 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.- V& _8 l, Y e6 X
6 K; z0 n1 x( u" q+ t. g& C+ t( ahttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
! K; Y, H' s4 ^0 O/ V
& a: |4 U; X# b7 OOTTAWA - 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.$ f+ Q" B6 l' ~2 c! D
9 K3 x; M V. tPeople 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.2 n# K$ i. w. M" }$ x. r0 c. z
2 S. J" v" v( T" i; A8 jIn 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.
( Q: n6 ^/ A6 @! }7 s
" k# d+ p8 G2 w7 g( x2 h$ }1 jWhy might it be a good time to sell?
4 X0 g" q$ c: R* ^- {; l5 f& [3 q: y$ z9 d+ B$ R) c; u
At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets./ q7 x/ l; A8 K2 `
- B4 s5 h' E# D/ C* i6 C"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.* W0 ]5 Q3 e1 |2 g; i, t) v; D9 _9 e
& \' p' x7 u/ s* s- S0 J5 L"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
- q5 A8 d5 q8 h' v3 m$ E ~9 S# ]" B: V% a3 [* U- b! K
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.
* C, e5 i! G) C: w
+ L5 d1 _# v" `( } I+ w/ oOf 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.
* l4 L2 W& ]; s* e. R7 D' ^
* s) l: h: g7 kBurleton knows how they feel.
& W7 Q. W7 S6 ~4 Y$ J0 `4 J! m* ?& M6 K' [" Y
"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.1 m" w5 ]8 @3 m! z6 t
5 u. R" r4 i+ [8 |' n2 dWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.
% X5 d% P* ~* s* f0 N2 ^$ v3 ?
% ]1 a0 j5 b4 b# jWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.
# } V/ Z! H2 {3 r! x4 c- u8 z. S' @2 F: W; _4 H0 R1 h
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.
v0 `. w9 P7 [3 d7 J6 l _" Q! y0 g5 _2 m3 i: P
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.0 L, x! U1 l4 M- j2 K
+ ^0 g6 |7 ~1 [
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.+ h1 d7 e' {* W# X3 h, B) o0 _
@3 I# O/ C2 U6 [6 t8 v L
That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.8 j, K# t6 }" Z) E: z
4 v; e- J' w" `# ODavid 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.5 y) S% S* @5 Z
4 ]0 C0 s* W* {# ?5 v/ P"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.
- R, ]! y# g( A5 g8 i& G+ ]
& T3 E4 A+ u# N1 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$ `0 S- S! `8 [& R* n6 Z$ n
' f# s0 h" z$ wThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
1 [$ k$ {, z1 ^) j6 s" ?+ l2 _ T( B& T
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. |
|