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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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+ g/ a( w* O+ G$ j' Y4 U( Thttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html, q/ I3 Y' V% @6 Y8 y- W2 q
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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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V* Y, s% Y4 O G. p. 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.
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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.
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, |9 w2 w' q( D! R" h7 O. u, _1 CWhy might it be a good time to sell?+ M" a. `% p& f
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.& Y! B8 u+ A5 x$ i- w
# m; ?: @, E1 w8 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.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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" ~& E& C% ]" U7 r( M' ?) h- @$ vThe 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.! @3 z1 C ^* {+ b; u9 ?, Y3 p
0 s# R1 J7 i$ E& U: {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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"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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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., V" b; X0 E, {6 ~( `( S
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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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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.# d& w! T0 I! Q* K3 V, W" y! m
6 Z, `1 B: b' z0 MIn 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. h) ~- N" _$ X) d* v
' k% {( L! B6 W- \0 H7 nThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.8 {; g1 ]# Y, Q4 J8 D8 D
W( t8 ~" x" oDavid 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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8 |& e) E2 a$ P2 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.
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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."9 Z+ F- n: ^2 g2 O2 V
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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9 a% Q) W; W) Q* N6 |# b( A3 w EBut 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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