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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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; o4 C7 f' B, `4 C, W! yOTTAWA - 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.
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! ?. T" n0 R' y& ^9 S" C- \8 Z" [* @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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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.
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' i9 a. t) \% C: J! h4 @6 R& [Why might it be a good time to sell?
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1 W0 l& b% c; q1 q5 j8 y iAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets. [( h6 B; Y0 V
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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5 m9 v0 K! m: K" _: _/ b"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.9 X; J+ c. ]) ]/ _; ^: y: i! ?2 ?
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.9 X5 V H" P; J
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians." t7 B3 K- V+ k4 N
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Burleton knows how they feel.8 K: L/ ]* N4 _9 J* V
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"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.; {/ N" D+ H1 Y
* J7 t' G# i# F& z0 t i' p7 [: l! VWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.
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9 t& r; c; o+ D( G# C' }4 }With ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.# w$ ]2 f3 |. I
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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.! @- Z. g. w" I
% G+ p) P4 m* E C0 e: C, NIn 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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" G2 |# @' J; \5 J s9 u! dMeanwhile, 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.
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& B, i- L# {" m1 ^) W3 K3 Z8 T* VDavid 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.7 L5 @$ A7 f% a6 D) `- H/ l1 V
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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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1 \' S* ?7 D* v2 Q+ G# zThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.8 y% V7 g" c( d8 W2 v$ n4 w) d
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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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