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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.. V9 ^ v E1 z! s1 K/ a; V4 M
' O6 {% T' q+ E: r' y# D1 O/ Khttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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# [! I" w% G. Q1 hOTTAWA - 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.: z" t, \4 @( S; m0 P, V6 \
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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.
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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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Why might it be a good time to sell?% S" o; x) v4 c9 w: F/ ?' i
# a7 W; ?3 F4 ^& gAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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; I7 L* h: {$ P' t/ }3 I! B. j6 O" X"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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4 U- N! B$ p3 R! o"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.' b3 ~5 J% J& h' b9 d' U
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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.6 m4 q* i# d4 r& r: ]
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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./ B* }( b5 n, }5 t1 ~3 G) i7 m/ d
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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.
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1 c& R6 P/ t" y& h" y: Q3 W4 |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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$ p% @! p5 [; y0 e/ G; p# FAnd 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.$ T. k2 p& C8 d! k
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In 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.4 b) o- C" ]4 K: k1 k8 d# ? M* K
/ s1 k2 k+ t# o0 z8 XThat 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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5 w7 r7 u' v* X) N3 P"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."+ A' @: A1 g4 a; ?! C' |" I8 U
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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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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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