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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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+ w7 w; a" L0 E5 q- Qhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html% e# z9 ]3 p( {
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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.
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5 h9 W5 W9 f. P1 H3 Y' R1 G) ePeople 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.6 n0 M& T( U t. T, V8 j% I2 o8 t2 ]
5 l3 f) k0 N' H" }# S) }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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( ^: B. N) K7 y: ~9 q- rWhy might it be a good time to sell?$ v* G. b/ i, O) b7 q! B9 k
" s* z' d/ N' _* j$ \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.: [) W8 @& A- v8 f2 o- Q* T
$ w% P3 V( b- H2 X+ `"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.; [7 k! m: g% p% o6 ?1 I7 F
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"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.
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. H5 `/ b, T) X# bOf 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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: U! v/ ~; c3 Y, U' f# sBurleton knows how they feel.1 O d$ L. A5 E% Y, R7 `1 U! `
2 R, U1 x5 a- d( M- b7 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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& u+ ^8 G/ X9 g% ]0 ~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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0 P- d- y& L6 ?; lWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.7 e0 L) \% p4 s
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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.; I. b5 l2 _8 X
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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.3 _; y4 V) ~' y' F0 f' Y
' d1 W# L3 }" u+ C- qMeanwhile, 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.( ^) k0 M% O& h# d+ z
; _& n. a0 R7 WThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.- [0 v1 u& w5 m! r+ g4 O
, {3 V f5 m9 z) o# j/ pDavid 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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! a; w8 s ]) [2 }( m* W6 \"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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) ?) P/ h" `- \% C- | h1 x"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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( s w: q+ p; V L" `! S. c5 hThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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8 v. [6 y9 T- [- A* i* GBut 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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