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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.0 f: u( ]& K( m" }8 o) h* x
^% @& H( x9 j0 V. ohttp://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.2 q8 M f; y# x9 Y. I( T
$ e7 H2 u h! @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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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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b/ E+ [2 v5 L) kWhy 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.0 K0 ~# c, z& H: u+ F5 @% E5 h. s
$ A6 s$ n0 z# O3 [: _1 `6 G"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.9 b. ^ ]; b1 t P2 p
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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0 k0 \8 L/ _' f5 _! G+ yThe 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.+ a* [. b2 w3 w, y2 g8 c) V
6 s0 w7 t1 k1 b- S4 Y6 aOf 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.8 k# w& X0 v0 F6 t, c9 @
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Burleton knows how they feel.6 V' A& u& A# `4 |
$ Y+ j: s7 a6 r3 M' X* {"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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6 }9 ?* q S$ I; l: C" _" k/ bWhile 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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; p0 x0 e# t; H, K- g! x/ FWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years./ s8 M' _& b5 U
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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.9 d1 r! K8 T% w1 L" b9 [
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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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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.* M2 O$ Z! _4 e! O/ _1 z. x
. L, ~* C( c: ^7 k; g2 D# kThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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David 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.0 P2 f, ^5 L/ v$ k k
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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.: W k- @2 O/ }' f, |) J
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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."* \! [/ ? W' h: w7 J
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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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