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# O6 h% N+ b5 x- O$ M$ ]# r7 Mhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html2 [3 _+ R" Y7 G6 Y6 A; {
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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.8 ]" e; C+ O& u" G0 @* z
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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.
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& A) c2 b# O- G6 ]4 q4 @" rIn 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.. ^( o1 R' [9 w8 W- U4 ~ G
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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5 j, z: j/ `/ I9 ]( X( I2 R3 EAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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' W: |, I+ s7 f"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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, L0 s' s) W; SOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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5 P% o) `$ i OBurleton knows how they feel.
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& Y3 f; _- `' [/ l: S"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.
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$ U; l2 b# i! d+ Q" C. w1 E! t0 @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.
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- v! z& ~. P! CWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.
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. c$ A6 E- }# c2 E* Z3 Z sAnd 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.; F% U8 S! j3 `5 @# c9 B
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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.
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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.8 V8 k% w, Z- U$ ], @# H# f) p+ C
4 a0 i" v3 B3 b+ y& T( P* _! iThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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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.
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: i# t0 _/ D. 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.
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"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."
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E; T% h" ^1 u) fThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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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. |
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