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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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2 N9 }) i+ B# q! 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.: p9 \1 G/ g a$ P' ]8 ^ d1 X9 i
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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.. O( d0 F* R9 w0 V: N
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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.0 S& v. d v* D7 `: V
$ ~9 U4 g+ Q: q, X. aWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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* v5 `3 o9 l6 R% N" NAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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+ L9 e; m* i" a"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.0 q7 I7 a9 D5 t# s) O
+ @" R9 m' G1 n) ~"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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5 S! ]! Y6 b3 |' g5 {Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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0 k, ?" q" }! b; xBurleton knows how they feel.# H$ ~1 T7 [/ |1 ?1 S% s1 L
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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.3 K* [; J+ x o3 F
4 s) v. ^ D( e( q; ~9 nWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.5 F9 t3 K4 |5 M2 b( k# r ?- ~
5 Z7 M* Y/ \) B* VWith 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 C3 {$ @; R, f) V1 g+ A* W8 @
% Q3 a! x8 w5 j8 gAnd 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.! _1 n* K! C3 Z% L+ o( Y2 W! A
- j$ Y, i1 S1 f, a+ z1 Y- z% nIn 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." {' L! U8 R1 v* \5 u3 J
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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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6 J9 V# B% \1 k7 Q9 j- E! TDavid 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.! n6 x0 e( f$ N# @+ O& z
; t+ P. ~9 v. E"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.+ C' c* |8 Z; T" X
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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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" |! k) J2 m* k- _5 |$ R! QThe 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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