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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.: e% p2 \( `( Q* w$ |+ A
7 A' R, ]/ h s& z1 nhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html. v5 t8 E, H V6 ^: n X$ }
4 e' Z5 |9 m; Z0 }9 wOTTAWA - 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.* L4 D3 @: S) m5 y3 m; T9 u. ]
c# y a, M$ v7 W" PPeople 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 L8 f9 n; W! b( i; b3 a4 q8 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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& J- a( x [' O, W. ~8 W, i yWhy might it be a good time to sell?" f! `: m1 j$ H) N; g1 F' c# o
2 T4 F3 X% S9 e/ n5 s' LAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.3 M4 u! _' h, f$ I) Y. B) W/ m
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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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3 W5 H5 F* o, J) `# e- ?, r: ~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.0 r. z! H) y5 h6 X1 [
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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.3 ?" I- I5 @# b
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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"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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/ v0 t" z, O) E2 DWhile 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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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.8 Z& D8 p* i9 @: W
* b6 N( N. E" W9 Z' nAnd 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.5 O) o/ c$ |( ?# r/ |9 a y* k
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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. Q O/ {2 M* A. y" d* c+ R
]/ a0 F1 v5 Y9 I B5 \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.: R; f. ?, k- h6 I/ k/ n
0 w% G2 a+ J/ a" Y7 e1 T7 J0 K, rThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.* f" s' b. J. Z- m* Y& {
( f# _$ E+ P: p- f& WDavid 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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0 n2 {9 x/ z+ g V"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.8 u4 }; N- H F7 {# F, C" x
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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."8 s& a7 d8 {: W0 B* X Q, R0 R
/ M8 Q; C5 o& v: p( h# w# }/ PThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.( v8 A9 Q) F/ ?+ [
" f" h6 v. @; X+ V: P$ C5 lBut 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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