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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.( f0 L' I& e1 _" Z3 \ [% A
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html/ v1 @1 O* C4 \5 x4 W
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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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; Y: O" S7 y* EIn 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.' U2 [, O- R" g* n
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.! s; {6 q2 I: }* y
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.9 w# h$ p' h( Q8 V, l* _
/ n4 T$ l5 x* d8 h8 H9 c9 c5 VThe 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.
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' a6 N) ~! d% ?; O& gBurleton knows how they feel.4 {2 k7 o+ F$ |: `8 H, I) w; D
! [8 C$ d! o( s- |+ @"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.
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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.' l. v! T) I' _/ x% g) w
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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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( s+ ~6 U& j2 e5 b2 j Y, |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.0 C. j2 k* V2 [
: X6 r7 G: ]: p) }That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.: Y% T- V* @5 I! [# C1 {, ~; R3 N
9 F. U7 ^# R! i1 QDavid 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.+ X& l! p/ m0 a
; i& u1 y0 j0 ]8 g! J( U' B6 ]"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.) Z' f6 [9 w# W! @, @* ]' }: }
6 N9 z N0 P* C5 |* QBut 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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