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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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" y7 @$ v0 A& _7 g8 T5 Z( qhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html1 k8 g2 \' y) k
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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.
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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.; l* m6 E I7 o P, ~
4 ?9 M T9 u0 I, W- g# dIn 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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, j3 {6 y, ]5 s6 a8 C% @1 D0 {Why might it be a good time to sell?/ y6 ?' k% I+ Z: K
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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4 b) s' T* j" G6 F. T9 x"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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% r1 \4 o9 y4 N! B8 D"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.) @7 S$ `. m% l
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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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/ M& L' L; V( A6 ?- JOf 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.3 @6 ^; r! A9 d& I! v
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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, Q5 x/ M* W. I"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.& {( K$ w2 z: k* z
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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.3 z% r9 R+ v; Q. m
5 @& M5 E" u5 q& PWith 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.
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# {- p3 E5 _0 D$ {: c9 qIn 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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8 f; y' W6 f" @, K. RMeanwhile, 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.4 j! ^: C. M1 m& ]4 _6 L! {
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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David 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.- u( e2 }+ I, N
8 H5 E8 z) k( h2 N C"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. D% P \8 b p$ H$ t- x3 v
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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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I9 c7 r; i6 U3 j. h8 GThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.: w4 d( z" y) c/ T3 d8 A. _
/ e% W/ ^; _, PBut 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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