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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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5 _; S* d* Z4 s, d4 ?+ ?: JOTTAWA - 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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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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( v8 z: I9 @5 C" C; B* K5 K; mIn 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./ S2 P, E7 ]3 I* I6 A
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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6 h+ m6 t q7 b# e, EAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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3 F6 A6 o, f8 R% h* W"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.1 Z* K8 v- f; \8 G8 h, B
' d3 A$ F/ ?" tThe 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.% U* @ H6 z8 h; U, ?- A
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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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' p9 v2 W E" @/ U/ u* z0 hBurleton knows how they feel.
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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.
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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.
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- b$ M" m' I+ N9 a" VWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.6 ]7 B1 S( ], M7 O# ?: [ D
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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.8 M* R6 j" ?; \: A* d( x6 J/ p5 T0 C6 O
9 F+ i3 n) j0 A6 e! ]9 XIn 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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2 f1 n/ g& r' G' k6 `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." q- ~& R6 w# S {% R
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.4 R6 d u/ Y: r0 }8 m- p
2 v* l9 F- u" g/ l' B0 sDavid 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.
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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.": K( Y$ J- P& Q" Q! z c
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.5 M& X. _0 E" ~7 P
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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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