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8 D. r( ~$ Q: R) J9 b+ x" khttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html, L# g6 N6 F! j4 c" g% N3 [3 _" T3 ~
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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.1 y: a6 i$ ]1 D3 @" T+ D; b% w
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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.
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8 o8 y! o( S0 N- G+ T5 P1 f( j+ DIn 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.8 p. G, v- `) G% ^3 Z& ^; P2 g
K3 }; b: N$ ^1 \9 t( S. YWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.; {" U4 `( j V7 P2 {. p
, d0 _' h5 C/ C6 D* _2 U2 V4 R"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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/ E8 s1 v! P$ O8 g7 N" k"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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8 J3 U2 b8 q6 D+ N4 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.
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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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Burleton knows how they feel." Z: s: ]8 B7 p4 ]& v% {
/ q6 y2 M2 E! k2 I( `"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.
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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./ Q5 n* \1 _/ d) j# X! e
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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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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.' z2 j( `& O8 e- Z1 j
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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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: C' C+ k; `# O( w+ P: a2 p6 Z5 ^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.1 P9 y2 S. D1 m. i' E* Z8 g; q
: f# ?/ T) S! |9 R2 y JDavid 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."
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.4 X) ]1 L( u( T; @3 O9 G7 j% `
) m0 T5 R1 W. t; ~' t* K+ mBut 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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