 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.5 v/ c5 M" K" x& w! U- V
$ ]; D5 d) K5 d- w6 |http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
1 [6 b' h5 O7 A/ x- x, \, c) F: H( F
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., `2 Y k# J/ q! m" ^8 q1 s( O
, a: B8 K- N& X: XPeople 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.8 N5 P" j4 ]) j8 z
5 K! f1 ]. v" s7 ]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.% A$ y5 r- ^& f5 r9 ^0 Z& L! H# u
+ G! a; k! H [$ IWhy might it be a good time to sell?; H$ A" D1 L! y3 ?! H- H, ]0 V
& B! u4 T( m7 a1 e" h" y* J6 e1 s4 N' rAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
3 p$ ~ G! A" G
4 m6 H* P3 n# p; D; 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.
8 G9 @$ t2 Z" f( R1 \8 o- m
2 g7 [- ]& M/ O+ u, I! \"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.* B+ o U: k2 Z# h0 L
4 `! r0 j- z7 [ P" n& r
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.
/ P1 v ^1 V# g% f# ^! C/ U- V1 V$ v5 j+ v# ^: g& \7 D
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.
; r; ?; G9 ]" O9 K+ y8 S6 S- w- q5 M7 M& S8 y8 H6 P
Burleton knows how they feel.
$ Z- R, a H' K+ f6 ^. Q/ V- T" O" R) f# \4 g# W }7 M
"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.; H. w" T, a: n1 M- Q$ M
% Q7 i, @! W* r
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.; U; [0 N' r" S5 v" ]# k" [
/ }2 n/ D7 ^0 R! ~' P
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.
% K. h! `! K% R. x" v" l
0 M; g2 g2 c, I+ ]$ t2 Q9 C( pAnd 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.
$ h3 ~; o0 }2 c* X2 q4 h4 p) ?
2 S) R5 @6 a% U& iIn 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 T4 T6 B- t+ n1 |, Q& T+ Z1 B- q
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.
5 r; C0 P) [) p0 i2 W# L! A* M |0 e! e' Y) S. w+ B
That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.9 ^: G) d. K5 d( S% I+ w& F7 E
8 Z$ M6 q. L8 ^, B
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.- U5 ?2 Y. B g8 n: i* b) S7 J' n
& k0 T: j3 P% w& ["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.
3 Z5 v" a, w0 e+ O6 _
$ T) N, Z) X' O5 s6 Z# S"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."
/ q, t0 J1 @" S5 H3 Z. d
3 V* y* d3 e0 Q" PThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.5 s5 r/ Q5 N0 f0 K6 `0 Z
# \5 h O- ?$ l# h+ @) l( M
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. |
|