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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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! g) Y# L. {! t( x* U2 shttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html% A' y/ X" `+ I+ |
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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.$ ]; h' t9 n" u- T& ~
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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.
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- ` f- @. a5 |; H K" a! S& fIn 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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# W9 ]: O9 q! E. t- J) Q! E& {: VAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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4 C6 j& m5 S" A( J! c3 j; F"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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) m9 ~, q5 g2 _The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.. i5 l9 Q( [% c+ I- R; K8 ^
/ J4 W% Z) b8 S: oOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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9 h( ~: _' g! Y# S3 M) G c1 Z( gBurleton knows how they feel.) G4 s$ y: e @6 [5 l6 x
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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.3 s) `( j" O+ X1 l. |9 X
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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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' Q2 M6 M* v, J# G# eWith 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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3 K6 _/ w( Z+ ?, BAnd 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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2 d& z* v- {& H2 |* B" M' 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.0 y( e+ S- J+ B" m& i& u* T( [
5 @3 {4 R$ L2 T8 yMeanwhile, 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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3 W" u' [: Q# }$ e% a! z g$ z$ DThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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4 C R1 U, w) R' h5 `6 A' BDavid 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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"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.& v) g1 e5 `0 G
/ m1 w& q+ y' w7 Y/ H: C/ ~5 A"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."$ N) E4 `1 D% x: o- V- |' {
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.# \% S- v- ^# }1 Y
9 s, x% b( R8 Y7 q( w* sBut 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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