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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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: v! W. {- R* khttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html7 }, | I6 z" ?* F7 e
4 r9 s( G! G8 m' Z0 EOTTAWA - 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." R' i/ f# ^6 L
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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./ z" R! |2 u2 ]+ D
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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?
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T" r+ g5 r6 GAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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2 ~7 \1 i! H% D! g: l0 S! ^"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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8 n$ }$ ?% f6 T A"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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2 Q/ r& i* a0 t) Z# W/ `- XThe 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.3 `) l7 Q/ {- P" ?! {7 U
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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.
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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; k& `9 T! f" g- c9 _! W5 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 D4 P f" b( _* n6 _
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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.8 W; }' ^6 f9 \6 D$ _5 }
1 x( o7 p- d, V/ |' jWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.# k. \( m+ b0 N; K+ b
0 l1 |. [/ h8 R7 C$ B8 eAnd 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.
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. ~: O) R* j$ A7 d' j& g8 O/ 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.
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* Y" [7 K; k% J" n9 X O+ |That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.5 p8 {: s% x+ W( c! U
8 g% u. P, l3 T" I1 j* F- ^; jDavid 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 I8 H% |4 T& a6 \"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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"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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( w# T" r/ @! i0 Y- H! n' zThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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/ t/ v! V$ z& Y4 pBut 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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