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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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2 P+ R5 d7 @: S7 e8 {: K5 Zhttp://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.
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; D. P+ p/ X$ X1 P: Q* Z, X) |8 h9 B" tPeople 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.$ K/ b6 A( l/ s' `( M7 k
- Q( c: } ~ PIn 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.! D4 N! U& p5 `( u q
" }' o3 u8 N* Y/ c- A5 e4 BWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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& ~. u1 A* E Y/ L! Z' IAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.3 W7 {; J& l- r6 |1 r0 W" t
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.; U/ A8 ~4 h# m4 J, J2 N7 s
% g" y2 ~) E3 H h+ g1 `/ ?* [The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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$ R" B) ~/ s4 {" jOf 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.8 c6 D: k3 v; ~1 k% A# s
, @5 a; Q: g8 l0 q7 g1 ^; EBurleton 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.
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/ o/ ?; }' g2 Z7 s+ C7 c& oWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way." N7 @- n+ Q/ L$ N/ ]+ B) f3 z7 T
5 K+ R0 u3 u, M8 L& g2 F0 G( I" vWith 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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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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4 B3 M6 S' Y% }& I. VIn 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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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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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.! M9 U6 S/ x; y
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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.6 g1 a5 e/ T7 `$ s! `% n5 ]
! P7 Y. l# }- q; X V9 I- z! A"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.. Y& N" H2 G, w- i
: e) a3 S, i9 a0 }" J6 c; C5 k"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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" [% \& Q1 v: _! n- E1 cThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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! u$ |/ ~; G2 C, k, JBut 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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