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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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- F E" K( y! X1 ahttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html+ Z2 W/ }" i) D. J; _# l# f3 I" }
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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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0 x* o8 e% Z. QPeople 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.
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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.1 g% d" Y/ [; o) t- \- P& S! g3 f
, t+ m, ?, E% ~/ |! EWhy might it be a good time to sell?9 p; h* p9 _ l7 P) w
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.- A) X5 a* f0 q5 `) ]' S3 I) s
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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0 s' P% q0 X" b8 P5 QThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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* t$ B4 d8 Q. C4 p+ V* ]0 `Burleton knows how they feel.
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8 `8 n! G2 f+ U) D; a"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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9 a6 ~+ O; |1 G; I# k3 p6 ZWhile 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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/ I* @0 W# c0 C' F1 a$ N+ 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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" M3 V. C0 b j+ Q5 KAnd 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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7 `* g$ s/ c+ c' p% GIn 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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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.& Z+ v! ^4 I% b/ T, R }
# C' ` q" S# Y) ADavid 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."
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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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