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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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N0 L" `' O4 ]2 D6 `3 lhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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6 v2 ]6 h. @) J3 cOTTAWA - 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.6 F$ r. a4 a$ ]- b# A1 q; g
( F) W! N5 H) E$ g3 mPeople 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.0 g; [, t) q2 b. @( P
" H* Q- U, ?2 b; hWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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% O: D' J) v' W' S9 x9 a& h* o; ~At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.$ O: f0 L8 |0 p! n
0 j. v$ J5 P6 p# K5 @9 }"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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: {/ d9 j; S% T"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.0 l4 |1 u( k5 u9 x5 w1 |* R# g8 ~
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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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+ l1 U9 k" ^& I, I2 {Burleton knows how they feel.1 r$ M# N R* \( v) r
% W1 f" q) |" s8 z0 \- U8 f) b"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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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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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.
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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.
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8 @$ ]: P* f6 k- MMeanwhile, 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.$ ^8 h; R5 L' J0 v/ S9 Z
. _7 ?, V9 h; z" {& g0 W4 N# `- h) _3 ]That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.3 ~, Z/ _) P9 ~ v
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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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; I U+ c9 o- ~: {4 Z k. f"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.4 b$ K& I& s3 c3 F; q/ c2 ]4 r
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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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2 z- S, X2 b' ]3 Q7 N! cThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.( q T! w4 S5 M4 h
9 b. @! r; J' I& L) N" ?' EBut 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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