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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖. ?6 \& Y, m5 Q3 }/ Y) |# w0 D
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html/ l8 D0 h3 P. y( c
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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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. Q$ c$ I/ l5 P; kPeople 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." A1 E: u3 \ d. V( B4 O
! e8 _& w% E z T' Y$ n. @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., F4 A5 J6 z, g5 {) D4 N' k$ c
0 |% s& p; ?# H* ]9 MWhy 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 x* [5 U1 O+ B! z2 k; z
( w5 |# h/ C) R1 A% m) \( j( r"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.( m: }" G% r* f) x
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.' g6 i9 O6 m" o9 y9 M2 \3 f7 G$ @
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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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' o, T1 t( d7 r1 Z& |, fOf 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.) g; D9 W; A5 y/ T1 q& p" V" Y3 w
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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., E2 e8 S' @, O8 z
7 |7 c( s3 u& R6 ]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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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.8 l- n ^8 S0 X
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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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0 g, [2 E# r+ B! RMeanwhile, 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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$ j0 X; K9 [0 m) E3 \# PThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.1 {; Z+ |8 N9 B& p( k
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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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/ s$ [" i* r' U, D"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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0 y4 w( ~% S. u3 ?8 P# k2 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."0 @0 }' M2 o; p, h6 r
1 y3 l7 O/ h% K T- [# q6 J! H/ HThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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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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