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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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7 o9 ^' x. A1 e# Phttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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) q A" d1 F/ L, h( d0 ROTTAWA - 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.
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9 s3 z; a/ B( \# X' }6 k# N: t- O5 |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.' O' ]( b' [, F1 D" y& X |
; \4 a" P" O) _( W& q N" v$ ?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.( q' j; m# r2 V$ E$ P5 @+ i
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.9 h( X( v! M1 s) J7 @" O
. x/ E; L+ ]/ m& s0 v/ o"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.: `$ X5 [9 ^) Y' H
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.% i( |6 J9 t- l- n$ Y7 l, K& h
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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.- j/ w4 ?5 }7 W' C" \; h& b
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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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* n" c: W# y! I2 G& q( ]% ?& cBurleton 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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* N/ \9 o- P% e; |1 g8 O1 IWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.8 A/ s4 Z' T9 f/ g* {9 D
4 d9 y2 G5 \- EWith 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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. I6 y5 G( z$ _' W- d9 I) bAnd 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.: T; c. F5 E# b, P
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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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+ ~7 h" A( e0 Z. t+ y8 YThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.# s9 z: }2 G& g# X* q4 [0 ]5 Z& n
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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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3 x, K$ G x$ p# {"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." b% @( b: @( j5 M4 B k" S
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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."% ?, h7 W2 k1 A% T
5 f9 @8 j! c, |. `, vThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.# C5 {3 b6 N8 J9 P4 e& Z
1 ?7 v* L! y a! ~. e: l" zBut 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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