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3 Y- h7 b; ]7 `3 |1 _http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html3 ^: T4 E/ N7 @, h4 }0 L+ O& U. ]1 m
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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., m' _! ?8 a: U1 M
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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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0 M* A# s1 [$ M, Y1 k* E( C# w' aIn 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?/ [( ?, I' @- B' ?( w
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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0 N m2 k0 S" N( j. s+ ["Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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+ y$ ?* ?8 o1 G"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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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.0 ^6 g3 {9 s( j6 X
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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.
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"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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+ P1 u6 {+ V! C1 L3 C5 i' z- m& `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.* z$ A7 j* C. Y0 g7 ?) ]
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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., j M D' ^! P# `, E
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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.8 ]* M) u# t. Y0 I9 B0 W! q
* ]& E+ C, U$ c( a' o5 h4 S- A& a& mIn 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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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.! Z) W" }7 E$ i2 ~# ~$ ?$ p
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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.! x5 h0 y) m" f8 @0 x
' O" Z+ K+ f. b% {7 \8 [% n$ k8 f"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.": p8 @4 i" |* T, ]- S
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.# s6 q- R* k- [0 F2 P
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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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