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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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( ~# J1 E9 Y0 D( Whttp://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.. D2 Z# o( w1 h$ Y
( d1 I* X4 ?6 i+ X9 ^8 DPeople 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.! ~# t# J( Q: K" J
/ i6 Q8 p- `! [. kWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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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.8 s7 j# y9 r, [0 r% B. n( j' t: z) o. v
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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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! c- N& @/ ?2 H" i- {. t' ]"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.2 S# x( ]% F2 W8 X. S5 h# H& t- u3 T
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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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Burleton knows how they feel.
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1 M( S. v# {' U5 Y( O, e0 `"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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7 z8 Y' ~% K3 X4 y9 j" eWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.6 P6 Y/ b4 e) m, @6 o8 G
; h" t( E2 H1 D4 K2 u" ?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." ]2 c) L6 T8 N/ x2 F0 C
. O2 Y6 C# u- K) |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.# b5 z2 V" l: a6 _+ e4 P# R
5 ~/ t; M7 U7 C' ?' A: d9 OIn 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.# `5 o4 C) p. E1 @" z
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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." Z# R4 l2 }$ Q6 _1 E; Y0 G; u0 \6 x, ]/ ]
; q& W: q; V2 \7 C$ D8 BThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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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.
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( {0 ^# F; B5 Q"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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"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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$ q5 V2 }5 j. d: rThe 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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