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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.) c1 E0 |& {# z9 A
: O, u0 y3 R+ c" t* v; uhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html) i" F+ N* {* d
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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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* Z7 X' \8 i4 C" IPeople 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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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.1 ~( ^* @5 z4 [1 h% `) y: G
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Why might it be a good time to sell?; @/ F H9 K* @# r. i5 w
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.# P/ }. X# [8 i
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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8 |& z" o8 q( O! I+ _Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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2 k8 O: e# S$ R, X"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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+ C. r; L$ s' X% Z. o3 wWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way." {* L9 i& S; s4 n+ p$ H1 f
# u" {* ^) T2 h( L, @4 A# o3 ?" KWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.
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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.3 K0 @2 n+ p/ D
3 P' A Z% D9 A5 C) qIn 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.; ]5 f; W7 l9 g4 i" k
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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.
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! G* P6 b0 K6 c* M8 |* v6 {8 SThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.3 B3 ~7 i0 w0 e5 s+ C
6 q/ K% g* B4 [: t( r! tDavid 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.5 c4 ~. `! R2 V( g. m& ^
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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.* I; | k' k2 Z$ G' }
: \$ _6 H7 E- x$ g"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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. _8 @* M+ D4 OThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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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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