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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.# X; ~3 H- o/ U2 F
# O; j$ U/ x" P( g8 _$ O Vhttp://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.
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' }) q3 G/ Z; D5 ?- a: lPeople 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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) A9 n' K% J2 `2 D6 [5 OWhy might it be a good time to sell?1 Z* c( }; r" l% B/ _
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.9 [: D! s+ ~ l, r7 m
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.7 f$ ~3 R6 A( W$ c; \7 W2 D
" G# D1 f3 V3 B U# a# c8 fOf 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.4 d; e+ L+ x5 [/ P6 M1 C
5 J2 r* [" s8 }7 A! r' X"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.; [ Y- {4 c u3 m
/ [4 g h: c ^% ?; G' `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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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.8 \9 C' G ?* M7 d
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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.. r" t, F# m& r5 E/ C
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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.( t# d; v6 d) I
- \4 q6 {3 i9 l% r) s, Y6 GMeanwhile, 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. k8 ]- O, b' E) o+ X2 @
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.& P% y, W- Q1 l4 ^
7 z5 `* {+ t$ w) FDavid 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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& e& L. N' Z* O# y"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."$ [: ?% c6 \% J8 O$ b% N
+ W$ P& S; F) x9 w. Z7 e. GThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.( F5 `7 q( ]0 k: ?4 y, l
. |6 G9 ]! N' @4 C+ F: ]9 BBut 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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