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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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; r* B- p: ?! D" |5 o$ r% b; Ahttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html4 T; S0 z: }; n5 c- e0 _( F
2 t& V% |8 Q; j8 B+ Z. 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.
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' S1 ^& E' j+ o7 s, G h, pPeople 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.: M! f k: l$ ?7 }
# t; k/ D, k# s/ AIn 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./ C/ N- |% L$ P/ d& F: F
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.7 H4 N9 z" B" l: ~: A8 k
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank., H' @4 W7 C4 t6 C9 G# c6 o
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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N+ W4 t' S4 U8 U* l/ DThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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m% B. {/ R% n* ?& l! xOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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+ X& T, k% m' L3 X- L% Q0 w7 wBurleton knows how they feel.
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5 q& L! Z0 H# x( \ S"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.2 Y( R/ q8 ]5 s
- e' } B8 P$ s. N4 d1 T+ L+ aWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.! ]) I' K* ^$ d9 ]2 H2 [
' r1 o, G( j) B* M3 ^# MWith 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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& ?0 L# v# W& @& _' X1 G* K* _6 x3 FAnd 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., T/ e5 ^9 D5 ?! s$ U- ]% J& Q; ] ^
d, i/ L% _" P5 z5 b4 O& FIn 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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% C. j$ a7 g" G) c# YMeanwhile, 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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# s ?+ t1 F' D8 A5 B! ]That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.( a9 A5 K. V; q5 G; y
; c7 U. {5 S! ?& |6 |2 p+ DDavid 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.. F5 E+ u% i! P- v# R2 x6 x
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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.
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1 _9 I) ^. |0 x/ ~% }"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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( L; j; W; q- `+ o, _The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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, J; Z+ A- ?# H/ g5 `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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