 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.1 k4 x6 g0 j0 M6 C0 \* q
. h4 ^" p" g- V, r7 U! M# e2 uhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html3 G9 i: t' Q; j S! ~2 w
# H7 x2 B5 a1 @8 w5 j# K- E; h s: HOTTAWA - 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., D; d2 G9 \8 m* I g& D" K
* \! I! w$ O5 UPeople 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.
, p |' n5 c9 z6 \3 P
5 u& W* O7 F. l" j' |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.7 _6 a% d$ V- p; E5 `4 h' H1 q1 A
# `* C1 J& g2 O: bWhy might it be a good time to sell?
: ^) j! m6 q" C) L6 ?% p) i
$ A7 G' j; M# RAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.* x5 G1 x5 |' a( ~% l. p. L+ A
; N: F. o/ q- H7 T0 p"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
6 q( ]* v4 U8 j, h5 @- |: o# q0 v
5 B7 e/ p0 |- o7 r+ K1 b. \# E"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
3 c0 |( v; S6 @+ }/ d
; I2 q% h- K$ g0 V1 s" t8 h& }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.
5 S; g7 b- F: b9 `: e z0 ^* W0 p! Z r5 T' \8 B8 J
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.# [& ^, I6 W2 ?0 `9 @% V; |( R7 O
+ W/ R* m2 O R9 o
Burleton knows how they feel.. w6 K6 g F+ {* a2 E
. v# g+ O& e9 b/ M/ t0 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.
* ?/ N" e: S1 B# ^. j+ X4 T' F# T0 a% Y. z3 j* P$ E% n* k- \, \( m
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.1 L' ~; {! r% u# E
8 a9 M8 ]* v. u9 n. F1 N' SWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.
2 l" N8 L# l6 D& J0 L: f& d6 V. {3 R1 ?) A v/ D% \
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.
1 j+ S/ e( x3 ~" d X/ h
$ }: [. _' Q$ h( bIn 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.6 l6 H' ]- Y$ O% o3 I
5 F( P$ C3 l9 ^
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.
, m7 @3 A" G4 E) ?2 y. k+ \' e* l* s+ w& k- d& d# o1 Y
That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.6 |1 t' u+ R) G+ | Z( d6 b0 O
; x( K+ o! P6 c X- v4 uDavid 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.
) G' K. L2 l3 j5 S l" ]
3 `) e8 f( U% ^7 k2 I"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.
# \8 S/ o$ C2 K9 u( g, S- R1 v
3 C# r7 i. H0 R- {4 u X9 N8 t3 e8 q"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."
- c" Z. K5 ^0 \9 r4 w j
( N( l( w8 Z) U8 Z$ u) A7 EThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.8 g7 l5 o4 r' v* }5 G% H/ c
# j( p# i6 ~* D7 K% y$ k
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. |
|