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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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0 i4 p& o& c5 \5 P" Fhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html: w! D, O r5 J3 k5 A" h
$ n( K' X0 M- U9 [/ n( V+ r8 H( Y) ?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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; }# d8 Z* e6 s. s2 r9 wPeople 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.# J, }1 u s/ l# O2 ^6 ?
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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.
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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: r2 f; U; s8 |+ @3 Q7 hAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.: D" J3 _& r6 @* y4 i
! S1 }; l* i P1 c"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.4 \7 }0 o5 T3 f/ s$ ^, e
' N) |4 h! G" y- W! s& `1 T* E W"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.$ Q& V! R- ?4 @ c* e
/ }3 }+ a e5 o: a* mThe 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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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.
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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$ ~8 ]$ b; N. o" U"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.! x5 T9 q! I+ A
5 |* B$ R. m# N1 I7 Q. V8 sWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.9 V5 K# h. @9 \1 J
1 Y. }& h& l" DWith 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.
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8 Z: F- D6 s& l. i* D9 X' |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 U9 i7 J; S: F8 H P
/ T Y7 B! N, i, P/ bMeanwhile, 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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3 a. H. [8 @6 r; V: q% uThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.- Y( y: o8 _+ F: V7 D
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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.& q. w' m3 q6 A
7 O# y4 Q) M* U" g5 M5 I; p"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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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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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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