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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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5 s4 w% |- h+ s6 ^+ |& w4 ^http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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( }+ W4 u/ l+ q9 IOTTAWA - 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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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., s, _. ~9 k- Z2 M" P# ^. i* z
7 n1 Q# [/ H9 |& y0 j" XIn 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.% T! D1 H1 T( {8 _
! I9 D3 m# [% J# LWhy 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.2 m7 ~) q# v; m" n% n# n. ^
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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.0 _, b. }' ?& u4 U \
* E, n( h' b3 O; c"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.9 a G7 D! K* U3 ~
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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.* M6 z& v- O3 g3 F0 M
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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.! ?! m9 v5 {) x6 X( j3 K, w
! G Y, h1 g n+ r7 O0 y% P# pWhile 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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2 Z; x; U: s" a8 ?0 lWith 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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2 @& H3 B+ ~. h4 y& F" b" X; j; c, a6 RAnd 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.2 ]- U7 K, s1 C; P) U+ [6 `
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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.
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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.+ C+ e7 H7 @" T2 a
$ w+ H3 Q* E/ U, R3 w# q; ^7 lThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.6 x; B4 b+ I6 C6 K$ K7 a! t
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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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"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."+ r- C; K$ F" T$ j
9 j; _/ l4 i1 |' r3 hThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.0 ^* G" Y2 M& b0 Q1 n
* ]& @7 U5 k( t! v: g0 j6 ^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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