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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.! |% B" X7 a* M6 Q' R
. i8 v* p. |! ihttp://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.% N1 u, p9 m/ X) v! D: A' z
* M9 e3 e% ~: ?5 o5 K; M' HPeople 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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' ^7 r1 y; z) I' AIn 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., f8 B+ z0 x( r+ I
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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! h# q& C5 v" ^- b$ y W& n) Z+ ^At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.. }& h+ A/ d4 @1 }
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.- \$ D1 G4 d) W
4 \, N0 x5 V0 e" MThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.2 ?2 o. V, n' ^/ M6 q
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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Burleton knows how they feel.' h# U$ [' {; [- s% q" q
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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.
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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.
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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.& G# _0 F, _+ T0 z( E) p
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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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# {8 N A- o7 B) CIn 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.* s/ J6 V" F. s2 n0 [- j* R2 s
& O B- X1 U+ q/ U R. M4 ^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.! [- n" P* Z! Q6 o# X' P. y) t
: O: L% Y4 `7 Y) J# @2 M* RThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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9 }, l+ }. V8 g6 P" `) sDavid 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.0 w2 p: a5 ^3 ?1 x0 Z
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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 Q7 E# `+ `9 U/ w2 J
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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."
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.2 \' G% O3 _' B* a3 p
# _. P- x9 _% JBut 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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