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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.: P5 t% z" G4 H3 S& U! K
' w) `2 Q4 ?7 Xhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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& N5 t/ Y0 L! T9 f* ?9 d: f+ w7 dOTTAWA - 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./ W: T1 E9 {5 I1 ?/ j6 \
" A/ N) d+ h2 hPeople 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.$ f7 D; b* M+ A
% O, |, B' F7 Z' }$ [* T2 |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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! ?! T1 N4 S! v* y3 tWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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+ B8 Z5 J0 Z3 h9 V( _( I"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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' u3 H% u( k3 L6 M8 m+ P6 K2 `The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower." M% z' t5 ?$ e1 K0 x- m, `* z
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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.
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: @9 C2 _+ H( DBurleton knows how they feel.
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' d" E1 _( x$ M' Y8 i& ?% b. 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.# Z2 } }0 V) D0 t3 k5 z$ v
2 a! d( E1 K3 ]! Q! 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.
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% p% h7 P) m; `7 r2 WWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.& {. q6 E# I& q# E! c
& t2 m; U }- m$ i9 g. o3 SAnd 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.
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3 g w) m; ?! a1 \3 q. Q7 d' ]) l7 M* g0 pIn 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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* ^( {& w: E& E+ f: p. pMeanwhile, 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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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.
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3 g' p& ~- p4 l9 p. U$ P; O" N"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.
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7 y% j. F- A; J, a* c' z3 _4 W"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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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.9 l, p5 ]6 H' u6 j$ C
: c7 W- d5 c. V8 w: KBut 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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