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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.9 A# a* h3 M: u2 [ _, J+ J
+ s; w# Y! e9 e# E. W6 Ghttp://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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- i. }: n/ ?6 S+ Q3 ^9 _0 dPeople 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.- P1 y R- M. z0 V2 r
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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.* o; X& m( i" U) @( v
7 r3 Y8 T6 f# W3 yWhy might it be a good time to sell?% k8 `4 T( e. q
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.+ @0 l) x0 s% G
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.0 s- U7 F( R& M7 Z$ |. ~) C4 r
+ ^3 F1 H- O" E7 H# A' ^"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.1 l& Q& p* O3 H$ |+ f9 Y+ E
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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 n* S* @/ C9 [- m, _- E6 V. T4 [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.( ? j6 H/ Q9 A, Z+ K: @! Z% o
5 a2 e+ k7 i" S& U0 o7 yBurleton 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.7 E4 u% Z @; u7 r
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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.
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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.9 {1 S8 W1 {0 L1 j+ C2 r
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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.: Y! ~2 z* t8 j2 C' `
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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 }/ m; V6 i" i$ g
9 C' X; r0 L1 s& y! @8 IDavid 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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5 c d7 j2 e& i/ T9 \"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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) ]5 i" A2 R I- c3 }"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.; k7 U& t- q, v% n* P
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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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