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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.. P+ P3 t7 Y% N" l* T( R( `4 ^
/ q# v6 x+ y% k& e9 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.
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/ j# O F9 ]- `! z! t$ l- v, |) \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.
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In 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?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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* g* |# Q0 X" E! ?' E( s9 C1 K"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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; R, r" b+ }1 j5 D5 e+ ]"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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( _8 Y9 s( x" i! I3 d2 k r$ XThe 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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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.
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& Z+ J0 ]3 z$ I) E2 SBurleton knows how they feel.
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; m, {! m' d+ d2 B0 L0 _"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.5 t8 b0 o3 {# z; i( q% w; b8 }
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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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5 ~$ g, y" C! J0 W' w+ ZWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.- l3 d" v) l4 P5 a; R
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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.+ J* ?- d# B. a5 t! | _
) L0 r: k2 K6 vIn 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.! s( z2 z) k: d% S5 J, I: n
0 E( g6 }' A$ C% dMeanwhile, 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., R0 n5 W2 [/ L, {
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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.' C; F. Y0 H- Q3 C% j
8 g* [9 \# {1 y, h$ U) f- J+ o# l1 l"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.) z O2 D! N; O
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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."
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.3 c, c5 M& ]1 L- ~: H; d
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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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