 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
' l R2 W0 q/ ]9 h5 G
6 p/ y7 S) K$ N ]) ]5 `, H8 Hhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html% g* H r9 D) j. m2 |
' K1 \! M7 i2 B! p x2 R8 |
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.2 t8 @4 I" K0 {4 N5 [& K2 X( a
; q" n0 ]: I1 A4 k. B, S! dPeople 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.. L7 P% B" E/ M# L' W
7 x! q& L7 e* d- GIn 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.+ Y7 [) s/ k- a, K* s
) I& x' Q, N; h- E- [" g6 A; nWhy might it be a good time to sell? `2 a, _* e8 v3 G* C" ?! b3 S
( G- ?+ e& i5 @$ H, [
At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.! o: q, F2 d/ ?6 x" U7 u
# Q% s7 f& E" @" d( Z"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
- B) R0 Y1 x! r* O( `$ X# ?/ R" W6 e; H; ~" R$ k, D3 T
"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.! V( W# Q+ [# G0 {0 O
8 K- R0 x( {7 R$ u 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.
. Z" z2 Y$ h1 C5 l
( a6 L; I" c4 UOf 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.0 O( h; B9 Z [7 j; e+ y
; F! y) Q2 w- D9 OBurleton knows how they feel.
" t2 m1 X- t/ n( o) ?' [$ h k+ e9 l9 Y- c; 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.
& ^6 u& r- v2 \9 z ` G0 p- Y4 a# U7 t
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.( a/ e: \$ g9 p. O
! X2 U% ~3 U d/ U8 O8 F/ ]4 E
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.
1 H! J$ L6 m$ Q. p j6 g6 |: H p1 T! @: b l
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.
- |' `6 ]# D5 I g( M: d% ~# S4 Y
5 Y3 K" k/ H& O! k# qIn 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.
/ @+ F+ ?! n% Z3 v# u; m; m' u' ~8 u( ?; U( |& a! C% J) X, [) v2 W
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.; U& Q6 V6 k/ [# c# j* Q
0 E7 f# }# f4 f1 F# M- |That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.! e/ z0 \0 c( z; g/ L
* h4 h. H" e6 x
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.. P5 ~: A1 T0 ~
+ P6 [/ i1 o. j9 x
"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.* }+ A0 b4 I7 j: a: I- o
$ V" C/ k% ?8 r
"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."
. J# c2 N+ r% L2 [/ A% K! M6 r' v2 e" K4 \ [$ l3 g$ ^
The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
2 B4 S3 }. K6 M. w2 W' P2 [7 C3 T# {! e
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. |
|