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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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3 u: A Q$ ]* ^2 y3 j& h5 m2 B! Mhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html& q6 G2 `1 L0 T5 s' y
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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.6 g* d- C( _9 D
, K& K! D: s; b. \( @3 ~5 lPeople 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.) X; S( V% G- [
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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.1 n* B; l8 l$ K. i, W
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Why might it be a good time to sell?2 d4 b1 c" \' O8 I5 a
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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/ M3 T1 ]- c$ c4 [- e$ V. b"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.
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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.6 j2 f2 A2 b" u
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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% e Y: L6 [5 ^: [0 N8 O"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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" F: P* _1 j- n% m& X; D1 JWhile 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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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., x3 { J9 s# A9 F9 n
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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.7 L/ M3 H6 S7 F$ |/ u" r
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.5 @+ I- H" G6 J. `6 k+ [) ?
* Z1 R! k) V% PDavid 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.* ]5 [( w! B* {. ]* }
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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. O6 ^6 G4 [. c( e
, P( \, Q/ Z% E8 F"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."- ~5 B) L7 T, G( `! }
2 O" T9 \6 r* Y# [: W9 q7 Q: ?2 qThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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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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