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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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, I: P+ U: k, P7 Nhttp://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.0 ]9 e0 ]% C+ P
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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.. G0 v' K: R; O" c: t
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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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% W9 ~' H, }3 Y- I# Q6 A6 R4 FWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.9 A) ~, N g9 M5 @
8 L7 j, g# f. t& |+ C"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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* ]( A0 S7 z; A1 J gThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.; y1 e0 h+ H1 W+ v: ^6 ~' u
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.# f+ P y% t1 r. B# J( ]
8 T: G2 J& |3 q& s e0 ABurleton knows how they feel.6 Y* t% F" i0 j" J6 @( m# j
& v/ s& o5 B5 M: s, }. i6 U"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.
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0 M+ f) d! Z$ [+ M a H! IWhile 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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2 n5 @5 j& k. a6 Q- ?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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' ~0 L$ q9 W0 T/ C$ qIn 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.! m, @! b( ?8 m' q; V# c
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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.8 b# ^! p) z0 c1 s. q ]# }1 g
& t7 O/ d: Q4 i6 J4 J5 K* {9 vThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.3 J2 _2 `8 ~3 [% X
. {2 t, c! a9 A5 r+ ZDavid 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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/ i4 S' M+ D4 F- {: t"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.; j7 W( \0 E) V7 Z0 }7 y5 A
; D2 [" {8 K+ c; g" G I"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."# {3 J9 x% G0 \' E9 f
$ q! N+ Y, I( |: X2 m8 z/ TThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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0 E5 I: H' Z8 Q4 K8 V: y7 M- q# @) tBut 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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