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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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. \4 @2 }3 i, L, `' vhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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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.5 v/ p. w1 E" y2 z }
) I* i$ m$ J2 H' L) H3 T) dPeople 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./ D" T. D* F* {9 j4 W2 i/ o2 u
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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.
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* v+ y- h7 x6 y0 }& c) VWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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' p2 @( ^4 Z. u& f1 nAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.4 E5 l# M: A/ _# h
- y/ z4 U2 e7 [7 X/ t"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.+ z( x; N+ \9 X0 f6 L5 X# A
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop./ ]* t8 _3 A2 V
0 ^5 I, ]5 L- t E9 C* KThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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2 V% k* w- n) _Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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2 {2 W) }1 Z4 V) x ?Burleton knows how they feel.
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"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.
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. d3 P; k* C6 w% u* Y4 S6 iWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.
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With ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.
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1 W) I- s6 y" v! R$ L' O9 N9 [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. u0 a9 V8 y# g% S/ q
8 j! H7 Y5 O* l4 F* b5 E \/ v) _4 x+ tIn 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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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.
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6 [7 @3 J# x7 ~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.8 A$ a: L$ s! k8 }; y! ~! l' d
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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., L! }. Y# b" e0 G9 Z7 a% R
- A K' Q H* x. ` R3 w- G4 g"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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: c9 F: r. }- o/ OThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.* S* G: {9 V4 L
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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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