 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.7 m0 s; e* K8 ~- m
+ d3 z0 }/ e6 Qhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html2 o+ Y3 M& I- P. `$ l2 M
2 u* x5 T8 o, N" _+ j9 X
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." u9 U g6 |' j( P+ I
! n/ c' \" P( k5 D; ~/ n: B# S
People 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.
7 O& ]+ _; [; y7 k! n- }, E7 L% ?2 F1 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.$ S! N8 J# K, Z$ q" C( C7 l4 H
+ B6 ]+ O/ o4 n& \
Why might it be a good time to sell?: L9 e0 c6 n1 `5 O
9 J' ^1 A* P) T6 vAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.4 x+ K- i: W6 [
0 @5 Z# C" k O1 F4 ? z1 m3 W9 Y"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.5 K. @% m7 E. I U+ V3 o/ G! y
. p# _) d- ?9 f. l
"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
; A, Y6 |7 U9 B+ u: l V
- k% g. X7 _5 B( BThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.2 f! M) i W Q4 t. E8 D
0 d9 C/ w$ n# y5 gOf 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.
9 t( u& ~. e. K9 ?5 L& _8 F' c& z
Burleton knows how they feel.
# o2 ]6 s7 _) o6 [/ P; o9 W1 d. d2 e9 n8 v0 A! n
"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& a: L( z. ^4 a ^" ?6 w6 Z
7 j9 h+ v" A1 _$ _1 Q7 c1 G
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.+ k! n6 m1 j+ Q) w' M
+ x6 Q5 [# x0 O) g- O" _6 o) x6 L
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.
7 k. w4 U4 u# H8 p2 J
3 R6 H. n7 k4 e t$ {0 M2 pAnd 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.8 o9 |( U: @6 D' G
/ i- F( R6 v0 [6 ]) h( }# |7 ~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.; E5 h2 S8 x% l+ n7 ~. H9 a/ B( M
' k4 ^; t/ B R5 n% g4 @9 |( ^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.: Z( a; s9 f& }7 d
! g. j! ?5 ~) `. `% J: z3 aThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
7 I4 K$ E# {- m" |/ \; x8 Q/ D* ]
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.
]+ H) ]2 U9 \8 f, W+ \6 `' w5 ^) s. e. \, f. k
"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.
# v& L( t9 i# p( s3 m
3 f, r5 h, j* e, Y"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."
# p% v) e A4 m$ x$ r) ~) R2 g! z2 L$ H1 R7 v; W W: Y
The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.# a8 f+ `% d+ w/ Y
" V- H8 q: v. MBut 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. |
|