 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
; L) T0 x2 V6 z# j2 K* P: T
7 I1 X8 [: e& _7 M( {# V& d7 [http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html! L) ~- r1 p7 B& Q* F: ]- K6 `. C5 M) P
- s: W( ]/ W0 M0 o* mOTTAWA - 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.
/ L& p3 H# `, d$ L
6 E: }# X3 i4 \& XPeople 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.# k$ K+ z6 M" x5 }% q! G
' u2 ?3 |. d8 |8 e1 A0 l
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.
& {* ?% P E$ y7 }- B1 u% }, z) F! U/ w$ Z2 S- ~
Why might it be a good time to sell?
! H- P& ]+ T$ C( c0 S9 I" E
3 ^0 }- q, I$ b4 q! C3 e4 MAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.$ D* r0 S7 L1 ]
9 |$ Z6 \* q; k" k" c1 t: 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.; U2 y/ |5 `7 e3 ^# Q# I. E) A6 p
1 j0 s4 m' C' i' B"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.' M7 G$ `- }- S3 @0 g0 `) `6 @
! }. K2 Z6 E3 {5 K& C$ f6 |$ 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.
3 C& l! x4 q x* A4 X' O: j: O: ?8 L j7 {5 S" b
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.
- G1 |( c1 l" s7 r, v
1 U- \( @7 W5 T+ T. v# lBurleton knows how they feel.
h8 f/ v9 Z/ D4 R- K% x9 r7 O6 L$ i0 _ ^
"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.
; [ V& [2 R6 P( x; g4 T, `3 S) K1 O9 Z( {# |8 z D, F2 P k
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.
! O8 w3 X) p7 x/ w: c' }3 ~
* m6 n2 P: o; j! A bWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.
" ^7 b" e2 X, k2 |! z' c9 ~$ D# Q/ A1 U4 ?4 E
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. h) P2 [, h$ I+ c
8 P0 ?% ~$ u9 [$ e/ 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.% q1 w0 d4 c- Q& G
/ o! ^" u3 B3 `6 A
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., B0 p! a$ t+ }- K: D
3 N. e3 s0 O' F' R: K# c- ^1 H' k
That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
- W8 Y6 T# }: J3 f& N# R
. b# u7 I3 Y* aDavid 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., Q; N+ M# P! {- N$ z$ ?; R% V
# w& k/ k4 u. @8 P- j"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 T9 I0 A* K5 A. y! i$ S! J4 P1 `1 k4 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."6 x$ j# }1 x. Z/ U/ s
6 `8 ~+ h% U9 b$ B6 A% R
The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
: h. F3 B7 k9 a( ?4 z8 ]. c- l5 p0 e: t+ a
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. |
|