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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html3 O2 Z8 J- i5 y/ z7 N: |5 I
. h& z/ n' H. T( a7 b KOTTAWA - 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.
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( B, Z. q9 Q/ ^+ Z8 A/ FPeople 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+ U+ N( S- G, R7 g. `3 p) @0 j
4 Y- Z# _) t6 \/ l- e( ]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.
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. U; b0 y) V" z5 MWhy might it be a good time to sell?& t w: |+ k1 ~; [( A2 M& e, c* o
" c, ?5 [8 f0 E; w4 @( w, P' PAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.& @1 c$ I5 m/ y' X9 z( Z' h/ D
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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.7 U4 A: `7 u) h+ l- j, o; D
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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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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.
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1 j: b. r2 I( P+ R3 c) V* IBurleton knows how they feel." a% w$ Q2 e$ r% {2 z( a
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"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.% v# T) [3 v8 {2 X6 H" ^
% f' [! ]3 U$ h8 x/ ^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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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.$ b) [4 {) _# L) i
2 C, q+ O$ w. z* m8 UAnd 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.- S$ t* ^, u0 ?+ d: |9 O' B
% S* [& Z0 I, w) Z, KIn 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.# i/ v, b& Q( F: \% k' \% V
( O* }8 |/ Z _1 E3 a: Q7 A# h5 dMeanwhile, 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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8 x" Y q8 v3 n3 s+ q% NThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.( i* w! D* o- W' z A% Q% {
" o& f% T( L7 k: tDavid 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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" @6 ^1 o2 r0 b& j/ }) q, n( p: F A"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.", @4 B, R* d0 ~( K3 ?& G [
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.) o/ o3 q5 c6 q4 N/ i# i# K. }5 J8 Z
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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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