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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.& n" `9 W: r g
5 T) _% O4 P) H0 phttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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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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People 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.3 R S3 `3 y) S
$ K/ f( c, r' ~: R; bIn 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. N6 x" H4 }* Y$ Q! G3 j
6 J5 }7 _. ~3 G3 _# W; vWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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+ W4 r) b. i& b k& `/ u( EAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.2 ]6 u. x$ W2 S5 h9 |: z
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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.: u* C/ j( O- x. g w$ z
3 u) v) d; D/ V: V9 y0 m"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.8 ~ Y0 r: Y' U
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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.6 _" Y, y. Q: D* E4 J
3 y+ p1 @$ d a% g4 H8 S2 C( z"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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( b5 @ ?* S; \ a8 L3 V i- s/ ~& lWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.( g5 J. |% l5 N, d) r+ ]8 N
, F7 j0 b& \4 KWith 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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: V4 J5 a1 |# @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.) s. a7 C5 o2 S3 m1 ?" I
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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.' L6 o" g c- g; M# A( H, a9 R& Z2 u
6 T; d+ ?% U7 q) h, r* oMeanwhile, 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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3 m7 |1 u& g* Y! C: C! ?5 DThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.; \/ x! l* I- R+ l# q2 O% U
# O+ M1 L0 d3 t" CDavid 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.$ W* S/ P1 i" U3 l$ p
2 H Y8 K' r. ^% O& @8 Z- l"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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+ _2 L. ?5 ^8 |' B4 M; c"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& Y# b9 v2 b6 P
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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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