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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.' c: y5 \/ j; y( o, d, Y$ ]8 o
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html1 |+ P5 H. V% E: P x
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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.7 d4 \/ q2 c" H- }6 h
! y4 S/ ^9 v. H- ~6 I% d" {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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9 K% r! z2 V( H9 ^' mIn 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?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.0 w/ S K" _1 ^1 ?$ V9 D' r
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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.0 B* V' E8 d! a) N
$ f9 Y2 v9 e9 s! H"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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+ ~( P9 `% @# C9 e+ M: tOf 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." {: X( ?# J' ^3 c
: ]: @. g D' K6 R$ L7 rBurleton knows how they feel.
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, }( Z$ j+ I' Y6 ~"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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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.
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# K/ ]) S, Y+ C# y5 j# |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., r/ J1 o/ ~7 V: G3 i
- e9 c ]* y$ h, M2 mAnd 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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% s7 I: B* U1 o7 [7 E7 CIn 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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( o! C5 p' w9 |. v% U6 Q9 Q4 F+ dMeanwhile, 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.3 T/ q6 J+ ?" Q$ N2 K6 S
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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.
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' I0 O' f0 O& E3 G2 W$ y* b"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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3 ^0 ?$ x- c$ A"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.' h6 t9 u5 d5 c- M! m
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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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