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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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3 V& q4 N! E$ i2 f; Yhttp://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.
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/ B8 E) n# w) c6 X5 W- xIn 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.+ a1 m2 {6 h+ s7 `' k k0 c0 E
w1 H! Y O1 v7 U' w3 x6 HWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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; v. s5 C6 ^, J"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.% f+ c% u$ t ^* j
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.# A! i6 S- X9 H. D4 K
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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.- S: l6 b: ]- A. I* d
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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.6 a/ U1 {+ e7 F( U0 W: \; q
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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1 u& e/ p6 y' q0 E"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.4 t# v* }' k* J [6 C% W) E* ^
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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./ H! M7 |& g% T* T O2 K
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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.% ]+ R& b( c' K* G. e
: _) @5 [" T6 c* ]" I6 | hIn 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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4 k# r* D$ M) f* |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.% M+ t* s' g1 {2 }% T1 o7 _. a
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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." V D' h1 @6 I( Q; W" C2 Y5 J
! X2 Q+ y8 b. {. o' @"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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( ~* k9 B% y3 s: Q Z: V: XThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.; p' k0 T# ^! E& \. I( _
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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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