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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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x( m9 S/ X7 j9 l" b: shttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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4 q! b$ _! A8 \9 U8 Y) _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./ w0 P4 i; u( r& x8 P A
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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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5 H7 F% `( c) Q# b. YIn 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.; ]$ A, x0 U) W- ^
7 ?' V' W2 o7 x" b- b- r4 QWhy might it be a good time to sell?+ f3 w8 D* E" o% Z1 i
+ X/ e5 B( i0 XAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.: F( m* G: q/ f" G( i
5 W" g3 H; W+ c) d. |"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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% R; @ o% A7 w0 J"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop./ w, Q4 l; R- B* }4 F8 J
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.3 R8 I6 Z8 H2 O3 S7 {
- B* r( I7 t- M5 B( O3 ]5 JOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.9 p6 I! B" X3 V2 \% j& s2 ? C) o
2 v/ ?3 A6 Q6 x- V7 XBurleton knows how they feel. X) x+ @7 U/ e
7 l) ], z6 P9 f0 W& @"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.' N* _5 p- e- M$ \# ~& w( d/ r
6 v3 A/ @/ U8 J. t) L; vWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.# b( I: y) w! I( U6 N4 {
; z' D* p5 i# W3 eWith 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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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.) L% D! b1 b G3 H U/ f7 [
9 [9 O) q3 G5 b' dIn 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.+ n" b6 ~! U9 z; y/ y1 x% ~
( f L5 s. y2 O3 P T% y3 G3 tMeanwhile, 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./ b! q, J% C+ [& f; W+ `+ ^' P
W) z2 Q+ `6 G5 qThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.( P: K2 C& y S1 O
: H+ p8 }1 t% B4 Q; d7 S* UDavid 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./ d+ ?" C+ U- C8 Z1 a) i
, x: ~6 L% h2 o" Q0 D- L"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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- p& H( h( k* y0 f' O: W A( G"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." r* z& D a) n' c
; P) R8 L! N ~% Y/ Y3 `The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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% v" B5 s$ {: f0 rBut 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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