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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.% U, a; P" T) @5 v
2 z2 } q8 T0 E B: Uhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html- r0 g+ t, |9 S! z$ d' a1 Q
& P2 @9 D( K& I* D( m, C2 {4 pOTTAWA - 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.7 c) C1 @! i- h8 U; o7 _
# X/ F1 n( m* f2 K1 Q, }) J. t* h- J! GPeople 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 M, d# d L3 E0 G
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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.: L# X# f9 I* z- z6 T1 Y* Q4 ~! U
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.0 Y& C, V" K& v9 s! ]2 ~% v2 |; W& A# e
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop./ A7 E" ~0 W1 M) f {
: U. L+ c- g+ b! bThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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" B2 G% I% G0 D& {7 [Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians." E) |) m" s1 O/ ~9 H0 I3 z% N
- d! d$ E2 `" L+ f' q* I' e, e" GBurleton knows how they feel.. v2 c, c o) P# r! T7 z
* J/ p; c; @: x3 n* G f- \9 b"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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7 O% \9 [. J" f+ UWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.! X ?7 z* J5 d6 Q6 ~2 d2 H: e, X! P
; w. ^( ]: E0 h/ a0 uWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.# x6 s/ Z/ j1 u) K: |7 m( O6 \
6 |: E3 }, y+ V$ Y$ _6 ^' ~& z) 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.
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$ A# O, t& k+ v' T7 o/ n3 fIn 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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7 e: y. V3 v. ~' }3 P, N: BMeanwhile, 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.
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That 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." X+ r4 z6 A6 q5 H, B" K& S2 Z8 |4 f
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"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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+ N/ x, n+ G& C7 j"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.") i/ L( k8 T, Q6 T. j1 Q5 A
1 ^, J( p1 n m( _7 AThe 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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