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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.! k E. h; N1 ]; R% S3 E$ y2 t
( _ J E! }" Z7 K$ u! Shttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html2 \$ v9 A$ y) ]0 ?/ J
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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.: q/ D; _, Q- {, l1 _
4 S' K* c- X+ Y9 APeople 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.+ E* d- J$ l7 {$ o) ~
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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.1 o. X- l9 ]* Z; E# d/ _
, s: [, J9 \+ ^, {Why might it be a good time to sell?
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4 j% V' d$ u% w" I' P9 I Q1 CAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.) X! {+ H) M+ N
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.5 a! m0 P: O% j) q" x/ z1 e
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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) N6 d" M$ @2 q- C g3 H5 wBurleton knows how they feel.
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Q0 ?8 l# P. k0 N"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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% l. P$ h8 M9 f# U2 ]6 b' cWhile 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." W9 I) P" K) T
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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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: L4 S$ E& C4 V8 |) ?, T4 nMeanwhile, 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.: B; T1 d8 J: I+ v# ?
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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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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., ~9 X/ E( ^: b- y8 C
: _) P% Z; G) j4 u"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. h& Q, a( \9 ~4 u, i. q4 J7 _
9 P# P* j( J7 v- v8 b7 c"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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, R& P# d8 C6 b1 v( z8 [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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