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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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! C T" }' `) W9 D/ c2 Hhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html% ~- M- ^! z5 X. B" a
( e/ \; b3 Z t9 z0 FOTTAWA - 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: t9 F# e B& O+ q1 B B
' j. a2 u6 v) @8 GPeople 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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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.- v) C; y, q2 J! d5 N" j% Q3 A0 W
. z/ |9 R9 I9 i6 p! T, \# ?6 QWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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* i9 F3 e( `% ^5 a3 zAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.* t+ G/ i* z* Z, i* |, J7 C
: h6 v% e! P W% }& W# k"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.8 M+ m5 U' d9 X$ @
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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. I; }6 I- r+ Z" t; ^( qThe 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.) y2 i8 r+ u1 S h6 l5 c4 ]
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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.' ~; f, }; d0 j
- t6 j# W9 [ K( @/ ^4 q% UBurleton knows how they feel.
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6 j6 A! c' I( R* L+ Q4 F3 A"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.2 K) s {% o8 Y
8 n7 L8 M8 _0 u) LWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.5 ], w% f$ y1 F5 z8 n# x1 w4 z
! r7 m9 A, B' p* ?6 j% q+ H$ ]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.
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R4 F% w \5 v5 e- G6 [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.
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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./ s. `- P [ R4 y. D
3 p1 O0 ~4 ~8 x" M5 VMeanwhile, 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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' N6 L( U- }( J6 g3 Y: M! bDavid 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.+ i+ |1 [( X2 r; z. ~
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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.2 m1 g% U2 f ?+ a3 Y8 L! T
. |; [2 }+ c9 c6 S" h2 l"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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3 L) h6 _1 K5 W! a! o) x* K% Y8 D$ MThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.) s' U0 O/ b3 v+ Y* F
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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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