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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.$ w% Y8 U$ ?$ k* s% t
3 g! K. Z7 J2 w9 phttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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% t0 P e+ G: j& z& wOTTAWA - 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.. B/ Z+ |) F* }( r. j( I
* l+ x% T" G) `0 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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& n0 A, K; A% ~% ^3 OIn 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?. d! w- P# k- g1 ]+ N `
' }: @6 B* {0 _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.# ~# o8 Q( x5 E! 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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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.2 H6 P" h" Y, v# \( ~
; @: B, j1 |. h; BThe 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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' Q1 R y+ \; BBurleton knows how they feel.( x" B4 V0 B5 m; [2 u
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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.: V( T8 e* ]/ D3 u4 V5 M5 ^
+ r# k( T# m/ R* U6 T( 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.
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( g$ a. H' l+ W' ^" d1 V3 UWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.9 z/ t( o( k; W7 q; ?* ]
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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.5 P# @6 [/ E4 a
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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.& O6 f9 X( `6 _* Q6 l; c+ q
* @$ [8 O7 z' f2 D$ ^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.- t( p$ ?' |/ h6 h
& p v" w$ }* {& s0 n8 UThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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( v+ E8 E% q% x1 A @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.* `) E2 Q. ^9 _ G! r4 G4 O
: o4 \1 V0 b- {3 `8 D"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., v5 q% ?* U; r4 v7 x
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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."3 r5 ^ s- w! ^1 w! s1 t
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The 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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