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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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- a2 s; ~4 `6 u g5 ]* ?; ]$ uhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html7 L# e5 G$ G8 q
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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.5 T( K) ?4 k" i6 V: j. q3 e' E
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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.& I# ~' `* o3 W' R# @
" R9 A( d) W$ I3 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.
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5 k- y4 N1 x* Q4 c% E3 f; e2 v; {Why might it be a good time to sell?
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7 l N( U/ \* _/ B# R1 JAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.$ v1 L: m% z3 N, R9 }+ ~
) G2 ]' J: e" P p+ G"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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' u6 j- Q s4 ^: I6 R4 P( E"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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) e9 @4 o# z0 l% B; 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.
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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.. k0 b1 D, N$ s n0 r1 I3 J/ l- g, K
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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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4 q9 M1 M2 s) Y2 }0 J) V* J2 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., N, c" \ ^/ s( i& |3 P
- H q6 U2 T8 @8 Q5 D2 Y/ IAnd 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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3 a3 |! q i0 p- ?+ TIn 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.$ ~1 h) H. ~7 m: b" v# L d3 u
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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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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." X$ V7 e- u" @7 j2 g1 ^/ [: U
* \* `6 [* \" n+ S( Q/ C"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.$ V, u0 T% n7 d
! X5 o* r" x2 G4 D' c2 a# V"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.
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But 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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