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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.4 P/ O2 _( Z' \, u' w9 r s1 X J
9 a5 @: K. j, e, M# m0 ihttp://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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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.. W1 L, H; }/ ^# a6 { e1 ?
* {0 S- W+ j/ p, \* h0 LWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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$ }& ~! a# I1 \$ g6 K& I) ^4 }At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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/ X3 [$ Y7 @4 ~. 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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5 e, @* n5 b( r"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.) c' ]+ Y0 T4 ^ Z |
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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.6 o2 b- p5 E8 u$ ]; D. f' j2 o
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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.- f# w. J7 g1 q' [4 }9 H4 w
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Burleton knows how they feel.4 k7 F' J! Y2 h8 Q) I# \& j
* X7 i1 U/ N) V. o"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.! U1 W$ A( h) }& W7 o
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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.) c2 |0 W8 t& r3 h6 o
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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., ]* t2 H- ~9 A. p) a& j
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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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3 x. s& Y b9 j% F: ~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. l$ ^; u% u: H5 o, m9 w2 A
' t4 J) G( y6 p) U* H$ c1 G: w( PMeanwhile, 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.! W; w+ J6 T ^# P! n
1 }. T9 k- w* L7 E) w0 H. aThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.6 Z) w b% H2 N( X1 y
6 q; V5 e0 w+ w D; M7 S8 MDavid 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.7 S- i) N0 n( ]# l# m( s, x
; X5 E# \( U6 a. @9 ]"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.4 |% O p$ R1 y1 C3 B
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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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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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% k/ [% r) P' u, J$ GBut 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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