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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖. W: O) O# U" ?$ ?& s, P8 N7 ]% ?2 F
; V! k# W( T/ m+ w2 \/ Zhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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8 ?1 h9 G; `& q/ M6 d: fOTTAWA - 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.
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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." n; ~. L- n4 Y5 U
! B- D& X8 a) D. M0 J+ ZIn 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.( u8 W% w' O& j0 U2 i
1 \) s/ j* v: `" OWhy might it be a good time to sell?7 X. o7 S4 L# U2 `; h* g/ I6 `
/ W. X& I5 x U* F, K$ |8 h; s- xAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets. M4 J4 f5 D6 P
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.9 G( P) l3 A( X0 ~$ V
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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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1 @. `( ?" T' q' Q' J; Y( fBurleton 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.6 h# Y1 ?7 u0 S1 J9 X0 i) f
9 _- O9 D/ o8 uWhile 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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9 N/ f7 p* e2 B! E: HWith 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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) s: W/ ?7 I- { G9 FAnd 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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6 [1 C2 g8 V) S1 u6 T1 g ]$ vIn 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.$ ~8 y: r' d# D$ Q, t9 `& p
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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., t; O1 u# u2 \
! Y( e4 [# O ~That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.% V( q/ P4 j ]$ k
0 C5 L+ u3 k0 ^9 I; J6 M8 b8 _' G' QDavid 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.
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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.) D! l B( \+ {( E# c x1 B
) P# C! \+ }$ }* T) x, u9 O. o2 D% w"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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# o9 K+ p) W, D+ ?The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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& n& z2 N) Y Z) U- w1 IBut 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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