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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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' T# x6 t4 E w g0 C' thttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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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.
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2 K% W) R& B. w1 L& O! rPeople 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.1 T2 l3 a! V1 i; [
9 q1 R$ t7 J) C, r+ D9 T4 jIn 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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0 L, A3 G8 [9 r0 e) iWhy might it be a good time to sell?8 G8 ^5 l+ |8 x
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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$ ?# f- j% p: J"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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4 r2 w" N! l# A! V# y. ~"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.) B3 U; ^+ n/ R; ] \. D" V
; {3 e" Z* ]8 N* |0 m( B, z% ZThe 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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) l0 h& ]1 f7 M5 }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.: d0 [1 n7 O4 r
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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/ _" I6 r D; o/ d. M) R"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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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.% X6 A7 [- r7 B3 X1 s5 Y
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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.
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7 C! c& }9 _; L' {. 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.1 Y- y4 H0 v% K' |/ P/ U% a
8 t: c$ u l$ Q) D& h- j+ S8 qIn 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.; S) t* p0 P* s; X/ r4 d3 n
( e9 L5 y& u1 G# C) t2 z! P9 VMeanwhile, 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.3 X, g9 g/ V: c$ X
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.5 ]! [* X! D# }' A n3 q% v
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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.# z) \; \+ a( f3 ]. M
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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.0 W* `8 R- r! q. e& ?
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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."
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+ Q" O6 ^) l" X/ e! C9 W9 c( z7 PThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.' ~. l' F1 C% h. P' P) }# i+ ^3 @
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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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