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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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) Q4 w" V' |, ihttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html, b' O& _3 G! O
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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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People 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.& b$ w- d @9 N( L3 r+ s# T
* ^ r7 L% k- k. `6 g" S+ OIn 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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0 b/ F# n1 i2 nWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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) [5 h9 `3 ^! h9 jAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.* b3 m9 P! d5 i" g u! `- n( A& I
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.7 m Z- I3 S3 t& J8 R1 `. G2 O
( L v% ?8 `& c6 U# r3 NOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.$ }, F+ C; F9 q8 z9 c7 m. @
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Burleton knows how they feel.5 v8 b6 Z+ P& x
$ m$ R: y; H/ \ P2 E$ R"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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8 U( u3 q+ Y/ E; e6 A: QWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.0 j/ [1 H" N8 }3 \+ E/ A
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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.5 W! M, s$ L$ X* k5 e- H
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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.
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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.4 h7 L C9 Q0 p$ X) k7 q0 M
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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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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./ C- {6 E1 ?- \( V
2 O- e/ L, j, Z; h$ m C8 ]4 ?/ W"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.$ k; y/ M; f& N# l0 O
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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."
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9 C& l* X [' h, a( s" z! YThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.1 R8 A0 D9 ^1 m$ R K( P
4 ^' M/ D2 h; u' J9 R* X) EBut 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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