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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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% |" T, U% H$ Ahttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html4 ]+ j7 e/ H' O8 i! C* e% y# w
# W7 b( I& S! u( }2 I3 Y/ o3 ]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., G4 v' `6 d" Z- N2 S2 J4 b9 t
* M+ a) E2 L; P/ qPeople 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.
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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 $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.3 d3 w1 M; T; U- w
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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" @1 `% N: |! h, S0 H$ O"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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1 m( w" M5 _8 K# _" e3 fThe 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.5 n: I+ m2 |: A; A
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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.: i/ X0 z6 B4 e$ t% P U$ G1 z
+ H0 P9 L+ y% ?7 [Burleton knows how they feel.
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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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" c `% L5 _2 A. O: Z. VWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.' G Y2 V) I9 W' s- b. g
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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.! ]6 l0 L4 i: ` D! u+ f
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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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3 |0 A* J8 e R7 M: ?" eIn 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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; F8 p: ~6 H* [ A; w6 }& E# S: HMeanwhile, 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.
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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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% |2 g4 G6 E! x3 C"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.
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2 W7 A' W2 i, g0 |. ]* N"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."/ g5 y" \2 T# d. c# p! T" R
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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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. L! s% d: S) ~, Y) v* 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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