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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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' w9 d9 |$ E8 I. Ghttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html4 l* A, X# m+ e5 l5 X
5 v! `' ?% s* j2 ~2 kOTTAWA - 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.& P d1 M8 j4 D) w( `2 X: X& U
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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.) D5 M% E$ |3 x9 W8 \
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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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7 N6 h5 D9 e2 N' oWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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$ `, x9 w9 h' }0 r. @9 WAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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5 E6 Y, v% K1 X( J( e: s"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.3 D. a+ \$ r( W* f% z7 h& W
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.+ Q6 K; A* p$ L$ a' ?+ `
4 x! i+ U! o( l0 [1 u5 ~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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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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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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2 j% @7 u* D; K& a& j3 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./ g% f4 a* k8 r( a4 c" ]' ^7 C
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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.5 f7 }3 q7 r: K. s ^8 z+ E) O. N% a7 K
) [6 w! V' Z$ YIn 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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Meanwhile, 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.1 K1 m y9 F! ^+ m1 u* k1 Y
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.. [9 s9 W! W! |5 G
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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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' _3 s0 D8 A- n8 M# n" l! A# E"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."
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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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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