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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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1 X5 C1 C8 J! Q; ]7 bhttp://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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7 E; X% g5 K. cPeople 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. G T0 m) z. q( B: p) h0 q$ r
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Why might it be a good time to sell? s* X) D& y! ]2 q" H5 A3 L# P% f
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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Z, w8 s. `4 E2 ]- o. p- \"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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5 W- ?6 _5 S1 \0 ]& ~ sThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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$ R* \) S+ @' a4 SOf 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./ A) ~" b* ]6 I1 h
. C: I6 K: C$ M/ K; h, J+ E/ I$ ^$ ZBurleton knows how they feel.
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4 U8 q* c6 l ~' X% l"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.. W: c/ b" F. k
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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.$ a6 R) m4 e, _& e, _4 f# n
( u' ~, \. n& I5 V8 D1 pAnd 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.' _* S, ~1 {6 |, ?# Z
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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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' g |) y9 V; gMeanwhile, 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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$ s, u$ c8 ^/ ?2 u6 ~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.5 A) G+ h( b% V" i0 J+ m3 v
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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.7 _: O K. a! e. `$ N8 @7 `
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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."; _, M' ~% H" W4 D$ |5 I# t# f# E$ a6 \
0 B/ ?( P! t; k4 i5 `$ GThe 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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