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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.0 V" j" g3 n' V5 K% J2 u- Q5 b
# w& W( }! G) whttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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. O% W6 e6 @: I4 a$ [+ d& K- XOTTAWA - 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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! {& z( v( I8 mPeople 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.# \# F4 F3 t0 t0 _6 `
+ `8 @# q( a/ r) z) B! mIn 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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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.0 F" [1 h* @8 K- z( J2 j' T
! M( b3 ~: K* h( U/ ^9 \The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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[, z" z/ ~3 f5 ~) W# q: ?Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.$ _+ U! `; l; K
1 r* I) P4 ^; k! x! S2 nBurleton knows how they feel.& G- \6 o6 Y1 K1 \; h8 [- o) v
/ N# }0 ^+ f0 B6 P3 L$ K9 `% C"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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+ T$ `2 y7 E+ QWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.& j4 x# t2 l2 n9 ]
* o N5 h+ A" V: N6 m/ bWith 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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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.3 d' S* g5 N8 m" \) l
{3 w8 Q) G& h$ uIn 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.8 e2 x3 C) n+ E. W0 k
0 Z' q+ n4 ]# Y! c: y, }9 |1 ?8 ]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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y% m8 y9 u FThat 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.7 O( t9 ~; p, H# R4 N/ k# V( S
, y# O5 P- \3 X2 Q4 j" f"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."" w: j" {, g! j7 t
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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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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