 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
- c6 F1 x; p; L3 v$ K
0 p: G/ L+ a/ `7 A4 Thttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html& A! O, }( |- }- h+ Y6 L
2 e9 }* J9 Z( E7 Q5 X9 Q# T
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.
; }" }5 Q! ^# Z0 V7 t2 s& v( Q$ I- L; s/ A
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.$ i S1 @! S7 d3 [" R' m1 ?
. g9 Q5 i9 f3 tIn 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.
2 e6 ?0 m7 c. c/ y6 X
& e, d8 j- v9 _Why might it be a good time to sell?
6 Q' [+ U8 J% `- E, T; Y8 r" J2 V
/ b0 r) ^1 s+ ^4 k1 p8 l2 ~4 fAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.( G! g; a3 k; H
9 h4 j- k: K! e3 p/ a
"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
' r/ _; `, E( R1 W4 @
- P. O, p& l1 ?6 N& A"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
& C' C2 B3 E* L+ e+ r# ]
; a! v8 v# Z% ?2 N/ `; R2 I. dThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
3 Z' E! k" k' I+ A4 t! Z/ A
. E& c$ C* Q1 [2 \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.) Q& W+ G- ]8 z( J& x
' K) F' y6 f" d$ {Burleton knows how they feel., v6 @8 d9 E3 b: c
2 A% n6 T9 ?0 S. D& Q. 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.
& L' p7 F1 s+ U; j' u
9 Q* F* ?! ]# ]! k; ~. GWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.
6 f0 F) W ]3 z4 A3 L4 a! m- U; ]1 e& U0 z" N7 b
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.
. `. S2 U1 S. `/ g, L7 |& m# Q7 q# x V
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.
' ?# N7 f# p5 t6 ^) E$ \) z1 f* J
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.
* y% K, P5 P7 U9 T" u! s, m& l% e* Q9 l% I: G- F
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.
5 v D1 Y+ `2 C; Y5 \7 B7 \# q3 r& v% H& R& c0 C9 w. ^, Q
That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.& {# O- d7 j. E" `" B
- [+ v- B% L( W5 T7 FDavid 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.9 s! i5 `! w" w* f( j
! z$ j5 R) A; i. B0 u/ P"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.
& o: e+ \' m9 }3 T5 r' {6 y4 r- M& d
"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."3 M( L. u* Z5 e
# `* ^; b8 a1 A: QThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
3 {) t: Y* _/ [5 X6 ?6 _$ i- u2 y/ j3 R3 n6 a% p9 N" Q
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. |
|