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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.. w3 `4 D/ Y2 k. j+ X$ d4 J
; n6 K" ?% J' B* Z2 u# s( thttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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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.
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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./ B# J _, I, s9 e5 m) n
& m Q/ i2 U) i8 i3 Q" _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.; v) J8 ^) b0 {8 H/ E0 c
8 [9 d( n1 o: }4 t R) S7 p9 FWhy might it be a good time to sell?+ b& n4 h' q1 Z
O3 J; g. U+ MAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.* j9 l, F1 L) `/ ]( w
2 f) A1 o1 W' `" {& `, I9 _- N+ K, s"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.: V0 y) G8 [& c: `2 c
- T% A8 P' b5 X1 k"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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/ c% A9 V! c! ?2 QOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.# M3 q2 } W$ _% ]% |
3 ~: g' ~. c$ ?) ~Burleton knows how they feel.. s: m# g5 I. n; E+ d0 l7 k. 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.' c( ~3 u" h! E7 {
- z" J% m! a t2 ]* e3 M- |4 eWhile 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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( e; {; x; ~2 N& P9 B0 ?6 lWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.: E1 l% d _6 L. W$ v% g9 F) b% @
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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./ k5 Z5 X. E) A( ^$ A
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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.2 S) A L" W, L8 h9 h
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.0 e5 q8 u( D2 r
( B9 q9 V! ]7 u; a+ s( PDavid 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.
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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.) R+ f7 y- ]: m9 K4 y7 v; g
5 n- {* `. P! I. O"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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* O, z% z% x; b, ?& E$ GThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.# S h1 g8 M& C) E9 J( P
& ]; ?1 `8 n* C% i5 iBut 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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