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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖./ |" K, N+ ~$ g3 k5 C* I
P j( s# [3 T$ d6 U+ p# Hhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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* k- { l& T' i$ qOTTAWA - 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.+ K; l9 I- F6 O. d/ `& T
1 Q9 T' L* T( f3 a8 vPeople 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.0 Z' X$ U6 `! b& L/ T1 K0 q
& Z3 e; z+ ]1 tIn 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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O/ o5 b9 `: D$ b" BWhy might it be a good time to sell?* j! G& j- U( H" C
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank." M, V0 Q. N2 t: q5 y' ~
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.5 q. s7 ~* P4 D& o5 J/ V
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.4 S6 h0 r# |' C9 r2 ?% \, g
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Burleton knows how they feel.) y- `% E( y6 H6 r( c8 O% T$ o
$ z4 I! G0 _. d! f$ z2 [% ` \, r6 f"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.
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7 y G; \+ K) ]$ s/ R0 q$ Z: FWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.6 |% r/ D8 n8 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.
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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.
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& {/ E3 I( p$ x' k* e, | ?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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$ I6 p1 S$ P$ r0 _That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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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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/ o/ y! J% x( H/ C: ~"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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" g$ D; `2 {. d/ u6 ?! x# t7 n"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."* w3 d+ z; E. }; b
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.0 |0 U' L# m7 U% r3 t2 |
5 f+ J k$ V5 M3 K( qBut 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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