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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.9 Y" M7 S, w' c
4 G( O) O- }- S' d9 t& R* phttp://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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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.$ g4 x3 f# u/ F
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In 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.& Z) K7 v/ o9 y! { o2 ?
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Why might it be a good time to sell?7 k- l/ `% g1 G0 X
8 y: S+ a9 L, T$ E* O7 }At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.) b8 A* _, ^8 Q
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.% f. g) q% m/ ^
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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2 M' F6 l: v' ]# S# q7 o' ?4 ]The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.
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X) h- M; f3 n/ OWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.
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) C. H' A$ P' l# r# j, RWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.' L# ~+ F( }4 B' F& d( c
; W, ^0 n0 u$ o$ n" QAnd 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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/ g& Q; I) J: n! M; p; J c/ {2 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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; @4 }, r% s( D; \6 W q5 qThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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- l1 A+ ?8 O* n1 ^ `8 [0 `' FDavid 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.; U( {( O$ a! z& b' _. e5 J
4 ^: E5 E- i S' J/ Z& {: e I"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."8 ^ ^" E" {5 K3 o; {9 \
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.6 K# |7 d+ d8 D K& S. {# G
t" f* z, T0 V. n, q0 XBut 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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