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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.9 S! K+ H' @; z4 s7 ~# k/ G
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html( K( n( _+ K p3 E( I j# X- b* b
! ^3 I! w1 t8 a: u3 n |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.( A9 C0 y/ H7 X
- C1 ~3 q* y JPeople 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.. u1 [/ M& B/ \% l8 W
5 h* h7 U0 f, `8 ~5 J$ x" o8 [( QIn 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.9 w& `& h) [3 o9 d
3 H' _7 ]: ^4 h$ w: N& B- S( mWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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8 P( f. m. F2 o8 b" WAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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+ R. }2 |% W2 ~2 ]"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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$ }3 z, r3 I) r D; T: |"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.$ N4 j4 d. }1 O2 t1 `
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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.( j9 W8 x2 O/ n& E1 y4 _) G j7 {9 g
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Burleton knows how they feel.5 G- U+ G# Z& d' Q
; J" G6 R$ p/ K) m; v"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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% w! w& L8 \9 _8 `6 MWhile 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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5 o/ j7 D5 U6 B; `- BWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.. p6 F. v2 f- A& `7 Z; @' Y" ~9 `
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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.
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1 B' l: D$ @) ]" q& ^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.
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# b5 X. S: C1 U8 ]That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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9 {3 _! Y4 s) S& E2 T1 nDavid 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.+ q+ \" ~/ n. A( m- R
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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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8 C& T; }' {0 ~ p9 O. P0 y"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."% B' Z3 n6 T5 G
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act. B# T0 p+ B1 Y, k2 ?+ d O$ v
5 ?6 T5 O# S9 p' I3 W$ ^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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