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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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( o. i. I# S& [% o( E2 ihttp://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.+ j" b7 B9 h4 _) S
$ z+ |# ~1 m1 o8 O/ Q, a+ tPeople 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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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., d ^3 X1 x3 Z$ V' k! c
& g: M" ]$ t. O% @Why might it be a good time to sell?3 O. b0 O$ I# h2 C8 i+ N F
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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1 ^4 Y" }) S1 F# U" |1 f"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank./ F( Y/ _3 J' k
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.9 `$ B! {1 M7 h1 n
- L6 y$ @! ^! sThe 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.2 X- I/ \1 q) R! q. t/ U
+ j8 b" p8 c7 ^$ z% z0 WOf 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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6 r C2 ]: f* LBurleton knows how they feel.
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2 s) R2 {9 ]3 u6 i" {9 }"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.
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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.* ` y1 [$ z* |4 `( G; m& ]
4 S' j2 B$ {) t1 hIn 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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" T1 ]' v% W# j8 A! MMeanwhile, 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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5 y" F+ P7 J, z* G8 u3 g3 zThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.! {+ c( W* N! t& g- I) g' p
. {% l' `& l" }6 X5 gDavid 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.
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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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; ~. [- D' _1 t4 i X& ?2 zThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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# ~! y; }/ v. M* V+ B/ A& Q c' kBut 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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