 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.* x t4 t& f. g1 o
' e5 g# s2 E5 ~* \
http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
+ F" K8 ^4 \$ s0 S2 T* j( `: V; g( l8 f6 k" l: Y1 W
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.
+ l5 }# T; B7 f7 N$ N. L- {
" f4 X) X) u( |& }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.% u" {% }! y4 Y' H4 z% L
9 Z5 }" g) V+ H" y2 T4 f- `4 @7 T yIn 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.
& E" B: j) u' s6 |. g [/ G5 \" f- w0 b0 r8 W9 [) ]3 ?. c
Why might it be a good time to sell?
% ~( X+ _( y8 ^+ I3 p8 C
* j. w. w- F2 t. f/ o8 zAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
6 a: o; K/ s0 j% o; H, T& X4 F9 H, c: T' t& Z7 J. |. O; h1 N, O
"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
! P+ y4 u- H. E i) g2 M( z& T) I
% f7 b5 F0 K h6 C5 H( i"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.6 v0 g) c1 m) B- P
5 o) N7 R4 c3 a6 v+ q b3 c7 |' u
The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.$ T. Y, u, c+ u( h# h. p- f& i; {
5 S( ^- `% k: {8 ]9 V& xOf 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.
" M! _& Y. N' r9 ]+ z! W' C; v& C% l( ^+ G
Burleton knows how they feel.( O0 l/ U( M, l4 T) M) |
; i9 I# D, J+ H1 }, ?( 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.* N% X8 T! ]- L5 h/ [
0 }; H6 j' c6 X& [* h+ V) qWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.
. j0 a9 l2 h W; u
/ d. y% C+ v$ v* ^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.) g5 o8 F' _$ a
) S( \' d1 E- L9 Z) Q4 YAnd 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.+ b* W) h7 p# }3 @/ A+ [4 _! p
) V8 G( ~* n0 `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.
# z; W6 w/ K( ?" X) B) h5 | ^* {( \+ _
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.
! N) t' X7 g. p1 x- V* i; l7 g+ p% E% X
That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying./ t6 U; W8 X) E7 O, i5 W0 F* m2 t
1 q f# N9 u1 {# t5 X; P( _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.
A) a" `" }9 {# \2 l! O
9 f9 }, W$ G5 h5 V"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.3 `& t( _3 S' c+ o2 A* y) }
- f d: w3 Q# {5 \; a8 C* N
"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."
& E- A4 R% x' ^: D. I' H0 ^
( q* \$ \3 `4 TThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act." }$ e- V* K) O; L6 [/ t- E$ B* y
% [) }1 y1 D- O8 v5 h
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. |
|