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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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5 h5 b$ n( y% X3 |$ h. Jhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html" Y/ |" m4 z* L. P" v9 m" r' f: p! [
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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. Y% ^, p# i" b3 L
0 {7 n( I0 i/ ~$ L% A ZPeople 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.# k/ l; {# V: ~
3 C, u) I! c. \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.* h; o4 \% H5 O3 Y" e7 R0 M+ W' q( U
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Why might it be a good time to sell?2 c8 G$ O" C8 @# c8 \
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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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8 F I. T m' [% `& u"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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" |1 M: O! @% iThe 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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3 @% c# G. Z7 HOf 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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+ g# m. p0 f0 K2 a1 y5 K" E1 l9 h3 t"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.# {3 f& z2 |" S9 S% g1 k
: n! |- `- ~7 e5 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.2 S, i7 k7 f! R: ^
+ q' O; J! ^1 T+ KAnd 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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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." c6 z! {$ ]$ V2 L9 ?3 V+ P
7 a* R* i# l0 ?1 {5 MMeanwhile, 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.7 Q/ `5 R2 o/ S0 K2 i
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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- V+ a G8 w eDavid 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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2 Q" V( m% s% V X t+ c"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.' w' y$ Z# _% i: A V
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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."( Z, R$ ~* m: V' Q
k+ B: P. v* c( F" U& T- yThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.. c/ A8 d" N- U$ B2 h7 a
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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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