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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.% @+ t4 t' ?+ ~7 I
6 B" K' `1 W# b, Lhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html9 L C, y+ L8 M) n
0 f$ Y; W: `4 J |% @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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. S2 h- }1 a) ~( [, B, G3 F+ G2 c! zPeople 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.. {/ O' D1 j* w, m; H
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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.0 E* [5 E: C3 K! O D! D6 A
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Why might it be a good time to sell?2 X( c# [. t+ d$ t5 h
0 G" B' T. _( k/ L* M% [At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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L$ q+ L, s ^0 Q"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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( c" l( r& }5 F0 aThe 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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( D5 M* o' g/ i/ \+ IOf 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.# O$ u& N8 v/ u2 n' ~
0 ~1 ~7 e; E' S. I& hBurleton knows how they feel.1 j- W: h9 u9 j( R" u- k' r
' f# \7 c$ p u5 t' Z4 j"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./ I5 w& W* C/ ^$ j) j; U$ 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.
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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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7 }0 A6 q! u, O. q4 M" 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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In 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.$ Q/ f1 H+ @& o
0 f& |/ h& s+ j! H' h/ [2 s) xMeanwhile, 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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% V' [, T# O* N3 a/ x; VThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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/ U! k% }! `* }0 {6 V! t& Z. CDavid 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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+ L0 m9 f3 ^; x) j"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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" ]) z7 G% z, j$ _# y"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.". v0 s+ Q1 v u
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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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* w- T% t3 u ^. M! KBut 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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