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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.& l* W% P6 J3 N! H
1 Q. s0 y4 O/ C+ Z$ _& vhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html0 D2 B6 u! v& V% @5 D* {3 u
( z! b, C. [3 t3 B5 u# G7 gOTTAWA - 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., A+ C/ A7 @; j. l+ M9 E$ |
- ]9 R: r) c4 \) J4 |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?; P( Z9 `: e( U$ D5 R
0 i& E! q2 _# k0 W$ G5 ?At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.+ s+ O) j7 v! D5 R' n: \1 n# r
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.* H+ ~4 x" z' ~( i; m
9 h$ @& }% Z4 X# G1 [& o"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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4 s$ o; U8 \. y; t FThe 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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# N# J) H6 j4 w' R! p& c# e; YOf 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.2 f3 X- I; D% l+ ^0 t; f
% w- U, e- S \+ ["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.7 y# O/ X5 `6 M
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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." m2 [2 f3 U& }! n6 S: k' {, I
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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.
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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.
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0 p f# `+ M! ]9 OIn 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.1 v; k+ f5 a( q, Q4 e
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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.) V5 o1 T: {1 Z* l
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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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7 E" B7 S- P- Q- l- ]* QDavid 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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$ n0 l! [$ e' d"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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9 R9 j$ U/ a/ R4 o& F# q"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."( Q5 j8 P) p1 X: O
) x& J2 d5 g$ u6 zThe 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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