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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.4 {& k* u; ^/ F9 Q
" K5 G) g |* j0 dhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html: B" {! W% N1 v
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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.$ [. T" ]# e+ b' a
: [/ S; }% U |3 s1 I" _5 L; B# k8 GPeople 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.
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0 G- ?) `/ ^# j% e7 h nIn 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.# q" ?4 v X* H" M
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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 $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.7 d+ @- e& a/ I! v
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop., p3 s4 Q: G" F. Z. F
' `/ P) ^8 P( b! J+ S6 M% K% k4 E8 IThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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; I: j6 k/ K- H* B, M( jOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.
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& x/ S1 r8 u& S+ Q4 Q5 k; LWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.
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' p2 f+ x# Y5 S$ i2 m6 UWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.; u* E/ V/ T4 ?; U8 P Y% e0 z
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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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% H6 g! Z' _8 k- y* h. Z+ e( G' PIn 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.4 z) v6 J" j" q+ j/ U( j( ^
" X4 u f! B! Y1 c" p. uMeanwhile, 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.2 n7 J& q+ e' Y( M) |/ S) a1 a
: w/ D0 p' q6 l) _' H" f5 i7 gThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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: L* A. S1 K7 X5 C* ]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.# G( |# X6 I3 j8 A" Y
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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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: x8 m2 b( x3 ?) P. z7 c+ `# c"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."( E R# Z% G: o1 X; [9 t; E$ V% l
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.% n" \$ y: }. m( J3 I! q, y
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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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