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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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! m) Q( h' B# R6 K2 p$ Ghttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html/ y4 x! z% l0 b+ r$ P
" S4 V" `0 e7 d- V kOTTAWA - 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.) y; h* F5 H. T, B
% Z( {" ~+ ]3 Q) ^( Z7 I( vPeople 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.' F0 V$ Y% o1 y2 x, v; y+ S
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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.; Z/ X6 H" O3 x# o, z9 f" T8 x5 I
0 R9 @: ~7 C4 _* o( r0 fWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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2 _/ g5 y0 D2 Q7 I7 c1 ]: T. o9 N& kAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.% O3 B/ z1 F6 h5 u
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.* k' G) T, U2 i y1 Z
9 o7 t: z- \% q& U, m6 Z"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.' ]' \ g) O+ v) F& \+ |
2 z z9 i5 U% ]6 bThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.# v% [" a E; h7 t( O
6 o% ^# |4 w" M" I% A* t8 J# S4 p' g" xOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians., V4 c9 f" Y; q& i: {9 b
+ Z& J4 Z4 h# j5 p' `2 QBurleton knows how they feel.
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"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.# |" L& D# v# \% L4 N
; [* _5 m) @+ O/ J5 G, GWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way., W* Q7 x$ j8 v' V0 i3 |
2 W2 T$ x% u9 r* n' m s5 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.
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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.7 V7 ]& o: c6 f+ i
! V4 R `3 s; m. v2 ^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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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.5 o D1 e* s/ [) F0 z
1 a+ b: y7 A, V V# |/ ?2 oDavid 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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) a& ~% ] e" v9 W"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.". d0 V" U5 q# {8 `( r- c
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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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, A! ^+ U$ F. W n7 Z& xBut 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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