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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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$ o8 `& k1 u$ B0 F9 M: s1 Yhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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# \, s- o7 g1 b9 t8 eOTTAWA - 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.: G' [/ E/ h5 M _" X O4 {
) [" Q( B7 W8 k/ MIn 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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Why might it be a good time to sell?# H4 h. s# W' A: \, {' \
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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.
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' g1 V* W. J/ A"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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4 K: t( P2 J- \" M, {" S2 ]0 n/ l1 U- 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.8 @9 u9 s4 j+ N
6 b& g( I: ^2 pOf 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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0 \) L% r+ {. T0 a- j3 DBurleton knows how they feel.1 J; G) Y1 I, G7 i! l
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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.. B2 V; U: M# Y
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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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+ D& {( z" i1 e% o4 N/ WAnd 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.' Y# i1 X3 |* t8 T, V8 q
0 } A( J! `% gIn 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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* w7 R* ~# p/ M, P8 pMeanwhile, 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 [& n3 G" y4 L5 ]That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.: `, S1 ~5 @& G9 \. I7 ^) @8 {9 ^
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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.
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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., f3 ^1 o- y; b, ?: Y" |
/ u4 ^# n7 Q: |) ^( @% Y% U! N"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.". [: ^7 p9 S9 k5 D4 t9 n" Y; `
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.- m8 B( f! D5 I' z
( u- w7 F6 P4 @0 V% JBut 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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