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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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) r+ m1 Z* Z8 P7 L, F! C/ Whttp://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.9 b' X+ n. E3 ]8 ~
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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.
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0 F/ D1 ]# i: Q9 x' i# n6 d( vIn 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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/ b& a4 l: F) }9 a- E5 J0 Q( UWhy might it be a good time to sell?% P( v1 ~' y* t
8 G+ K& M; H" s4 p2 \At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.! s$ o9 B. U. ^0 n0 B" {( M0 X
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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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2 y. {% F' Q" v3 uThe 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.8 A4 q2 s- p" [( _% G& A* n
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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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Burleton knows how they feel.
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7 P/ S( R2 w7 t0 Q- r8 Q0 ["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.. Z) {/ H( c, U6 u) p) y: v
6 A* o* B1 |* w- s! |& u. fWhile 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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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.- o. E# J, b9 |
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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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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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3 F7 C$ f0 ?, k( m7 {5 y3 C3 QMeanwhile, 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.0 J6 Q" ]3 r9 p7 h) w( U; r/ d3 u
$ V1 a" m# w) M @That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.$ e% i6 I! c, _& ~/ Z2 {
; T5 Z& _* L7 E0 b- @6 dDavid 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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"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.. c9 V# o6 a) p3 h8 K* H
2 z+ ]$ ~( j( z2 l: l5 k ~3 A+ |"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."9 g% [) U2 x2 z. d
4 I1 H& |- G% \; y fThe 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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