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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.5 f4 i3 m! b0 Y2 o$ S6 s6 X
/ ^; e9 t% l2 A+ X7 whttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html: T9 ^# n% B8 s+ m
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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.1 z6 T C1 u' h$ y! |0 d& [& m
- I) o4 P A* ]$ x1 d1 }0 UPeople 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.' e3 S3 ], B9 N" Z) E
8 k- W0 ?* o' `+ fIn 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.5 E" `; @$ u; l$ j7 {1 p
8 m; N8 y' @5 s- S& u" k# Z* Y' S+ sWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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8 X3 f: I' D- a6 b7 O"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.+ V. f$ U! u8 M5 R/ Q& b9 v& L3 L. I
. ^* @6 ?/ X( B( I7 zThe 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.( F" |$ C* ^: t
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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.4 a- E# N( e7 k) h' U
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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.& A9 B& d* r2 a
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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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v: a# l4 X- Y, \0 P. ?7 T% ~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.
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. t! A+ L& c, e2 o( SAnd 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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' x' r: ~; u% o* A0 l% W* |3 qIn 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.
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+ m* ^2 H% ]2 v: x+ _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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' t+ {9 B$ Y! h' O# y ZThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.& X) _. I$ r: g& W% ]+ c8 r
( p2 h& X z. X" s; W) M) ?3 dDavid 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.* O8 C) _* j" q& A
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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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! W& i, J8 ?4 ^/ l1 X% hThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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9 ^, S, V+ T' f+ e N+ P" ]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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