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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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4 G* Q: J& q! [+ M: o3 M1 Shttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html' o+ s1 h! X. z
& L6 U5 u: q, y6 u4 r; n5 H: r$ OOTTAWA - 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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+ G! t9 e5 d/ p0 NPeople 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.2 K( i0 @6 t' B( W* Z, o
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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.3 u- L/ b0 o- A, S/ l) N6 b
6 s4 }- @8 a6 S7 RWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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1 j# r! o( k/ C; u4 }At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.+ ^1 T2 c8 q7 `. R5 O
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.6 B; D/ U% M7 W( t& P
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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# R- C+ G" @1 uThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower." @+ ?2 x/ b) b( L( E6 m% k
/ Y1 H* A% k- a' `; }Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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Burleton knows how they feel.) z2 p2 b! j& m3 F8 v
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"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.& k) Z+ ]5 r4 A+ u v
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While there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.
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With ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.
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* k3 h6 {$ a6 \1 q3 }+ a7 vAnd 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." n3 |7 u( r- ?5 _! f3 A( r) Z
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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./ x% M1 ^4 J2 L7 V& Q9 y( f
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.1 W$ E4 a# e5 v" o
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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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, }+ Q& e5 R/ n/ O; t* Y"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.) [- g& c$ P! P% f) k$ D0 D
9 x4 l0 V0 r6 m: c5 q6 y7 \"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.", j+ b( X% y+ @! ~1 z
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act. y+ K* u8 C+ s2 j5 B3 N7 ^- x
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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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