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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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) d$ e- L% o5 G5 Khttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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* k& J6 U9 `: Y" G, }0 `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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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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' c$ ~4 J& e( E- o( L. y# QIn 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.6 g, K) D4 e3 P+ K
9 c9 ?& W7 B) T2 ~0 e. O, R6 h$ @Why might it be a good time to sell?/ v+ g9 _+ u6 w/ v8 J k6 n! m2 V
# D6 G0 \+ ]# e- pAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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% {8 w( c! c2 O! r"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.5 b1 o" ~+ Z: f6 q% ]+ P
4 q, w# [# W V& p! vThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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1 a! K8 G7 `5 h" POf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.; ]5 j+ ]) w- }% T$ U$ E
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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./ ?" h( ?& g5 Z' W) c! `5 g
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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.4 [' s. |( U& k
* k. W( z) ]; v' E& vAnd 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., s5 L( i* `5 d' C/ W- w, J5 A* I
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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.& W r3 n7 E# Q
5 A! v6 T) r/ p1 iThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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/ e- E4 B9 B0 k6 Z( k5 K) ^2 I9 yDavid 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.$ Q7 S" _6 E; G2 b
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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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8 e; G+ k, G5 v3 F/ y3 M6 ~& DThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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) S% @7 r4 S: M/ l" ~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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