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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.+ u) Q5 p& Y7 l0 Q9 t
9 x, D8 o* P+ H& ~, rhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html# g' R- }" R: [0 ~: Z: c
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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.+ L8 N" C8 c' F. t0 h
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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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; _1 \3 n6 e+ Z; FIn 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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3 Q8 L5 v1 V" _9 k8 \* G% vWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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4 }! H6 y+ l0 t) R6 t/ _At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.+ w. a2 e6 N$ q5 p+ b* d
/ b, U. n, T2 R$ R, c"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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2 n, P% V9 H1 P4 G, o4 j"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.1 j+ |" M E% N3 \. x* U
+ C* d* G1 Y; U% n; wThe 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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- C6 O. C, V$ uOf 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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- T& u) H. `- Z$ H: d" l% hBurleton knows how they feel.: I5 p7 N' A# x; j* o
# r1 K+ p& r( Q9 M) s* l. h& 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.$ d& t% |; A; X' C
& _1 T; z1 [& S; t$ MWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.7 q* K7 ^9 L# G# E
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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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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.3 C% C: g& _' ~: v9 ]" S
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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.
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2 u! U6 [6 M s3 ?1 Z: G6 GThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.& i) ]: N0 @% X. n2 u# j# d
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David 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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' P j; U) _+ c# o( {"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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) g: g$ y7 D# x- G; uBut 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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