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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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( f1 Y5 ^1 t" H3 Chttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html3 W/ H3 R; n( Z8 S# K' j' F+ 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.
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% V6 a4 l* r/ N7 {; l+ Z5 M, BPeople 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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+ h; z* n, X# F% JIn 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.3 n$ Z! M: Z/ j. T& J% m
. I) C! S+ l e1 u5 r$ Z! SWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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3 r( E q' D# x* c/ rAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.4 v, T. y2 o; Q
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.* m6 R4 c2 K& d) F0 g: Z
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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$ Q* P" C! ?& q1 j0 nOf 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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- F0 L0 h5 y6 a) ]/ U$ p"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.! b5 W8 [# c9 ~0 y. p' p
2 D. l5 U, T$ P1 s. y* 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.: P$ i; F9 c) B2 ]' v0 E1 X
+ \- V& _( P4 U3 DWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.( G; D+ a" U& _! Y7 ?: ]* ?! s- D
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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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7 i7 `' B) z" }" ]! CIn 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.2 B! o4 P1 s# y4 W! u
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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." \: I4 e9 c# s
, p4 ~) f- G d1 Z' Q1 y5 u% E8 ZThat 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.
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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.
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' C6 s& q1 o7 ["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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; ?* {2 {5 v6 yThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.2 M/ z4 j! u7 T/ E: {% Z; j" l
- u+ f- V0 ? HBut 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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