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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.' T( A& G# S5 U3 k% f
( N. k$ F1 y2 g: h. n, 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.! |; U8 K! S0 i$ M1 x" m
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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.
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- ?( `5 J! _9 l* g0 cIn 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.3 p: B5 A4 I* ~$ i
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Why might it be a good time to sell?5 |3 A% _& R, F
( R* U1 R6 P& M" D% @- jAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.: j' V/ n5 A( x9 b
6 n( w2 Q5 e5 @/ t"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.; ^) o2 }% t* c5 w/ E
3 x, Y& L; F3 M* \/ _$ h1 B# V"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.
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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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/ p; s. f7 |! mBurleton knows how they feel.
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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." R6 a; a0 Q, O7 z) J
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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.% {, x: y/ `5 H5 v
8 N) D) o- u6 f1 k" G4 v( }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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C( q' C, }( {" n- C& 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.; [' R- j, F5 l
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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.
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% f9 Q: |# v* S7 F5 OThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.$ \& x5 Y8 Y1 E" }
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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.' Q6 n0 [. c) w- N1 c% z/ f5 t
- t$ l) N2 H, {" R"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.% \0 K" U; B7 _: Q9 I9 t* o& x
' v" P3 H" a; y* e, v: A"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 z1 L! x1 S" _, d( ?
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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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