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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.( Q. y) h4 k6 v6 B0 v/ o& O5 H
$ J5 Q; J) U3 {. t% u- 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.; x. k; A4 D, q5 q. ]# t
3 Y* [( r5 u9 b4 `( bPeople 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.% E. G; {( m9 g. H: w6 G2 H
' E8 e4 |9 H' A3 L: o! S" ?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?8 H4 _( i( i3 z) m. i, e
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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! x: z5 c m$ s8 w; H \% x"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.: T f: d* d. z! T7 d( N
& ]1 f9 O/ ]+ f! BThe 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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. ^' ^% B. o0 d: q4 u7 c+ ABurleton knows how they feel.
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8 Q% Y5 T) M( P k3 {+ \"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.. S, n9 O7 f4 V3 h7 p& V6 c
" |; }' W) E# n7 v6 ^- fWhile 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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5 }* W4 \# }! uAnd 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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+ u$ W9 W) `6 p5 ZIn 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.( t a2 P) K9 b# h; g2 L- {
1 M$ ^. |+ F8 y1 P$ w7 ]* QMeanwhile, 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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+ M& n8 ~0 r' l& q* K( n; W( _" UThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.) ~- H$ ]" I. h9 F; A
+ w, m b" W7 D h3 kDavid 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.
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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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) {2 t: N2 X' h5 ?' QThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.2 F( a. X4 \7 X. Y( |3 w. f
5 k& J( u8 _9 W8 v$ u3 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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