 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.$ L i6 ^+ q3 \( d( C0 Y
* S/ P8 ~% D( R g& t9 ]' Ihttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
9 |2 ], Y" d' d9 r. N0 v# [& V; z
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.
+ e {+ y; ]4 p8 `- F8 B7 Z p
+ T+ E8 y: I; N& F6 qPeople 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.
. ]3 n) M, N* N( V
9 f) X d0 ]5 ~% j" zIn 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. U" ^) Z# p9 Q5 q
. G ~4 L- C, o
Why might it be a good time to sell?+ q( Y5 ^ M8 [% w5 j9 \$ r
0 C3 f2 c# E5 ?, K$ w- y H6 h
At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.: \! s% j$ T# d
) a" I# s& `. ?0 f" R4 e"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.
4 y: U0 a+ m' F6 T
1 s& w$ ~" |9 Y3 `$ @"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
8 m4 U5 R5 K* v- j) i J! E* I* E5 d; C
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.
X% {+ z# H) a. h/ U0 w. G
L9 k7 a) T) {! x3 P/ rOf 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.
i) N4 I+ X9 F9 j+ U3 g7 B. E) {4 M
Burleton knows how they feel.
J* Z" ]8 V9 x( } e8 i8 b' e1 D# ]' |5 ~
"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.
/ i* w, W' f, n! n M% B4 k0 b, K; T( `
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.6 R; j* ]# V" } c5 n
' z- h1 X2 F+ w; S) D$ g [. A) A5 m# c
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.5 R5 r- T Z( t1 f1 ?
* Q% {2 l7 P* W) Z! E: r: 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.
- }9 o1 Z4 j, i0 d3 d6 L
0 Q: s& g2 H! U5 aIn 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./ T6 d: I8 k& k& R' ]3 \
3 W* Z0 v- b2 Y. L6 c2 e0 nMeanwhile, 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.
# [1 R2 X; X _
. g, N |2 V) Y3 }That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.! B" d/ r9 g# I. o/ Q5 c
" w" D0 m% L$ l% GDavid 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.
' G* I! f1 D3 w5 R. M
- J1 q# D4 U4 ]; 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.
) x+ G0 K3 w" U5 H& l- h C/ T5 d, z* t+ C1 V
"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."
3 }- [) O9 T" g$ m- x9 D
& T, s2 K4 s6 Y- S' X' yThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
: b+ I L j p, G0 W2 W3 t# F/ C1 t/ L ^* p# R
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. |
|