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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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! Y7 ]% g, e" g; V- B s* r* Lhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html2 i; Q& E& P+ K0 N3 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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. v0 v( a8 u, FPeople 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.# _5 _. [ M* C
! E# J* q6 P! SIn 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.% P) L; I4 s! U6 D8 {8 ]0 V/ }
2 ?9 ?6 H1 e; ?Why might it be a good time to sell?
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' n" x( \! w) {At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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: R) O: a- G0 B+ L9 v9 P"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.8 @6 n0 N% F+ A" S) c7 o' g
- N; i) [0 d% A: n% P3 yThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.
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While there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.$ R9 _* v, B) @. L W- o' s
$ O& W. P3 W' C- z hWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.0 K, _0 b4 h; i( B/ B
+ e. E( V D1 \$ `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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2 v- K: B% ]3 U, OIn 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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/ j5 V3 j4 m' e' E# ` Z" u, F3 p- SThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying./ z& i9 u6 h; H! u0 P
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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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"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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"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 A' Z# U, K8 N6 |2 W
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The 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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