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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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5 B/ U1 _. c* ?9 q0 Phttp://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. y# i. g0 `' M9 r) V
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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.
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+ X: G9 U* ]7 `, v$ m# _5 vIn 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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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.$ W5 T( g" s4 _7 c7 U5 m: `' q
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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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7 z# Y! _& x3 k"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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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. {/ L% A D0 I* o. G
4 ^! J1 A; u1 j5 z2 DOf 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.6 A) o0 f M% C( k- G, A+ f
4 b% K; k) o/ G3 p3 ?' nBurleton knows how they feel.# k. m! o3 Z8 }! T) p3 D
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"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.' G0 {7 Q0 P7 v1 E( ]3 U
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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.' l0 v/ Y2 B8 t8 E
( Y5 A G4 d/ ^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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$ e! a9 q5 B: x& b$ hAnd 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.* S, x) Q' L- U& _; ^
, j) |8 K- _ k9 O0 KIn 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.7 I4 s( H2 T O7 V5 `& ]
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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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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.2 z$ p1 B) @$ B9 w
0 |8 z9 G6 ] Z8 Y4 f: ^6 L. oDavid 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.% H1 v7 c* ^' C1 C
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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.": L4 k& t4 M: V8 s7 L
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act./ t4 I! o( i8 ]1 [, j
+ M+ }' v" m3 z! R1 I" SBut 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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