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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.% }- l: [1 g- K, Q! k& i
9 ?: |3 b" ~$ ^) t* ? Y. G; Uhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html3 |0 C+ ^ F6 a
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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.. {4 o& @2 X/ Q. s5 H( @
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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.
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Why might it be a good time to sell?8 j/ r3 ]. S1 U( E/ p- T! c/ _
( Z7 a" r) k! }' A7 N+ @At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.2 O* W V# u$ a
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop." k8 i1 I1 R- g$ z X+ d W3 T
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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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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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1 D8 x- n% F1 QBurleton knows how they feel., M3 J/ \3 [6 V* ^
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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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! B) S7 h% {$ P6 A7 NWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.3 V Z0 R( X3 N# s N- F0 }- b, N
& k1 B' p/ t$ Z0 v5 n# Y9 B. E+ vWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.2 r6 T, f2 X( x$ @5 y& \
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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.( U) n& {) `$ ~+ r
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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.% h4 m8 H/ R- ?9 l& V6 P
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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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6 K9 q5 d2 ~1 @" D. z3 q$ z7 MDavid 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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: r/ A B4 {) d) K, f4 i"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."2 s% V# b3 F4 S, y2 Y% g- ]
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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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