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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.1 n, ~# Z% C. p7 I" Y' r. O
/ ~, x7 |# e- Ghttp://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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; V, B/ t$ a6 ?5 o1 sPeople 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.% {8 O8 d" q( L; }7 V
7 l$ S3 [, A: CIn 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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" _0 y3 k, d7 [0 `5 p* SWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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3 S# U8 y0 a; _! s% gAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.* v8 K f; I8 O. S
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.8 O, h1 } J5 [- ]% o
7 i3 Y8 o0 C7 {; c. n& c( J8 R"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.! q8 {& I i' ?' v8 ?& i
9 E( U3 u# t0 X# g( R1 q* r0 E K8 [* _The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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' x# i' {: O% I* ^+ G9 j! L2 BOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said./ ]9 e# z h, z9 Y3 |+ U3 I$ V
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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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5 r/ R7 ?2 ^5 @1 N" V, _& tWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.0 \, O4 Y6 O7 H, U0 Y B2 R/ N% @
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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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+ m) z3 p4 F* uIn 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.3 Q5 Y4 D6 Z- v" t6 H4 Q
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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, n) Z) N H* u
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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! @/ A, I5 ]9 e8 X* u* WDavid 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" p0 v% i: h3 S
1 L6 S# o, P7 z1 b3 }2 ?8 h"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.$ C2 { H2 K. H! F* I7 c- }% n
; t) t& A" j4 Q9 ^"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."# [$ q* A2 M) H. B: t
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.# H/ x% N. E% G
! j$ o; ]9 _ SBut 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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