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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.6 ]& o: x8 X0 J" @" F
9 T/ V7 v6 L: y/ uhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html( M1 J; l6 b( H* Z( o
6 H& r- C0 A7 `( Z, U; lOTTAWA - 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.( X* J* ~* v! a
z& U! N6 g2 X5 z2 w" jIn 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.& M: }0 `3 v9 J
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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$ x" d" {; [" M7 [0 z( n1 CAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.: {3 [' |* a- Y, m% `8 \! K" }
2 |- @4 C% a$ `9 ^. }"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.$ A% |# B! t/ U& ^, k5 X# }
3 [0 w7 d0 x, }"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./ l, M3 L9 ]; y9 B1 X I9 j; ?- d
$ q$ i7 w, k: w5 VOf 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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8 k7 s5 X& ~! N7 x0 g DBurleton knows how they feel.4 p5 m$ l, I7 j* }/ Y
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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.
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* z1 H: Q" F2 X( i5 }1 W' I3 qWith 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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/ _/ O: {1 x+ p/ h( }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.
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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.. D' q- A1 Y. q2 l: Q
' g2 c! E, ], M1 _That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying." ?4 P0 J) N' X% `- a% C
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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.4 ^9 k p% v$ ?0 Q, B* Z
2 D2 |* M& C& b% N& A"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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' q# A5 O9 `1 O1 ?"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 I8 B/ e) F. y2 k
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.# ` h9 V1 [, a1 R/ S
( ~. y1 {) v+ W% h' IBut 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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