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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖./ F* |: T3 W% z7 w6 Y9 V% O
' ^. M+ [, ?3 P; w' I/ shttp://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.+ d9 v) k- k# `0 v, g$ R ~( `& e+ e* @( A
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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.. m% G O o1 B8 W s% @# T3 r. c
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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 W6 g$ Z- H2 e. A" @+ |
' L- p7 x5 t8 u4 e9 h9 Y' U- z1 lWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.$ _' X- X9 `# e7 {8 K
3 Q8 y5 u1 x6 I( J9 l"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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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.1 f4 q6 y8 i6 u4 o
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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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. V6 q# R" H/ u- `) k* B$ vWhile 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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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. ?/ w' [/ f+ j$ c3 ~/ }
+ r7 m1 A) ^5 c2 ZAnd 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.4 ?7 Z+ e) l) {0 Q/ i2 f
6 ~. h# F: j4 sIn 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.; T! j5 ?& l- W4 w$ T) X- ?; L% h
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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.' N* B u. p6 R1 i# Q4 x8 P3 _
! v# m) G; b- f# ~5 q: vThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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' K* Y* g6 D. b, k, w' bDavid 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 O! V2 ]3 c0 N$ h# `& G
8 }$ J8 h J. R. W"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.4 k! Y- ]9 U9 N6 }: X D
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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.6 I. c' b' S8 ^0 E5 G5 b+ w
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But 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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