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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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c5 D% t4 O* hhttp://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./ a- }8 c0 w0 L/ r' ?7 Z/ e
0 a% M- V% \0 N2 L% o7 ]: vPeople 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.8 t7 q* y$ D8 g# g( x' u
7 }% w6 F; S" u% OIn 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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R. z3 V% a3 c, k UWhy might it be a good time to sell?9 q H5 I3 l% o& Q' `
8 z' \0 u1 f/ @# l$ ]0 eAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.: ?5 C. Q7 n" j) v& l- A2 I: F
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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$ n+ N" f K; x"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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: q. Q" v% {3 c" cThe 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.! ^6 s. ~; c4 ^- a. m
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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.) }& s8 z. m, ?( T
& l" X/ `! i$ i( x8 ?# W; Q: R/ \Burleton knows how they feel.
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3 z7 u* F, z2 z4 s0 k7 k"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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2 E- o# r& x2 V! L, s3 l5 l4 B/ rWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.& w7 ~' m4 v& j
5 j$ o B- N F/ O. v+ o" GWith 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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7 p# }0 |8 @3 J1 JAnd 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.( k' ~! i# y" `, X& J7 X
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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.
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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.( Q! o9 z; A& I& Z9 f4 g. ]+ ?
& h% V2 _2 x( T9 K! A( P, A, SThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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" p u' N# ~3 H" {2 v" [4 aDavid 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.4 ^7 B; [( y; D
6 O0 A. N& b$ n& B0 E"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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. q- C- S6 Q7 U) ~+ _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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