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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.- B W3 T/ A' _: y
3 V! e3 v" _! l7 b* H9 t2 nhttp://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.
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{4 t0 r7 i! |' 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.
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6 s) s# X- Q% @% R) o7 NIn 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.; G9 ]# f+ R5 L1 A. z+ v
3 D' T& B0 [2 m8 K/ IWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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2 E. I7 ?: [1 j" ]# UAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.) W2 a/ M# ^7 @5 y# _/ n
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.1 g. A' h, `6 W9 {4 I( W
' C) [& q2 P/ E. t+ H. e"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.% G( n/ y' j! I6 d$ J& c
+ ]" w* K$ ^; IThe 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 x% f. a0 K2 E5 e. }4 x' `
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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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0 H' |! ], m! F, ^1 z3 j) iBurleton knows how they feel.% e: P; M6 u0 D
9 {/ c8 A) [0 s5 q. f"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.8 q9 `! w+ s& g7 A
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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.( D; b5 Q: _7 G; T: A [; j" J2 k
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With 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.
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9 E# q* y( k- kIn 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.
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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; m1 h$ o" t* s. O5 j) w# C% l, x
, _% v/ x4 f, d9 e# 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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"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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( F. w/ h t: g {" w* ?The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.- w" f7 m* x) c, y
b2 _: _1 f* E- bBut 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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