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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.8 a8 O! e3 ~3 j9 A
% [: F# ~7 ]& I) mhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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, E( d' @5 p7 K9 A, T+ e0 u8 t! WOTTAWA - 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.9 _5 A9 t6 {4 m8 J! o- b; 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.. i& L! F0 Z) d: K+ T# _
0 e4 e. i4 v) f& f( N5 SIn 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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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.4 O4 k* H6 M# n
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.' t- ?$ Z3 A9 e4 B9 d1 O, P4 e+ F
* a' m8 P7 k8 b4 b/ ["If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.' S9 S5 N8 ?4 t& }0 N
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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.! V& N! L4 ^+ ]& J. `) u8 P
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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.2 x8 O) Z& |( Q6 ]1 x3 }8 \
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Burleton knows how they feel.' i6 J" S4 z% I
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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.
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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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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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In 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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, k, p" q7 r8 m: T4 kMeanwhile, 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.3 i( @! P! u/ A
" Z! o) Q [; FDavid 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.6 k) @* G; @1 @3 p" o7 C7 N. t
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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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"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."' D% U! f; @ @% {
0 W) w7 _$ `( t. }9 Z# eThe 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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