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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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; I2 o5 m6 Z' D# }& p/ _4 Ihttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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6 ?* v$ ]* f% zOTTAWA - 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.5 R+ d6 L% ^; _1 d0 e
5 F1 [: E' v' h% v% N! v4 u. 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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$ e: P9 N! a; J5 |6 [1 }- KIn 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.1 i/ W$ U/ D7 X4 U+ L. h
1 W) P* \2 X5 a. [& gWhy might it be a good time to sell?3 N$ c4 }% p2 M1 j" q- ~
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.2 c8 X2 g% x: [: O! d& ^& Y
! I/ W0 K/ \3 ]) n3 t"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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6 B0 P# G% v9 nThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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. I' ~" K% W/ p% y$ W% ~; [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.& Z- i5 O! ?! b6 ~$ D
2 {. I: N$ H( A2 GBurleton 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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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., c8 _3 V/ k3 A" @
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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.. j# Y$ @) d7 ~$ U. k$ u/ L2 h
: E0 K( C. G) ^5 k x, E4 lAnd 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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6 D6 T% W3 r' ]/ ]4 wIn 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.5 X% j8 B- L( D9 G8 h. T. Q
& K9 i; n; }, fMeanwhile, 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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0 w5 @. Y) |4 f ~: Z! M' ]That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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5 c$ M; g/ m. ?. p' k+ v" SDavid 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.+ [- s1 ]* T1 _9 ~5 Z( R
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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.2 _3 A9 p( x* O
5 a7 r' D2 R3 D6 `5 ~7 H"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."0 E* f9 ^0 A: d
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act. F ?, U0 F# D0 H1 {2 N
1 E- k' Q1 Q& E% C# x# A: }; J0 \) EBut 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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