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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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/ L5 S: f9 J" B* R; w/ Fhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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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.
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?5 z a2 d+ L zIn 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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* L% N7 F. J; Y" T& p& Q' jWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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. \& s4 M& a& V# h+ WAt 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.# D, n) H C7 g9 t
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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.9 u. p- E& M) t! q: V5 i6 f3 @
' {' P3 V0 |0 L4 X; Z. k"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.4 A+ A0 D9 s M _: {
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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.- T1 c. y5 ?* {& I1 X
$ C! v, Z T: g8 C4 x8 BBurleton knows how they feel.
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"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.1 p' h; o4 c0 G9 C' L+ S! h: e
& e$ p& e o4 T' @7 |: Y4 m/ _+ o/ ^0 vWith 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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$ ?* x H5 V& i/ `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.+ V2 [" t7 H3 P) ?" g0 T$ \
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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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1 \+ l5 t& H x' ~: ?% u1 sMeanwhile, 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., f* K9 k+ }' K+ A% K W- S2 j9 L# E$ M
& g9 H4 y& s( \& z1 Y! f1 G% T"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 B" n+ M3 |4 N2 ^& ~3 O9 C
* x* S6 F/ {; m- A5 w" 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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/ p+ S; p* }3 ^, dThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.( |- A) V) R$ p: u5 q7 _
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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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