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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖., {' y6 r5 J2 c9 g- v
4 w9 F: i o$ B( {/ h O! phttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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2 i* w% b- m- ~( E7 X8 N: V& ]: XOTTAWA - 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.7 d3 p9 U/ g6 ?) R8 L% J
) `2 x/ G) f' qPeople 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.8 I3 s2 Q o/ M6 c7 s: d! v* r
0 L- {' Q& S5 j+ j; LIn 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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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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7 w6 \" p. c6 v! a, A& gAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.7 r5 Y7 O6 k6 C6 j/ n1 f
2 P! N# j. Q. d( z& _"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.. e& L9 E d1 E+ S3 m3 C$ E5 `1 F
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.+ @) d) } G* M' H5 S$ X6 q! {
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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.( `7 n# k/ z6 a; c5 x
J0 l( k( C$ _, e3 O1 \% c IOf 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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* U6 I! c" M" N f3 A5 vBurleton knows how they feel.
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3 x& \) l6 W0 P/ c- d"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.6 U6 l* O& v& X+ B
4 I2 f8 z3 D3 W5 J- wWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.2 W0 k2 ?4 d1 p) p% y' j! x% \
0 ?) r ]! d/ m' ?- s' NWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years. s1 x' z- {" T m! M- ~& g" L2 E
( k: q" g* y7 v5 ^6 {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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0 E$ s) }4 |! c9 T+ @+ D1 D8 XIn 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.: r3 p5 T) T% u7 W ~
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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.0 L. h8 A4 E6 X1 V3 W+ B/ Z
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.8 t; f- m& Y& L1 u( J
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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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) v% r# R2 G5 Y% G"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."; X. R7 g: o" d+ j: n) s
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.5 v3 Z$ J) Y# z
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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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