 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.' \1 K6 w) R+ }
: J2 B7 ?) u% Q2 L0 E3 C( c
http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
# Z& b' C# d! d% k1 _/ _8 O" t7 \% _- R2 u' l
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.* o2 i2 O0 ?0 m# {. {
) c+ N9 \. V: ~6 }' u& A8 n5 E' MPeople 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.
5 d2 l$ J" [+ Q' e9 w1 p; v/ K7 s9 k! z# H8 \) I
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.7 L5 U S# g6 @9 D; C$ G. h
" y/ f3 T0 f4 a jWhy might it be a good time to sell?+ l# u5 x, T6 N) J. m( k3 k
) m+ c8 R! ]* T9 l$ `( I# LAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.% D/ J! x8 Y4 p, W7 p+ R
0 ]- Y) C- E M8 ?" n"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank. L) t! w1 D/ n4 ~6 r$ D8 S
) N! G- I* [. n; ^1 n/ b"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
. C& F/ b. M n8 J- s7 [4 {/ X, x9 f3 s0 [8 @% A q% A9 Q$ t' Q# \
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.
0 X/ D; y$ N& u3 V
2 K) u0 ]$ q! {5 m1 C6 X+ O- m+ |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.
% N- E9 W; a* i! o/ p8 @* K5 `0 F/ m% f3 j. b
Burleton knows how they feel.
( e% a" ]* ]% n
( J6 L W2 |& J: ~* i0 t7 e/ \* ["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.
9 J4 X6 f" _/ x/ ], H4 {$ q; b; [
8 U% }; B" _4 n& fWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.
5 A& I$ s* a! B. i4 z
3 t1 u' E2 [6 U, K% j. ]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.9 c Z/ T9 `3 J p# }
# [" l2 r1 [8 R( Z: I) K! u$ ~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.
# a3 f* a- K( m
& |% |) Y- ~! Z. zIn 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.
- J: L- J7 r) Y/ {5 d. P4 B7 [8 N/ A1 T# w) h/ F- Q$ k
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.& `7 p) V; V7 m% R& \, p
1 q3 ?7 e+ M, G
That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
9 o1 Q5 ?* N' p& @" Q+ O3 v, O; l- N) S( `& {, q1 {4 y
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.) @& u0 b6 Z% ?' t& K
5 q7 P' n: @ M/ L8 G
"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.
9 U- F# V F1 k8 _; m( J7 }+ a$ e2 h! {8 D/ C
"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."
0 l% I+ _7 r* i& E# N2 m% m, Q @ T2 h- n" X
The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act., t6 n4 ~: B* ?3 N& l" R
$ s* c' m8 l+ L( [7 m+ ^
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. |
|