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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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/ s; F3 R# e, J' u i8 ^8 y4 xhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html$ F$ y: `1 p1 t( {* i
' X/ P0 }6 f! {- {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.7 G3 |" B/ ]8 n0 l8 J( Y
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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.
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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?2 u5 P, \* S2 I
0 b: R8 X( U( Y! ?: Q4 nAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.0 f: T+ t9 x4 t1 j
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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l0 l9 {! p. e/ R+ ["If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians./ L; a9 `5 T+ m/ d8 d p+ v; Z6 d
+ `3 }0 O, p$ ~9 bBurleton knows how they feel.( I" S. j: b; o k
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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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1 q6 N- a% A9 k m; Y6 {) ~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.( y; [ v: h ~" {0 [
3 T1 X% d. a0 g# ~9 sWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.! Z1 o |3 V/ a/ }! T
& Z, s& z4 R. ]" d2 U5 J% sAnd 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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% g, ~( J* C9 [/ ~, ~: N0 QIn 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.
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- O# C0 ^3 U4 ?* z: F' xMeanwhile, 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.& u. }# q3 q2 t' K5 a4 c
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.1 r1 A& I# T, A( x: l) y, K
! F* S+ S# Q* m0 J* L+ \+ h" EDavid 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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"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.# W* ^7 I/ D7 {" F% z
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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."' I: F6 | E& [% x# x
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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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1 h( d- E8 T# x p+ RBut 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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