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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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. c9 i# T/ W8 K/ g' uhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html- t( N# a' {8 M& J& C, G
4 z6 o' Q* E$ [( {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.4 n: Q1 ]$ R4 |& ~5 I! {
8 ]3 W! E; R8 APeople 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.! ^6 I3 v- H1 S% D2 _
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Why might it be a good time to sell?! J, o: n# v4 s: W, Q+ u% U1 z
' c# x# q; f4 y, c/ wAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.& ^% ^0 O& s7 Y9 ]
3 b" R6 p* V" Z1 I6 {) b"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank." F2 m# O; P O
8 }* |$ ^( u+ Q4 L" f"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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J2 C" S7 s0 ^5 A& ZThe 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.
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5 `* N' x$ k7 ~ N# y& _" G3 ABurleton 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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. V5 y4 G( Y# I* [% ~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.
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/ `3 r# O: V: m1 _2 |. {With ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.3 o7 h5 ?$ p4 Q& V* D# y3 Z
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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.; E& n. {' n& f
+ l7 q+ j# G. `4 z2 N/ RMeanwhile, 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./ O8 F6 t7 x D. u
3 }% p7 _: ~, a {& U% e! e) L0 o1 RThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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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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R: n7 E- Y) |8 \, @( j% P"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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, ]# B* d# ]4 T. H5 O0 B"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."0 t3 `( C2 `+ f* G+ @5 o# Q
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.1 I4 }6 W' q Q" S
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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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