 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
' g2 P& B6 ~8 B1 L
3 J4 J' X. h& H3 Q2 }( mhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html2 j; z4 {/ d0 r
7 ~+ K; x! n* 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.
1 l8 U' r- i4 |3 V8 X6 [3 c& G0 y
% f: O9 q* R8 Q* V! \3 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.. Y# O$ d6 X$ N. m9 [1 f
7 ~) u6 O& W+ z1 UIn 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.
; @% G. R. U% v, b4 Y2 v5 \* A6 x6 F- M* b* ^' n, u* f
Why might it be a good time to sell?8 B8 }$ `4 g6 N2 W
& k- G- }$ m3 w! N$ _0 j3 jAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
3 G+ G, u+ d1 d6 v! C. f3 `: L7 `6 u s4 A: x% L
"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
! L l2 a! C! @$ r4 L! K% t2 `* I& |: p( \
"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
5 w1 F2 N e5 h2 @
9 a8 ]6 q- R* N7 x9 }% c( h" C) dThe 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.. |) h, R$ `+ z+ R2 |0 Y
! N* U+ Z- `' U( h7 ]4 V/ ^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.6 p+ X1 g0 @) U& ?
/ \; s8 f8 U0 h( a+ U* N3 O
Burleton knows how they feel., t* u5 [2 \) H4 l
9 Q h5 V- t( p. ]; b"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.
" M/ e. D9 K2 F! T4 ^8 J+ P2 V7 w/ p, ^2 H4 t+ w
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.% @$ E) ]! H3 I% v- F
( V' g) S' r; H* zWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.8 h3 B3 O0 w9 c8 m$ U$ i; g& O1 ?
/ V; U) U4 d1 Z4 U* {) @$ u% y WAnd 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.
! F2 q$ y7 Y0 i0 b+ j3 R {6 U5 B' c1 z
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.: g8 N0 ?0 j U/ H
! K4 s" T( [) d0 D% i M! j2 ^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.8 e0 {, l: L/ y8 q B
- w! ?" Z* \1 d, @) _! QThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
2 Z* @" a0 q( w/ |7 X! J, i' M
% i9 C/ t! A/ T6 u0 XDavid 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.
1 e2 w# c5 K$ i2 v% E; b7 B& v% }, U4 F/ S, G
"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.5 j( G: O3 ?' g6 V
; l( e) g+ e4 {# B$ @" ]9 \1 n l$ c5 ]"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."
( p" N8 |% g: L2 q, ~5 W2 X/ ~2 d i9 G4 h8 c Y
The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
' M2 y% V/ V+ ~7 L( x1 i. Z
) B! t0 `6 @8 s d E- T4 c5 o; PBut 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. |
|