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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.1 t K# Z: ~, g" l( y
; B# n' `. ~; g1 d2 Rhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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0 o0 B1 J. P+ ~9 B+ HOTTAWA - 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.
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# l5 @. |& c( Y1 r# K5 m5 n8 qPeople 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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: X6 T7 H0 ~( f* P* } O2 v0 WIn 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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. D, _' {$ H! J1 E& C" ZWhy might it be a good time to sell?6 g* i( A6 |1 l# g
# _5 o% o+ T% W. C! B) k, C9 OAt 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.# ?# M9 W2 M+ ~# C" j7 e
$ n k& ?) j( N7 R$ f"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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% O% b9 d& {8 h! m' b0 F5 j"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.1 {) J2 r, L- v
" d. g; N. F7 XOf 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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Burleton knows how they feel.7 n9 j( @1 N! T! Z% {. M; ?+ h
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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.3 A8 P, ]: H5 X8 T& B% q; V& ^
. O7 F% g: m8 X+ ?0 M4 P# H$ h- kWhile 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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1 y$ a& Y/ n% yWith 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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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.7 i1 V. E7 G, S6 Y+ k9 Q
! E- b. L2 G/ Q, K8 L8 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.' H8 G; A) D, }8 U, i
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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.- M+ ^' I+ q% S+ x% \$ |- R
& ]7 G0 S5 U; E( V/ 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.; F. M$ p9 A3 P+ x, U' F$ ?
& @% U6 |7 U$ m P5 h; K' J' r"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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% s5 e4 \" }* k' S5 QBut 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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