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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.9 c% Y5 x. f8 E& N& g3 P$ x2 z, O
! k0 B2 R$ l# Ahttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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3 i/ D3 }# _: X/ gOTTAWA - 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.
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* l m& r) o$ W, N, PIn 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?8 P3 M: p$ y8 N; l$ j& C
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.: o+ a+ J- M/ u( W A4 D
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.3 F& h: _ E+ \: ?8 A
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians." ]( A. C; S& S3 ~
4 y" Y+ o3 T1 }/ _+ ^+ F$ O* |Burleton knows how they feel. l# `6 e1 [6 Y0 b( h, r6 o" b* f; {
! D: C3 W9 c4 u3 V"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.. C: t2 ~# R4 m
8 T4 \' r) v5 e6 o4 G. _& Q' M! @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." U+ w3 v% o& J! W) e0 \( v
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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.4 j6 Z) j4 I) g% H
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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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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.% G* b1 c2 ?3 u' N
4 P5 {3 P8 X- T& J% g/ f: VMeanwhile, 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.
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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. C! u8 l" T& J- R+ G0 n* [4 v" M
, c8 f/ o0 X2 b! @1 `"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.5 S- B8 c- Z% t( x0 a- G
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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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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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$ j- f! ~: p- F/ A; a- lBut 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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