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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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4 w* C' f" q5 ^( ?8 R" Mhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html2 x' F! |: Y( c S: C" P1 @3 B5 O
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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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6 w( v2 _3 U. u4 q( @* ?) m5 D! gPeople 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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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.0 {1 S3 ~0 [8 I+ I0 ~! F6 i
5 P6 \$ P d. FWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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, C/ E9 b$ W+ H0 b2 m+ E7 gAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.7 l5 [8 M G, x8 s7 [7 I
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank." J: @$ t- r! s+ v: N" L
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.' ?. i% w4 S5 R$ \
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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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% V% V# s8 b$ B( V. AOf 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.5 V2 v; x j/ ]# c8 r+ s
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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: R) O+ ^0 M8 k3 _2 F+ D% N) s"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.' w. S! |3 p" l( H* M2 z' Q7 Z
: U9 W) Q+ O) }) o& h0 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.; m% W$ }6 F% ~0 `
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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.- o" w: W3 w3 b) A
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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.$ ^9 W5 b( H: j: m0 A
5 Q0 s+ p1 H8 `: }5 E# hThat 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." R0 w, F# ` z; C, C
' \1 j0 `4 e0 W5 G8 d"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.
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- b5 m3 Y9 G$ q% h3 @1 p/ p"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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! F# ]8 M, Y0 S# X1 O& v$ ^The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.8 R! S1 t# |( p! C" @8 {
1 G0 q. z# `7 @4 F- k; S) \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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