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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.& N" m* }* e/ e m
5 t6 M5 m' a+ M+ |3 Shttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html+ W* |5 P6 [0 d* V4 X8 d$ y3 [" t; {
0 d6 w4 j& J# [) \4 t3 ~' s% [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. h/ L: `) j2 {5 P$ ]
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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.6 N/ J, q8 ^' p: X1 g; U$ D r( w
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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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( a) A9 r/ X( c* P4 `7 F" D/ tWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank." b5 P& Z/ o. x/ [- h. Y
: Q2 k) g) R8 e( c( P+ R2 {"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower. A. O* H4 W. f
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.* W, K' ]# W4 o4 F1 U: K
( K4 l6 w+ n2 K- }5 dBurleton knows how they feel.
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* E# R/ k! Q$ y! ~4 M( a2 v* @"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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], X: m) \: w/ g! B aWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.
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4 B; |' I3 Y7 B; B. y' l' TWith 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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4 z8 u5 Y' H1 `/ N; ^4 A; PIn 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.. U. x/ G0 |( v2 B8 u, A
5 X; s) E7 [: L5 Q& Q7 j% oMeanwhile, 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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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.8 v6 u2 x4 |( M
# s- P/ k0 H# ]* xDavid 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.8 E& r& E. Q( g
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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. l& J9 x) k1 i* `, E
) O+ a# \4 _# B3 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."7 |" j Y5 z- y1 y0 z9 V! T4 t( D
* e- T" g% N5 J% E' HThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.) v q, p# j' z1 y* y, ^% H, [
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But 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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