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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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/ H3 o7 r( B* k9 f. }; chttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html! s" J8 h7 b q
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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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4 N. ^* u l. iPeople 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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8 e* l! S' p- U- F% Z( TIn 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." _, C. Z& B2 ^* R. J: w
/ d$ o; e# ?. h% f( f) B4 n1 yWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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% d( Q% w& I' X* c0 iAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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/ F- U! p' q$ Q/ g9 y/ Z- u/ W/ ?"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.0 m; G. ]% A. a/ f# H4 Y
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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.
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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8 f9 a1 x# W6 H"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.6 g! N' F; g, C; |& ?) ^+ y
9 {$ V; u7 D& E" V6 SWhile 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." o- ?; ~6 _! ~) o6 k
1 R" Q( ^* s5 F( ?4 SAnd 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.6 k) u- i- s4 e! `
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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.1 C7 B/ S( W1 U& c( Y
4 e v' e+ p) Y1 ?8 fMeanwhile, 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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% N: N; O2 [, XThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.9 b" D1 F6 ~' A" [: X
% W0 f; w& Y# X7 ?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.+ I. O8 J" z4 E8 s1 b2 D2 E5 o: g. c
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"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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9 W4 E( q9 v4 e+ m"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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( s, X0 ]( @4 T1 J0 o' I/ Z! ~) o0 rThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.& v% \4 M% q1 U5 C9 J) A
2 e- b# \% G8 h& D0 VBut 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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