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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.7 T% ~7 R: H# q# ^3 S: |5 V' a
; @: l7 V; N1 Z$ ?# nhttp://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.$ n# H9 x G: n8 l
% k* N6 o6 o6 q; ]( |8 XPeople 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.- {1 k' j* ^ L3 C) \; y
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Why might it be a good time to sell?' o+ U7 N9 V, I5 q* N
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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- A: E& H. o: n2 ~# Z0 m: Y0 Z"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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4 O% d _! t+ H7 b! `3 q, a: N# w"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower." y2 r* }8 l+ t$ I
7 O2 M. V" V5 z9 v1 \5 cOf 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.3 V2 D2 `# e1 q" d
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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.( W' J0 u. @: f0 @& s3 P( z
' y3 O! B. [9 g2 AWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way." f, f, Z+ A: v* X
5 [& t- j q, v! F, X% QWith 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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" i7 D, s0 {1 x5 }' u- wAnd 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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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.1 [8 R f, F/ e g* i* ]
" H+ I8 B6 z/ F2 M* F/ @+ \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.% Y1 G2 `& n* r5 d* E2 j! e$ K
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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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9 e5 M; p5 ^6 ?3 K9 SDavid 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 M8 @; B3 `" c"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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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.2 z- G U. u6 g; P( [
A H7 N$ c0 I/ \4 yBut 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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