v; G, }7 u! HDavid 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.& q% t$ C* T8 k/ ]) o
9 O8 s' l* m: h \. P8 `; Z. A"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.0 W6 ]3 O$ U. S. _' @6 Z8 c- S
( s1 p& W( v/ I& u B2 M1 V
"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."% f' |4 x+ a; |, Y1 N" @" F
. L; `: J7 X7 Z( v3 pThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
x) w: H q! u Q- d7 I. ]
# H$ p/ V3 L- D1 nBut 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. |
|