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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.; y7 ^! }4 \+ {4 u. g! }
. F* j. O! G+ V; whttp://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.) }8 q5 W4 B; Z: o6 k* F/ d
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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.; e0 [- E; s- [1 a. d& I1 R# L1 N; @
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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.7 T7 g; t, }( @0 `4 C* x# u
/ M# }; W, R% r7 `5 i: AWhy might it be a good time to sell?/ H, [+ O6 U$ F2 V
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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' o% {+ n0 n( Z& {9 G2 K2 v! F"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.. F) t; Y6 b- ?/ ?
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.5 [8 Q! O5 D. M% ] J: p
7 s& m* o0 t% RThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.$ k" ~; U3 I4 M% _7 e- z( ]) x
( D9 H3 O: x! g( Y! |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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Burleton knows how they feel.
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. V) U+ W h1 {3 n) ~$ t% }& q"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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7 d- F8 ^/ P f# v& p2 `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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3 i% ^/ Z% s L% k& zWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.- J& B; L0 }4 I& q2 P3 i7 \( x
' B5 c' A4 v9 }' y8 b5 mAnd 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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, O* @( }4 [5 X: g( pIn 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.6 t) A( V' J4 q% Y4 i) {' ]* Q& H
2 v1 Q* o& V. ?+ jMeanwhile, 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.+ \- J7 ?( X+ n0 s: R) h
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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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) N5 B; K; z' h1 q; w- ^0 UDavid 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., m. Q/ P3 e* ]/ k" j4 H! } H- \
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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.( M! r7 J; O2 A6 m
O# r/ ?; c! ^9 \* U2 n1 N+ UBut 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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