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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.7 F' i' s; q- o% M! K* g6 c5 t
& y. e2 m; D5 S2 F$ }/ Q$ uhttp://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.1 q7 R2 s3 u6 V8 \
6 y' {, l$ A7 x- p8 y- iPeople 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.9 j- Q2 M$ b2 `
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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.5 v: U5 h: s, b2 {3 O, F
- ]6 x5 {7 _3 F qWhy might it be a good time to sell?+ c7 Z: u7 M- ^) j' T+ P; e6 o
4 [( W7 I' g5 j% d9 B3 \At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.! a" S+ F& T0 w7 ?
% G6 [( q* @2 C5 t/ Y( e' v3 F"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.. C. @( G- b4 [) F3 ?* T2 L
K& Y; F0 a+ N, j6 ^& Q"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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) |" o6 x4 W4 o$ |5 @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.! v. j* y, t3 u* j
6 _- g2 {4 y$ ? _$ |" A# |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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Burleton knows how they feel.$ W& V, T9 k* o- N2 @/ Q* Z8 J% m
( y' f) R8 I/ L9 y' x7 v! H5 ^2 Z F"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.7 i" v4 ^8 \/ Q8 ^' }6 {1 O& |$ @( B
! j9 U( ^" y0 H: [- N) |While 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.
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* W6 ?7 Z. N4 m6 X9 _2 tAnd 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.# s$ J9 C' [+ x
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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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+ C- A; _% z$ w! V% CMeanwhile, 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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3 P# m. f9 Y) A9 AThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying./ g% z9 c) t0 @0 g% A. A8 U
9 g7 v! H8 y: J$ W" Y$ k. F/ }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.1 ~7 U& b0 X* ?# I. h6 `
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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.( {7 F0 B7 R. |
e/ N7 j( R& U Y3 w8 _5 d"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.". I; ?1 F1 N& k+ S q8 a% U/ {
9 i, G7 e+ I! o+ kThe 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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