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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.- y2 m% \4 A3 g0 {3 c
( F" G' ~- V$ B: }* N7 ~2 Ehttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html) z9 z4 n. i v% v8 b6 x
# v# a4 E0 a) e3 DOTTAWA - 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.( v3 _. `8 f3 i. k' H* s
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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.
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1 @0 R$ K% u4 B9 ]Why might it be a good time to sell?
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& b, f7 C0 ?: ?At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.% J. e7 l# R$ h% \# D
$ @; ?6 n" [. b' D- `"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.3 E8 i, C- G; A
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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# k- l$ L/ c* D5 x, l5 s# }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. l' U5 B( g# f- j9 d
. V+ N: ~& R" F* h+ ~: a+ i! d8 LOf 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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* m5 ?$ X% ]( HBurleton knows how they feel.
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' o& ]$ x6 Q7 _; v3 Z' r& X"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" {" g; U3 X) P6 I* L5 t
. D. Q6 U" t7 p6 vWhile 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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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.; \! `: t' E9 F2 [& z
! P8 i+ _3 P# b7 o! V0 ~- \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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7 j2 p2 F9 G Y: 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.+ u7 f8 H8 e! r6 i3 |- o
" n* ~/ A! G8 c' V ]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.: P+ H: E0 f& n$ Y3 X$ r+ u" a9 d
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.% r0 B( Q4 a1 f U, h1 [& o
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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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6 w) [) ?4 G& F/ E"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.; E! L$ O1 D2 b% E5 J4 ?
- H4 b0 s: ^0 w" |: g" R& l$ E0 Y"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. e+ y9 M% `9 h: G0 @+ K
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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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