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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.8 O E" h4 U* B
9 j2 N2 |- @/ o8 a4 w) |! X qhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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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.* W& o' d d8 ~$ A8 s8 R; ], O
F; q' _- S- I- ~ uPeople 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.9 ^7 [. l+ g6 z5 w) p! q* V
w# |8 ^2 M# 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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Why might it be a good time to sell?; M! n& b& O- e
. Z4 B- R; h: W- m( ]4 rAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.0 _. q. `' [5 k, P) A7 q/ o& {1 E- v
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.0 u( s2 Z C7 {4 p
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.9 h8 F9 y' J, ?' Z9 V
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Burleton knows how they feel.3 m/ t3 b3 H6 t* ?; l) `! _. r6 ]6 x
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"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.4 W0 H( G2 Q' Q) d; j
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While there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.
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0 ]0 ?* ~5 {- X$ }5 |8 {/ w6 IWith 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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' S* U8 T# ^1 C3 ~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.& b7 _4 N( s0 A9 o
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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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8 K9 B6 K* V8 M2 u3 Q% BMeanwhile, 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.$ D6 Q4 z6 v; }3 c1 h. e
0 j h: X$ t) @; v/ SThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.5 P+ w/ W+ w% F& N2 h
, e- f0 H; n: m7 O0 _$ k& gDavid 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.! U4 q( u; m1 U. B3 P; |% J
3 e& j- N- k& {, w n, s1 G9 l$ ]% v) @"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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"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."$ _2 G/ a# P* ]- F
1 x4 n7 I+ q. VThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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6 W, Z4 q! i h, F0 }$ z6 e+ VBut 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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