 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
/ r# l/ t* P5 o5 X: h7 F$ L# o0 _
2 W* a# y3 O+ _/ bhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
" i4 V$ u3 |: z
9 p; J9 Y: u7 S0 F5 \2 L( `8 }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.
" q8 [0 ?' P' h2 a* L/ e" U) _+ X! ]) D+ e: J3 }
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.5 W+ S; O" s/ Y( `6 `# C, m
, m( G) i" ?4 ~& ~' f$ C% w- fIn 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.
! \/ w' p8 X, T& p: F/ M' U6 p' T' L
Why might it be a good time to sell?
2 X3 `' A. E1 Z' {3 _
9 D9 `$ p, Z$ g( y( b$ A9 dAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.2 V0 N0 z1 I* ?6 J6 P/ I) R# x
7 }( C5 E# x- d! |7 e4 X
"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.# a9 u% e5 m% R" |
5 l; p }; y! T$ O"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.% ?( X5 t! T% h. W6 Z) s
( Q1 ?* n( D5 d4 [9 A+ E5 y/ SThe 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.
+ ` l) o8 B& [& e- L4 ~+ V) C8 X6 R- z" f5 W& S; _
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.5 o$ }7 `- E: w% {6 s0 F6 ~
# M4 j/ n$ C+ ^# z8 DBurleton knows how they feel.( {' w" P' \! E# a5 X" e$ z
4 u& ~% x% E+ x3 j8 y"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.
( z( _ x: v: ]" q1 J
: `3 g- v) u$ ^& V9 Z3 NWhile 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 }# p* `! H' D* y0 X [! e) |; r3 U3 q
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 v6 @. H: F5 Z$ j+ K( q( A' u+ D. a
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.0 v' d( `, f3 y: Y
0 j0 O: ~3 h( U( w0 [1 u
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.
2 s9 A7 O3 W+ d( n* K
8 @ m" M B/ ^! u1 Q$ b' J+ fMeanwhile, 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.& m$ G! C% ]+ \( e% }- l
1 n9 ^. A5 q' R3 ]. A) z- C; t7 g
That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
; J' ]: K7 m$ D7 G% }. f4 |7 U! a0 m+ y. M
David Madani of Capital Economics, who anticipates a 25 per cent price crash over the next few years, cautions that like selling stock shares, timing is always tricky.
$ u0 c! n: J( b0 ? I; x
0 s; U+ P* b, J4 Q4 \"We're dealing with irrational exuberance. We've been treating housing like some magical financial asset that is going to solve all our problems because prices are always going up," he said.
7 C* J9 \) n3 U- j3 X6 K' l7 ^# I4 H
5 R* X1 h+ _5 K( i, d0 B: g4 `"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."6 L# Y& e, ~/ s1 M0 C3 Y6 Y: J
7 {* Z. k! u- s2 y% Z! G
The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.! i$ Y2 q9 j/ j. @% {
6 M; c; x* X' j# h
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. |
|