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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.( w& H" S- G$ [5 J- `& M7 v
9 Q3 |6 x! U- D- ~# y, E! Ahttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html* O. N3 C) |# _' c, @2 T8 A' v1 }
# g) Y c7 O$ ?1 y1 p" x- ROTTAWA - 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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9 U2 C" G$ c) h$ U. WPeople 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./ B2 E& J9 c2 w4 u
; R" I7 N6 C8 ~% L7 L$ iIn 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.+ i& ` m" e6 d* V8 t+ ^- `
( ~7 {4 p$ n& b* S" K& z8 DWhy might it be a good time to sell? m( A2 d/ r6 E8 d+ S
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.( s3 D$ T" X! h9 E5 @9 K4 J* j
3 F* M) ~6 H4 a Q$ |2 ^2 i4 C"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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8 f5 v, \8 F0 H% D A) n# S2 O. C7 k7 v"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.0 f; J6 F, `2 |) Y: _, Y" s7 C
. V2 D Q1 g+ z9 R L8 `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.+ {4 s. o9 B( B4 U5 J
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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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Burleton knows how they feel.
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( `* P1 J5 f/ x2 V/ _3 d+ V"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.: o2 [' s: D5 r7 H
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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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5 H8 h% N, G2 }5 l. X- ?" HWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.' z d+ e: [4 m3 ~# j
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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.
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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.8 r/ K6 t) ?! w
4 o2 O4 f F& T$ ?$ P1 Z3 w+ CMeanwhile, 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.# ]( X V6 [4 }4 W
8 [6 p3 r! h# r8 `% q# pThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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- n1 n& X1 G( `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.2 u' c+ _, [* O- p
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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.' A4 j# v; k$ |' G' T: K
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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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8 ?: p; p4 z8 ?, L+ D9 zBut 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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