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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.$ u2 E; {: d9 G; [
9 G4 k- j! A K. c8 D, H0 J2 ?7 jhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html, C5 j, x3 _ N) E R+ l
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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.) D9 j% q4 Z- x2 \5 |
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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.: S4 a. w0 ~" m( L, x* ]5 A( w
% |0 J& g' ~( _+ Z5 ^, f0 NIn 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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* g. |9 J) L' z# v3 ~& E0 \0 oAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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" P8 z) e$ E. _ X8 C4 \5 R5 ]3 v"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.& r% M, Q6 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.6 F/ Y* T- W% v; j
4 _! ~4 K; G. _% E! Y" ^9 eThe 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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% P" i3 R9 d3 A5 Z) H5 y! V# EOf 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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Burleton knows how they feel.
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7 R& Z" i2 S9 j5 j& ]- c"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.
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( v" D6 [" V8 @% ?+ ` @/ @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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6 `5 G) T4 J+ J- l7 K! p, m4 }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.3 n' a `. m; u& o" q& }' P: [* t
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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.
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) [. C# f* D* s8 ?2 {, i k5 O2 hIn 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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8 k. V9 n: S X' W/ s7 oMeanwhile, 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.# n2 p5 o% h1 |: S! o: k
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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.* t# N$ y: A& h/ b# Z
: {7 X$ y3 @2 Y- w+ @$ b"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."7 j8 X5 u {! C; t5 F
0 ~7 T8 J0 W+ SThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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0 U; ?( M, f+ wBut 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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