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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.4 u3 R/ ?5 ]% a* k& Y- ]
, _6 x# ?$ a5 P! A0 l$ r) Mhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html. h. [' f' |- p& b1 C% r, U5 B
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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.5 K% P- t" _) d* R8 p
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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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- ^1 f% {) x1 g! K( B8 }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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/ ~5 L' d# W+ `9 |8 o. rWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.- i9 S4 E9 w# T( ?
' R8 P5 d& F% y& m- Y; q5 B# W"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.; o6 I% n7 b9 Z) l
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop." g) u; X; h- s% B% G" n2 Z% u
" |+ S: y6 ^1 z. |4 TThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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6 V. Q+ S/ w% F. \, o8 F fOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.8 C4 b7 E# L" N9 O8 N) T2 x) A
- @& R# J( J- K9 VBurleton knows how they feel." g8 v @$ X3 b
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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.4 P! N1 r# X3 _
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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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. c5 Y9 q2 n% ^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.$ D5 p9 W+ P4 [; q% [" ], _
, f: N% d0 Y) X+ p( Z8 w: 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.5 y. q! h y* B- A9 E
: @4 F/ {# V3 F0 G: z2 O5 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.
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) \( t' z- U6 YMeanwhile, 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 ^4 q5 v2 t. _: ?% l d6 ^& o
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.2 \/ |: I# Q! J+ h" {/ q8 h* \
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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./ I8 Y! S+ y1 [: G% R
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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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5 S) w' Z3 g1 K# G2 ]) Q6 `+ t9 g"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."3 P; e8 x; x( G2 u t$ A5 K
8 @2 }1 D2 H) ?3 J4 r5 X& RThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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* d3 |) D. H! wBut 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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