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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖. U' J1 k# J! d
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, U) y5 c# v2 aOTTAWA - 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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7 {4 a! Z+ s# B+ l# v3 vPeople 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.- F1 ?+ k3 g6 N; K5 n& f4 l
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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.
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' x- t" u8 U5 {( \ M; l, OWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.) t/ B2 j( `" Q' l
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.: l' u0 |0 G W
/ Z2 I- K2 J+ o# @* ~9 A# i5 HThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.$ |- j. C( x1 ~
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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.
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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.+ B% h/ W" f8 j3 r9 x! @" t
" |6 [$ W# c1 `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+ ~3 x- F- H: C; ]% U: @: G4 D
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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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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.% T/ A# a2 I- K s% g3 I7 B/ 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.
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) f5 F. i" F; K2 nDavid 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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$ f }- t( R1 F, c$ ^) {% R"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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- A! ~1 G# U9 g6 E" }0 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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1 p, B# ~- [& |4 V( \The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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* U" c k- p& g( l' w( f" cBut 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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