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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.. q8 l# v' a7 [4 T8 G2 Q
2 `: L: s6 j% M4 ^4 X: bhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html* K. Q' d6 T# K/ M
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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.
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2 [) e' o, Z3 o. I1 h0 ]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.
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, h& _! U! C5 j, ^) @* p- qIn 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.( Y% H5 X! S/ s, L
5 x% ?2 @! d) h4 Q3 o* Y7 qWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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- x3 L6 @, L. x2 K- OAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.4 y8 p* m! D! G
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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\4 W1 d6 U5 r/ l"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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$ B' Q0 _3 W' S* x( POf 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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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.! @- t& ]; u8 ~: E% b
+ j" K' H& V z8 b. E0 ^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./ f# @5 R Y' z! o& U
. L% w7 {; S3 ?+ M7 rWith 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.3 M+ ^' D$ k# i+ A
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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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; G4 Y/ u* s% z \0 IThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying." y6 w) k" ^# \/ M" z1 n
7 }) l" n' J5 ~$ } [0 Z; `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." _* H+ X5 m! I, e9 ^: s
+ u* s( q" G: `0 d6 i7 O1 z"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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, Q1 I$ H' g; ^1 U( o" @The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act. ?* K9 W* h9 I/ b
0 m! i& P+ Q2 k" h; B& ~& P) {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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