 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
( s& ~) a) H0 M5 r% F5 e
2 o5 A9 R/ N5 H/ u+ U* Vhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html; {( [) y2 r, W$ C8 I e& L9 h
Q0 k$ ~# x) k2 i/ |
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./ u7 Q. z( Y, w k) y& e0 j/ B
; w2 r: c+ {- h" v) D( w+ }' P b
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.4 \! @: }8 x8 j+ p
- n' {2 m! B/ P+ Z7 C0 \# Z2 HIn 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.) O. l8 a9 T# v* r: _5 v6 I3 v
9 e7 r1 X @$ O& p) U0 @- mWhy might it be a good time to sell?
2 O/ D$ I5 x: s8 n* Y7 x
7 ]7 x% w- |0 Y4 W( V) ^1 wAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
R6 D5 P# T' Z4 n2 u3 N# {& \
+ L$ g* S- X3 E" `- P! {7 b+ L"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.* U" Y% B# q9 _: p
( G- ?' {! }- |$ l4 U
"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.6 V8 ]6 [9 ]. p) I# j% a
- U3 Y" Z! a1 f6 l/ ^- MThe 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.* d- O$ Z" ~9 E* |/ ~
% I0 Z" K/ E2 p: kOf 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.
0 M" x* O4 |, M' J, g1 g; R* S% o9 G7 e
Burleton knows how they feel.
7 i3 K# j# ^: b$ v
2 K3 ~! {& X3 n$ s2 x0 w$ t1 P"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./ ]' G9 {( b7 H
, w4 [; |+ Y( \* e
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., Q% C) _$ h2 T* G* m* k; E
) [3 p1 }% k9 t) W
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.
7 o \' Q4 K- d+ x; o
4 U( p# g# @. f7 U4 BAnd 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.
' t' P$ R, P/ d- f6 q: B" T( u$ l5 q, _! F. ?) z
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.
1 d: ]0 ?' O# B- t+ b% B
; w' n$ l2 a* j \" k/ g/ \0 s* {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.& Y/ Z) v2 n, `9 ]* o7 y2 s
/ ^* L; n& p& d* rThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying., z& c9 H) W0 q/ H, {% F
7 T$ S0 X' O( }' o! X" h! j0 ?
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.# e! {& I4 }3 A; K6 w# b
* {+ L% F! \0 l% 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.
$ H3 ~2 {2 S+ G# r! ?4 J
) z+ |. w) T& V; q8 D( n"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.", p7 |# p* n3 v% f' X) X- C
0 f s C4 B* K. E' ~
The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
9 X* c- i9 D" `- q G+ r7 _' k; w) J
, l4 B$ K1 \' WBut 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. |
|