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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.% g3 k7 Q* V0 l7 u! ~$ b
K6 \) t% V. N+ chttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html6 n; M& c [ w
k y" o( x$ f; K$ P% JOTTAWA - 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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0 k: e) R' C* g) ?1 U MPeople 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.1 z% h& x/ I' ]3 h; H% d" }. I. V! k
$ ^" W! I/ L' u" n8 T6 VIn 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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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.* M, D) P3 P( c; ?
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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! q; R$ L( ]) }2 }"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.. s3 \+ m2 i5 s8 B/ C
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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.7 n% o' j' i5 @ {5 }
( U; r2 ~/ R# X% vOf 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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- [* O# ?, C3 p% iBurleton knows how they feel.
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# ?# {+ Y+ l$ p$ |5 U- T: Q. d"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.) u$ m3 r; x+ ~: ]
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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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) m& ~* t3 U) i, u& L: 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.4 m6 x* d6 [! x5 ^& _
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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.' M- W8 |& T a! N; T2 U
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In 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.; B1 k4 u( y" d2 B* ?- \
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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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That 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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"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.- b0 F/ [5 E# o% C: L/ A% n* a
" G5 T; C; Y+ k1 _1 {3 J4 x"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."$ a( U; P5 E' |5 n U
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.4 D& P; T! |5 F' p$ j* b, Z/ U
, K& T: N1 I7 j- K1 @- _4 {' G8 CBut 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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