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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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& T3 ~5 X$ y! Qhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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: y4 d+ C. Y! r2 Q8 gOTTAWA - 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.
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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." l J6 R2 e5 J+ H2 {! U
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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2 w5 u D& P' @1 J8 nAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.! G r0 Y! h- a: T
) P2 |. F8 c: G: H' T" ["If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.0 f9 R3 \1 N& v" f
0 p! g9 u; U* ^$ ?$ q. q) N2 WThe 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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f2 ^) W R% N8 X5 |+ `2 x5 OOf 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.( L8 A6 h. o. A9 b/ }
% ]- E0 D) o- o& Q" V8 o- F"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., _% a, ` F6 I3 J" O
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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.1 H) E6 Z% }7 O9 {
2 w$ P8 ^$ z6 O8 vWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.& r$ G. s& a U' }. y, g
; h y, a5 }* d8 x4 |8 D; 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.& f7 _+ s6 x$ Q; a
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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." E2 m W" y6 G7 W! D4 f
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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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& v; I, ~" L9 f, p7 A+ r/ oThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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4 M4 |% x/ p: X5 A( sDavid 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.2 l2 X2 U( `6 ~) X1 t0 v
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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."
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0 R0 k, N) a6 _: TThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.! O, ~1 Y0 L8 C
8 t& k" \ t2 _# K/ n; zBut 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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