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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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9 {; [8 E- [1 }5 Y/ J# dhttp://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.# V" Y3 q9 S: y R' A% _( N( B
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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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3 {! [. v' L% V+ 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.* @7 L# b5 B6 G; T* q# s
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Why might it be a good time to sell?' ^- W9 \+ e- E; {
( q& `$ C; t: V- y& p WAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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! T6 d- @# W8 A- U"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.& Q( N3 O) P' j
/ G( _8 Y7 k/ O2 I8 d( q/ z% S"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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9 `6 U$ ]! i; b" ~; W' Q$ a6 K6 t" gBurleton knows how they feel.1 O0 \/ A- `$ y- O+ u, Z D0 }
; }/ }/ t/ N* w/ m( |* H"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.: ?, _( M9 s! {0 H& C0 [
9 Y' Z- y4 W$ IWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.0 a3 J+ c8 H: G; G: v
$ T, z3 ^5 W4 n8 c7 GWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.% q8 b' Q+ h0 V
5 k3 u2 v, h+ \2 ?) HAnd 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.8 T; E7 v* T1 T
- O4 c0 `/ M# q4 F: c) F2 H3 {- BIn 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.& F6 d: C6 D: {
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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.0 v1 D/ e7 f$ H- h! T2 s- ?4 J
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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.
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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.: H9 {) D. A: }6 z3 T2 n
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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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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.' w6 m7 O' W* x6 w
5 I6 l- f# p+ mBut 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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