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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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5 M9 V: ], w' Q5 G6 ?/ w# Uhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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4 o* p. f# `1 h5 oOTTAWA - 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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2 q' t- u; R/ y# u7 \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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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.
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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u/ S1 Z, {2 V' L6 B" C8 W2 cAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.! s" ?% d. l5 m0 H; F! c
; b/ U) _0 t3 f4 `6 v"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.' t6 Y5 L6 y- K# Q' K0 G- J
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.
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; X8 ?8 U% s5 o7 [, P5 W/ v8 {While there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way., Q* x, w' l3 V x
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With ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.
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- k6 x6 G+ ^$ `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.' Y, M A' o# p- ~
. Y |" C- W; Z p- yIn 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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; i* } x9 L# \2 B0 {9 NThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.3 \3 I1 x# X6 @
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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.; a, R$ j+ P" Y: r+ P2 J1 S6 ~4 W8 j
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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.
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6 }, x4 v! V) y* N# ?"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."0 n8 P+ [7 d' f/ ^: Z: {
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.! H3 P6 e2 z, `. _! Z* x. m0 h
& V' Q1 Y! h/ G* {5 W/ w7 TBut 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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