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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.$ _! @5 c- u# l4 Y8 p! o# M/ a
) Z: S! V7 `& f* ~) i; C, rhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html, J6 Y* I* k( e5 N [
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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.4 D% e' ^/ L: ?( x9 V% J+ |
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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.6 t2 C" {2 i/ G. K0 I N- [& c% n
$ R7 Y. p; J, R" v7 F, Y4 N) hIn 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.) C' ^: x" @: B* e: C
: M% |& _" ^" w r+ wWhy might it be a good time to sell?2 R0 I1 z( S4 |1 N, B. ~( E+ p& [
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank." I$ G, v# ^( V% R2 u
1 M) O2 B, n; Y, L2 D* t"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop., a7 \! i. k2 x0 Z2 S7 b
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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.
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5 T/ Q# q" E/ Q$ }/ GOf 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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% n! ^8 F _* c$ @4 F& nBurleton knows how they feel./ x5 J& J% _( H) X' I. V
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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.+ p# a# T {5 q1 S# d& w4 @8 J
6 S% S- L6 j% B. `3 VWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.- r6 r4 Q4 J* J" l) i% J6 e
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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., z* M% x3 `& J& C( s
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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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. A, |/ V( [) ~& g/ S8 IIn 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.1 |8 @( S1 N, u% V9 Y
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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.8 a5 {3 w1 R1 N
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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- Z( W" R- Z& q6 ^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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/ H! p L8 k5 K5 A1 u"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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* D. X+ ]& ^ H# o) V"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.# e4 D: K* `: B# F ?
3 H3 ^ o$ @+ P. _0 v: MBut 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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