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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.8 ~( Y2 R* E/ S
3 D* I( A- T# ]2 y8 m( y; uhttp://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.- j! [3 a$ `# \: @5 l, H; z
5 i% a7 c& x5 Z+ r) HPeople 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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j8 W' p4 d2 A3 t6 p1 X' d, W5 uIn 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.$ E% A6 x" W9 \, e( Z2 f$ C! S
- G4 Y |0 S3 K- y* `Why might it be a good time to sell?- b3 H1 f9 u% h' b, y7 f# ~" Q
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.& t7 D X5 U$ c& y# j
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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., ?1 J0 T9 \1 N
: r! l( y5 g; r! G$ j5 B( }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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6 g4 [% v$ k Z% Y# } r/ gBurleton knows how they feel.4 g4 O3 ? O& R# Y+ ?* O
7 H2 B7 W/ v J" E) X! y. Q"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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, K+ r p: ~6 @# K. hWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.; ?( v4 k! w, T8 D0 f# {8 b
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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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; f8 F4 e/ E/ G! a" m; l% {0 JIn 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.# z2 q0 G7 q( m4 s6 D
0 x; c# m; S% m7 IDavid 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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/ Z# a5 N4 m3 ^" ~8 t"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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" K0 d s' I4 ~3 M"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."- q- b% w9 l* U/ }7 l1 R
5 D% Z- D) S2 m9 ~) @# D( M" RThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.& N8 r& Y$ r8 @* V0 z2 l
: z+ r8 k; V5 [9 a+ e6 C iBut 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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