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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.% M3 ?) D2 Q0 ]3 r
2 x# [. z- M3 M* t" thttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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1 A6 }& a7 ]5 v0 m# s* I$ B% f8 MOTTAWA - 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.+ H# p6 H3 |# }1 n
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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.7 w* x: L: |+ Z+ K( [# X
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Why might it be a good time to sell?+ ^0 @/ B- a. I2 V' |- ?
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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.0 D# R- z2 S/ \- 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.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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6 k* w L. r: t) G. A" T J2 lThe 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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" [' H5 P) d* j: Z: aOf 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.
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! k* g' Z% u6 J+ h7 t( FWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.; h3 U# v1 \. N2 r i& `
3 O6 D' I: q2 u8 J v3 ?9 V9 |! IWith 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.+ P! ^2 }) m7 f( V0 A6 u
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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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3 m# Y; ~, C3 OThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.! y! ~4 b( ^! h) z0 Q
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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.$ a0 g5 `( c) Q4 S3 A6 d: j: q+ E
4 f" G3 R) z- D! `"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., G, D& [6 n( _- k! @) e
; ?, L4 v( r+ ? x"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.0 P5 L. h( |% c4 e& }, H
1 _' X8 X/ d: L' SBut 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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