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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.* A) j- V# L: `. ?& f( d0 f' [3 S
9 F$ S, v1 i K& Thttp://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.6 [3 v) h Y x5 m$ ^& x
: M9 n m, i {% Q# H6 _4 n! gPeople 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.
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3 W! [& _5 T4 K5 } {Why might it be a good time to sell?
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3 j1 d' h; i4 j* N, ~- @" [At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.$ p p4 l9 F0 q2 I! ^% z
2 z& E3 t5 D# M* t& G"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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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop. {8 ~9 T6 B; o
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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.
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. u2 p# ~4 V+ K0 P0 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.* {8 A; [! d! _( X7 V. l2 |
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Burleton knows how they feel.$ Y% x) b8 @ Z
: O# G! {( H* m, g"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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9 `& g* J, P8 A( Q- K& fAnd 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.1 h8 {- S' s# K& Q6 t5 {
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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.
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# r# O% m0 W) w) C# q" i) ?That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.' s o5 {$ T# c* `4 X8 n, e
) P V7 W z" M* F. C9 Q) VDavid 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.' ] b! h3 D5 b2 e& Z( O# f
7 h0 u- ~" n$ X1 X/ i- e1 j% ]"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."+ d7 W' g2 ^! i& E% O9 |
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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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5 v. m7 b- T9 D) ~( s) U" G |9 `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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