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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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0 q( ~! W+ w& ?6 y+ q2 I$ i Qhttp://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.9 v) I( V7 V$ T1 n6 ?8 F( q
/ o0 [, n& r8 Y/ p6 S1 @- Y0 G/ gPeople 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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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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Why might it be a good time to sell?$ p( e* y: `* Z! e: a9 g9 ^
4 w! B7 Q' d. ]1 HAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.: P; C" J/ l) R# S c( J
. B8 M' o- D- x"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.7 J2 l- |7 C( W/ D# a+ C5 @; ^
1 j, p' H6 Z& ]"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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$ r+ H4 v9 }4 k# \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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' g) F- G* R7 ?. IOf 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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) Q" o6 j' v7 M$ s) o0 \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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While there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.9 v+ U! A1 N# y
/ A* N* W) ?* \# A% dWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years." `4 H9 V) i; ~' F
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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.& u2 e. ]9 W$ ]. P, C+ r/ o
6 k6 s9 U0 ]% q4 ^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.% M5 r, S! e8 y y. M( b! `
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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.7 \9 ]$ ^' E- m
7 k, c/ a/ N0 eThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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* `1 t/ A3 V) `8 n8 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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h* ?8 }# p3 c M"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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"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."
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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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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