 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
5 a7 f4 X9 z' m( h$ [+ g3 L. X! w# {! T
http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html9 l# x1 }. p- t
! [; u" e# ~4 |1 p- U3 UOTTAWA - 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.
3 v; d0 K- O6 M8 G4 ?5 a. D; T8 G! d6 b: l5 }1 a
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.
+ R' l2 u/ K2 ?
7 ^" T) v% y) I9 }8 @/ ?$ eIn 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.7 w7 P6 \% I5 _4 o' b1 u
. Q5 M' R* a' A; _+ C1 Y
Why might it be a good time to sell?
. S! p6 c" ?" H3 K0 b9 @- x4 o
1 |1 u, Z/ M& X" G0 EAt 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.
9 V% y/ L1 j. H% A2 v; S# q% H' c' W. K* E0 |. @( A; R; l+ J
"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.8 A9 f, N1 c7 o) ~7 U9 `0 p5 P
# Y: z) ~4 k7 w* _8 o5 L: N+ R. A# Z
"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
$ M% {7 |3 r0 k. v7 d
! v, r2 C: u: l+ ^! Z% U& q8 `' Q B8 VThe 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.
$ \- ?( V! _' C/ b1 s H6 f* g
/ H/ ]7 f6 P5 zOf 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.! k$ ?' A1 Q" X$ @
& a, ?3 ^# h P; @2 I5 d
Burleton knows how they feel.1 M5 g2 d- I# B- \7 M# X
! J/ }5 y/ H- c* \8 N
"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./ P/ l' u" v, T7 W2 F2 W
# Q E: @) y- }2 }
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." A8 L6 E3 `% w/ o, @3 a
7 i$ l- t+ q# b- j8 g. R1 K- [
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.
) S; I' A9 s1 ]- E/ w# y: H' K
0 x/ s; `; V. h4 ZAnd 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.( {5 H, A% q8 ~5 A2 r
) H2 _' Z" ?1 Q& j8 m, p7 H
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.6 G0 E7 h. k# H( s3 H. S# F, ~8 V8 w. f
4 N! p, B' ]' R) F& X1 y
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." U1 C0 x" u; a: X1 G0 ?
! O2 K* D \2 ?$ k' q
That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.4 w0 u: u: r5 ^' r
+ u( b6 i! I1 ]1 q( `
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.; `5 x+ Z! o$ u+ y, X: t, y, O9 |7 z
3 F' [ m4 f5 _* L {$ }6 t"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/ y0 L/ @2 W" j- q" c2 H/ t
( c; f1 [2 R7 d Z6 {% q"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."
; j3 @' h( d( c) U1 {0 T+ x2 z
# f" K3 K8 e/ `8 nThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
9 |/ w$ b& K H( g5 I8 h P/ `9 D7 Q6 c/ B1 b, ?( G
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. |
|