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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.+ \6 }. S, Y- ` h( p2 V. ]
3 @( b! J" @' z9 e3 g% Ohttp://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.! [. ^2 X+ q* m# J; O b
! U( @/ d1 G6 ?# S+ ePeople 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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; }# K: K6 Q% M2 U3 }$ }! ^. U" Q8 YIn 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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% g0 s- K$ ?- i1 ?2 {, l* A! YWhy might it be a good time to sell?: _ y, I' K) g5 V5 S2 e0 p( F
; @: z# n; r4 g% \% y2 i/ XAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.; ^ ?. @6 w! @, W$ T- j* v
2 M* \% M5 V7 T+ K) W' ?+ j"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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1 y& k! P* a4 J l9 \"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.4 G& Z% D+ O5 S6 X* L& P
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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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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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# @5 q4 a0 |* q" ]! zBurleton knows how they feel.0 n# I% |& ]! F# S5 h
+ R; ?3 O$ v* p+ n"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./ ?) z! M' C8 b/ R
) O6 K: W! x9 ~( G7 gWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.: T2 l2 G% J! Y7 o5 O8 i
* _5 h: c/ `' D& Z$ ?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.3 I" q: B9 f+ p
' U2 y7 w6 z# WAnd 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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6 ~7 ]: i+ p; J8 G1 G Q! zIn 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.) r5 n$ L+ b7 u; [
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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.2 o2 F7 N9 x0 U5 d8 T K
/ ~9 O2 q# h* H0 M; U* k! h: j ?! tThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.7 |7 ?+ t' H9 c V
7 J3 r O7 \& x; T$ `. a2 F7 aDavid 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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! ~( [( f e" o$ k"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.7 ?" z+ M& i8 ]1 s4 d( V) J- ~
" R/ v/ ^& [4 ~7 ~- _, C"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."; r" J+ t ?: r9 r8 d
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.# Q- J2 x! N% K! f
! R- h) I. ]" |4 ?9 I tBut 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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