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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.0 @1 a% b2 N. {8 i/ T7 o/ U; l
+ u/ w$ O. E9 {4 L8 X9 \8 Uhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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; q# T. O/ O6 D" MOTTAWA - 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.! F9 T: m" f- ^
; E' D2 p# q9 p+ o- E* |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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: J8 i$ M, B# ], T* ^6 \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.$ _. A9 C: D; J& _/ b
: k4 q. x4 H1 T: yWhy might it be a good time to sell?2 ^& l/ U S3 d! h
) E9 r. J/ ^9 Z6 E, r9 bAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.- M' r$ Z" J( ]9 h! F
% t, W+ |7 A' x0 U"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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/ A" M1 n/ N# C"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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! x4 D/ c/ w* I+ s7 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.
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& I7 e. L5 ?$ D; k4 L! |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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) O- I3 m6 ^- ^Burleton knows how they feel.
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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.
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- L8 G/ K+ f( ~" O' @+ DWhile 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 ]2 D5 @- ^8 b& K3 W* i, `; 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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% h4 t( o6 C) z4 ?$ ^, TAnd 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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3 c7 b) [' X' b. U1 i+ x# Y* j& RIn 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.0 U6 c8 R% p. g3 y9 q; L
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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.
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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.9 v% P' h' l/ g" B' `# }3 G* V
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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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8 b/ b( L% Y. w& ^$ g p' V"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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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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% O+ g- z& L% [- g9 s$ |( J- C |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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