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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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5 O( C# u7 W6 D8 m7 khttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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* M# n) l8 W8 T0 X( uOTTAWA - 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.' R" o, t/ T: R$ |% \) I: Y
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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. S7 N5 S) j( M/ W1 B [
: Z2 [1 n4 Q, b; Z2 e9 gIn 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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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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. p1 C* }% J* a& [! ^8 A7 S/ E- A5 h3 hAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.' x( C% x# w# t2 v
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.1 q! {: S" ]6 `. W" i
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.$ S$ ]: R; Q( _4 C" Y$ K: F
' N) Q: Q: L9 D& g5 G R) ?& OThe 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.. q4 S/ g7 ]: B4 `1 `# r3 J; e/ o
8 v/ _ B$ S7 b8 [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.3 S. X) `9 V0 H Y1 g3 l1 U
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Burleton knows how they feel.1 e1 H3 p9 T' Y' V4 Q B% h, A# @
4 W' H M3 ?! l/ J+ g5 p5 m: m"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.8 R9 u( s ?: _
, @$ g- Y, n7 v6 m2 n; Y+ n0 vWhile 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., w* H! Q0 \ z: n6 v" U, J
Z6 B- v5 s$ h( W4 w8 bIn 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.0 ~+ l* W( `; A; S; F' H; Y
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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.5 P9 o8 u: N8 W- J0 }; d8 U
* Q$ J$ B6 I. v0 N3 bThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying./ x, X4 f, W+ E, {1 y6 a& ?9 M, n
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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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"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.- p6 A! M0 ~- X0 n/ ?" w' S4 K: z: ]
3 d, e6 R' R( u9 ]"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.1 L0 g+ {2 r) ?* j& k0 \( V7 I
3 z# `, g4 D4 h l7 NBut 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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