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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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' x. i4 V$ J; Chttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html) N/ g- u( v# D. V! i5 w
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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.. |$ H' |% t( m: o% f b8 A
+ J D- I! Y4 W7 oPeople 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.' @$ S0 {+ I2 p+ G+ f
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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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$ Y- q1 s0 v/ z/ _/ i: {Why might it be a good time to sell?6 Q" w% E6 K d7 D; K, r6 X# ^0 Z9 k
5 {! m, s9 B9 a( X- q6 g9 D4 I2 \At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.6 A6 U X9 C6 \- a
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.$ k, S% k8 A8 F$ q( q
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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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. g9 u9 S9 F) z, D0 f( a- {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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3 a/ h4 o! |+ Y# ]+ T1 a& ?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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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( H; ?4 E. B# C
) F/ _' J5 I" b, P# z' B5 YAnd 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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S( V7 c$ J0 \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." C& Q9 O R8 U1 I9 H7 T' j8 z
* y- d' C0 p! @, ?+ y& PMeanwhile, 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.
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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.1 y# G i" }; B7 a
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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./ \# g; i- u& \
5 `" ^1 ~" D" A `5 ?! l2 ?1 }"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."5 f, D5 Q: q* g! ~# u: S% F3 e
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.' h3 u& L: x2 p/ y# z( }
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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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