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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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' L+ \0 d% b ]: |+ b xhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html% a7 t6 C" j! c! g# t( Y' x
9 { V. v) W: h# ]. d& GOTTAWA - 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.
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2 D8 Y. U# T' Z8 L4 r! ]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.
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Why might it be a good time to sell?9 f3 a" r, V; R o, N; i. J. {
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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% z2 X$ C! N2 `; a"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.+ X2 L3 j' d$ r! c! l
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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.2 Y+ u+ J" t. T5 ^' i2 T" M2 s
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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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* E! s9 r3 q3 P; R) vBurleton knows how they feel.: [/ N9 F% i; C$ O2 p, q- k. s
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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.) U& P9 M& T) {5 T& e2 T) N
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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.
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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.7 l; O: n+ q p0 w4 W
* N& o8 \: g6 `, V/ xAnd 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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( E( M& C& v* `. G! zIn 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.; }& j8 M8 v2 g
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.1 `4 T! ?! s% s u
( W3 m9 _4 Q4 w/ z/ N3 K9 ^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.: G" V' F0 z0 s4 I
, B; J+ p5 p- C3 h) l6 @/ P"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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- }$ T5 z% c% O" |- _; ?The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.) h, E0 M' Q# x% i
3 e) r1 i, m gBut 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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