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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.4 v O5 K6 z" W9 j0 Q3 a4 j; W% S
: M0 \+ Q" l, l% ]/ V9 h) w: _4 vhttp://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.
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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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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." }$ U4 ]* z. ~/ r- }3 v0 U# ?1 v0 b
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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& ~7 _- ^. O# v0 c9 NAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.3 y9 j7 l; C" W& F: L4 p
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.2 b( o4 X. I, ?+ x% p. m& z* g
) n" f4 B2 m' O6 O6 L; xThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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$ V0 e/ L7 G: _* ~" v- a+ G0 XOf 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. w7 ^7 M! `$ b
3 ~3 v/ @% C# j4 j- e# B% B# n$ cBurleton knows how they feel.
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9 a& L. m, A5 G$ C) Q; O6 u# {"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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0 c# z4 I1 W3 [/ M' {/ H. ^2 gWith 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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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.4 H1 d8 r5 N. E- `) X B- a
, z( G1 D/ F; MIn 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.7 W5 F, n1 Y, \0 B* o- C0 S* ?% |
* h8 p* t6 n1 m- XMeanwhile, 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.. u* L" [. Q" ]
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.; M% Y$ `9 R h/ B. `/ L
O& f k& s4 ]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.9 {9 Q2 {8 G0 U0 l! I7 P. p; s
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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.; h) }2 `. w4 ^" k/ f2 M4 a w
4 `. u; F! c( @# v7 t# G8 T6 r |"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." Z% N7 Y. v: T; {: l( H8 o: J
! W% i% c/ l7 t" P, Q: sThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.* n2 j8 }* p7 }/ A& n3 ^- ?3 G
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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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