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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖." X n) i8 C: J; Q, C+ s4 F/ o4 E
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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. V3 O% |& b0 g$ ?/ |5 u! JOTTAWA - 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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/ V! ]7 N. n0 T$ e+ 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.4 a5 }7 w& D/ H6 y2 _
' G* U: {* ]" {7 k+ hIn 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.7 k! @' B) v t$ ~5 {
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Why might it be a good time to sell?% Q7 ]6 v& @ D+ ~ I
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.3 _& N0 V6 p x4 F
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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b* |/ {; D5 j+ ~& T' p1 d0 eThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.# ~8 [. `- b5 R5 @. ?
1 W: l5 _: w( l- F# Z/ m/ ^Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.5 ]5 R4 m- I2 s; l
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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8 L- b, z/ _: x0 @: w4 o0 h"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said. C9 g7 @+ i# E# V8 v
6 ?" Q, L9 a- JWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.4 Y6 {* g) M0 H2 v+ \2 b9 Q
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With ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.: ^5 D! b% ~, ~$ c1 O- V
; T) p W0 I2 x- m! ?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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7 S+ k$ r9 P/ T4 F, i* t; `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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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.3 U' U$ Y# [$ H% p
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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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. ~7 h, s: @3 n( ^8 hDavid 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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9 K# }0 Q0 U) ~( `9 _6 L"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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"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."( ^1 x9 Q* l" K1 q$ h4 y! v
9 P9 b/ s0 i% [+ d$ BThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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/ f7 q e L! O3 h2 V2 a4 c8 h& T' jBut 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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