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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.( s3 u* ~" V; a6 R+ R6 F o
, V: ]2 s3 R% N, {2 [7 n6 |http://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., b$ Y1 A" G- n
# L5 V1 P y; p5 F& O; WPeople 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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. K6 Z3 k0 N* Z% y* } d8 O1 _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.8 Q& E- B* ~: X
3 k1 V- e4 q( J1 a& u" W. yWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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2 Y: E- ]* E" s$ |At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.& H9 B9 ?7 @0 l6 \8 b! Z
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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4 A) d1 O Z9 @8 b/ b; n! C$ E"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.) X) H6 _, ^2 N: l6 j6 n4 \8 J5 t
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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.
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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.- L' k& Q R: v$ Q- ]
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Burleton knows how they feel." Y% _4 L/ o( y% s3 O7 H" N; ^
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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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! F4 t' Q; V7 f. \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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4 Y3 b9 n2 ~ Z* oWith 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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8 ~+ I J# C6 j- }6 nAnd 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.$ q. p0 q) z8 T- s2 C0 j
5 F% |4 S- }5 O* [: XIn 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.: E5 D4 z4 O- R( \: j# G2 {! j
a# m/ `/ ~- ]: y) Q) LDavid 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./ V* p( \# [: 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., G% |1 X& v* s; T
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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.". D# @' f9 {& M) r0 g3 o
0 Q/ ]& v3 K. e/ L. ?3 K4 ~The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.: e% X7 ]7 T ?4 m0 z
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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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