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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.' v- D$ M- w2 T6 d; c* `
p# [ C$ [" e: B" chttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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4 D. p) x4 G$ K* YOTTAWA - 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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X$ F$ A9 O8 [. \: l$ Z0 LPeople 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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# w( O- n2 f9 `8 n: B( i7 P( ^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.9 Z0 F; Q9 _6 j
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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; y2 A! H. T" V7 mAt 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 w- g" u/ Z
$ t" e C' s) E2 B! ^/ z"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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5 x7 X; S4 U1 d" b4 a0 S e2 I+ H"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.% t( X# p, n6 f0 y
7 N/ p& {, q& D+ C( J% G& R# h) ~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. [ z9 N: ^/ Z0 b5 c7 o9 r
9 t8 A ? ]( |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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1 Q4 k* P1 Y, R8 c! l$ _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.9 {' `- P/ t: x. I p; Z
8 L9 g3 S2 N" w/ w3 |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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! _ w) x% X5 g" wWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.: t' k. h8 i7 G0 a
: h- `) a2 g- W) hAnd 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.5 l7 Z/ P/ |3 b, B' s3 @
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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- \% K* _8 W3 a
" C- M p8 I) f+ ~5 D& p( SMeanwhile, 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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) z! E/ c- o! K, E" S; pThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.1 g7 t# `- Y5 p3 ? ^
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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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2 f/ {$ o: H! l% a& p9 V"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."; M! `/ u, ^$ N4 z8 M
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.' c' @$ Y/ W. K' w! r; [" G
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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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