 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
. C# f% H4 T! x# C/ I8 s: T e+ ^1 f+ ~: Z, S
http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
3 [0 h7 m8 v" q0 @
; C U+ U3 H* V* [6 z( ZOTTAWA - 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.4 B- h, R7 B' U1 _
1 v* }0 r- G! k0 | W* |0 HPeople 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.
- z6 H5 J7 `5 }# J3 Z
! O1 C* N* ~1 H" `+ oIn 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.. U' S" h! c7 A
% U7 a+ p1 G G) f! i2 d5 n |, j
Why might it be a good time to sell?
, N+ X8 R" O# }$ v" M: C6 T4 {
" I; m! g6 N9 R0 b6 I& X1 IAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
% l* ^& a8 V9 g, e2 c7 G1 R) S
( w) b6 \5 d3 i( Y"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.) O4 {3 v/ G) E) i3 f0 b
" T* n6 }+ l& c( K, x+ v' U+ R, `
"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
1 B; ?' O! c6 X& z0 a
9 X- z% m7 e! C5 R5 w. c* gThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.+ @/ v9 Y' g2 Z* Y) ?
9 G! m3 u) [/ R$ bOf 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.
3 T+ R4 B6 E9 A: P+ E$ B' T
% i3 a; D- [4 E7 g9 g; @, B5 p9 IBurleton knows how they feel.) p+ i3 B" K- f4 u1 D5 G$ m" v
7 u1 S7 l- l+ M2 f
"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./ x& ^0 ] W, r# R' }
8 p. O8 y i" S; h' b0 X
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.
% |- c4 `! m5 X( e$ l$ X9 a' I9 Y3 ~6 R+ i5 I1 ], s
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.
& O6 s+ Q+ }" x' A" [
! \( n, E$ V$ B6 A! aAnd 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.
7 ]" k$ N) I( j4 ~
) O0 {8 a' p6 E/ {' }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.; n. E! ?2 P- o, F" @& X$ c
* v! Q! Z/ {" I8 ?! d" U |1 ]: j% N1 nMeanwhile, 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.+ e+ ?1 p5 U8 I) k; R: k, [. T
( N+ e' {) h& \6 X1 ~5 ?
That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
+ S% M% |9 D7 j9 X4 J" K
* [+ D) ~! V W% d$ L! T8 E$ MDavid 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.
1 L$ a* M6 C+ l. F# C0 _) Z; Y2 w
! _9 |( { M) r( `) E"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.
' I% p: r0 O- I/ u5 Q
6 ]# z) h. t/ Q/ A"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."/ K5 a& f8 n& Y
( R; a7 N1 u: r# Z5 KThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
; T& `$ U) c j# Y
; }' Z% I& j2 f, @9 D" {; h- ?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. |
|