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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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9 c6 E& Y# u) H3 yhttp://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.. V% m6 n- D+ u% i
% s# D) [" k; }4 ~! G1 j, o: m$ H2 GPeople 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.2 k5 i# ^1 M( {- n4 M
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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.: Z( q" G8 v N& g
3 C: b* ]5 v6 z( A4 s, ~Why might it be a good time to sell?% L3 r4 k9 b- V/ b6 r, Z
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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n7 b/ S* E, W B$ q; h2 d"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.$ G* Y+ O# l: f7 l1 I
- l1 R! j. `4 @3 k8 o4 }"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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/ ^+ V* X9 [3 D# ^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.! n% q7 L9 V0 b1 y6 Q& K
5 `$ o9 t9 z' l8 @; v$ KOf 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 p" ?+ L4 N, l0 Z0 N& E9 D# C
e; q' t+ {! IBurleton knows how they feel.
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; T- h n* @2 E+ u6 W"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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% c; q) S6 q' S8 a# tWhile 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.1 u% y0 g: c6 r. ]! P5 \- V
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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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1 {% H! E6 X# X( ?# ^8 X8 QIn 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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}* {& ]2 c6 L$ }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.! r" H% {8 a+ O- K6 b7 N' _
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.- _( V+ D3 _6 Z3 H8 Q) e
5 D y' C( [: I1 W! [; YDavid 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.& p/ i3 M- [1 Q/ x
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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.- Q6 h. b" ^& M
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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.". j. P& B: w! R3 t* Q5 P, O
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.( S5 {# U9 Z6 S9 V% |. `* W. N2 q; D
" Y/ B& ?+ o! G4 @% d! `# c" \! BBut 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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