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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.0 `- W, ?$ [& H) ^: c
. e: X$ q4 T _# e6 H' a, rhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html" [6 _0 O# r% s2 T9 M0 l
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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.2 j: V }- E( ^7 K4 x) c0 n& V8 E' n
7 l. P( J- {: z8 ?6 d! q( OPeople 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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0 R9 a' L/ _: f7 X& q: }( DIn 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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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.) A1 k& g/ L; s$ C( J0 E L
( T5 m; m% k: ^# a% @% ?"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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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.! F8 c+ q! t8 i6 P/ R/ q, v
' d" ?: W& k( L9 G* IOf 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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Burleton knows how they feel.6 Q' D; y! X- v" a+ S+ ]! n
" N4 K: s) l/ |/ p4 C0 ]"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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) R% m3 M' I. p3 V1 d5 h9 GWhile 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.9 y) X( d) ?* m# v" t# |- ^. S, _
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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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% E, k: B2 y3 \% 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.9 l( y! |1 G. S, G
6 {. H' H, n6 S4 EMeanwhile, 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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( ?& q: x& |# s. zThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.' J: B3 p f5 t \2 _, u) }
9 P3 b" U$ i3 _2 \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.9 Y$ \0 w0 Z/ q" i
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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.". A# m5 Z+ ^: ]6 l% {
4 s- U0 c" w. J* u% R: GThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.; W" E) ^$ o2 k) Q
( C- o+ g' P; XBut 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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