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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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7 |# p, b/ {( x7 ghttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html5 D5 A( [7 \, S+ ~+ Z4 A# h6 T% k
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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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/ W$ ~0 R6 X% N1 ^0 a+ R: bPeople 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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# |5 @% L5 j! G, v- zIn 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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; c/ E" h l9 }& S+ YWhy might it be a good time to sell?9 @. @& d9 h+ ` h9 Q
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.: e# i# j. Q8 O% {* U
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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: X! J) A. e% N3 Z"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop." @) k' X5 T. n$ S
( R8 n% s5 n }: q* F( ?7 y; tThe 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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: G( v. L0 B2 k9 F) sOf 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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6 Z8 d: h, W+ E5 i$ ?Burleton knows how they feel.) i5 q8 X* H% J* D* a2 m' D2 r1 g
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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.+ C/ H/ t* k& u. Q2 G- x. C
. d6 K4 @4 }# A2 UAnd 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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( L$ {0 T3 p: s4 a. G7 m- Q9 P1 f5 WIn 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.& A& T' H" q N1 T% Z& P2 b! A' o
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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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4 A/ L, l7 j& @0 p2 B7 G/ V# M6 E- fDavid 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.: h* A9 _8 L, o) R' [
7 R9 Z( A" g% }5 k0 _/ @& _, j"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.% Y- K8 |4 X8 w% M2 ~4 b y9 B
O7 V& `. j: k* Z# W- g: t"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./ u, U/ x; v( S) \: D0 L
3 y7 ?2 h2 q+ |/ ]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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