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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.: E4 _& X& f& O2 v; \8 P& @
4 G# I% ~3 {" fhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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; m: ^5 M; r( y, h2 M2 m1 x ]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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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.
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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." e ]7 K) o; r+ {5 e* X: }
' B- B8 ]& S# Y7 h- t' M% Q1 M6 HWhy 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.' T; v& I; S. b" d. X: i; l1 S
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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.! g O2 Z- k9 O- g
3 |" j- L& ?1 r; l/ X5 i6 v/ fThe 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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: h& Y. i4 J m; U1 x' K" qOf 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." n9 E: ~+ F/ Z: w
# f; k0 M8 U" S) B/ f7 ~Burleton knows how they feel.0 P) R1 r! K- I9 L) S4 h9 t
6 x0 M& F3 Z: x8 k% D+ U"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.; Z1 c6 H; ^! a) v! {- p) ^: c
/ K4 p. {4 A1 V& q9 P( o. k" l" _7 R/ cWhile 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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' |! v# Z& r6 wWith 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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. |5 n) f* t! X0 Q3 L( hAnd 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./ {2 M5 r0 j: y- p
0 V7 R; L! v, M9 X6 oIn 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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' R5 a% n/ ~3 z7 ?3 w" y& ~' _' nMeanwhile, 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.+ y! J0 M+ e% L/ 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.1 ?2 J' u. z! w! C' V
" _- y# U8 _% B8 t+ ]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% ^8 I- ]8 c+ l8 Y8 o. t
; X. j) p8 l" `0 u7 b+ E"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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. @; V. g _2 v2 z"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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$ x6 ]) _+ B: y2 q# fThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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7 ~- N* v) B! v6 QBut 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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