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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.# W B4 b9 I0 q* ^
3 A" F2 ~5 d A: Thttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html4 z6 j2 ~$ D; x# P
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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.' g. a+ o# S$ s, G: m# h
4 v7 ]; n1 E0 i3 r9 ]7 e2 ePeople 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.$ H6 v+ H- q. X, b' W' A+ C S
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Why might it be a good time to sell?- E; T1 ^: _: _, s0 t
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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6 R: t# ]. I3 i3 w" j. c"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.* F' [2 ^' @' F# h2 W
( f/ \3 Z& `$ O) F- n- l) H"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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! `# `8 j9 `* O8 OThe 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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+ }: {2 @, M* ^' J. A: VOf 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.1 c+ D8 J+ J/ D# [
2 F( [ ~# E* U' S u( N4 {' UBurleton knows how they feel.' a/ v8 Y1 J6 ]# H
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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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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. g$ K x: J- M) }; i% u/ @9 c
f- w4 A7 }1 j6 u4 Y% }1 NWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.7 i# o9 @/ d) c8 T3 P- `% M/ o
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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.
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6 q" G: @8 S3 W: `1 [! s( vIn 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.5 ]2 m( e; z7 {+ \( H1 @
2 |' j( S2 e0 }7 _! ?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.% X& v/ q# ~0 h8 l
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.* G# T1 ^7 U! k
: l( D; w/ e) X1 zDavid 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.. E/ s1 N8 t; R7 T* q. ?# C
1 a! B) |+ @# O) D( o, M"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."; r7 ]6 j5 L( F0 R
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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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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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