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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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" |' L4 P2 p' I# u8 Z, ehttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html% A2 S/ t. ^# l1 R. e
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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" x R# S9 i1 |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.0 r! [* B% U: \* v: v) I9 y- U% Q5 Y
$ d1 K6 B/ R' _' _# l8 ?/ {* _1 oIn 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.. E. z- n# B6 v; H; ]0 {5 G( j! C
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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3 g, K1 b6 N. v- z7 Z& F4 R; HAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.& G/ @& \* }3 x1 R- i
7 T- m3 L9 o) B8 C1 j1 b$ H: X( z: v"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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. v1 F, b) [. t, q' d" x"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.* E) j3 s) ]- I) T/ `$ y3 r
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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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" S* }) o( F) c" y; X1 |, P$ MOf 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.7 X; u2 g& ^4 n; O& ?/ Z
- s6 L+ q- k1 I2 wBurleton knows how they feel.
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2 R( I- N6 W7 J I"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.) ?% x3 A' [3 b
1 X ~+ ^: o, R/ s M( }: l: iWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.8 Z: G0 i0 \4 w7 `! `8 z& x
; A: n8 I) T2 A* j& b, N, a | HWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.5 |. J0 G0 t. q4 ~
: ?7 y# }) `; w6 V7 ~6 mAnd 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./ }4 a; S6 r4 l/ @! _" z( Z
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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.
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# \6 [4 e/ O( x' p: X/ Y; ?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.
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, g0 {2 l3 X) h; k$ ?& Y4 c) Q"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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% c% P5 w+ U# p7 VThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.& D, F8 ^6 b1 S: d3 t |2 T
/ I3 w$ N$ b( s- P$ w: n5 h/ ?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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