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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.2 K5 m5 R. N0 F/ K* U
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html& x% J+ L/ R! F# r8 }
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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.: T2 X+ u0 _( _8 g+ n
% L9 l& L3 N7 w# P& [, v% u+ ePeople 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.' s' W" `6 p# p" M+ L6 k
3 v4 x4 R1 _8 X, G8 |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.5 x+ n1 C, j, P
3 b9 M! |' ?4 I0 Z( I5 v0 tWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.7 `2 H1 X# C& A/ v* `5 l$ n+ y
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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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% J4 c2 c+ ]- a"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. o9 x5 C! ~- T/ ~! x; \ _* d
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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.' m. n' ?' D9 D6 D: ^# F; J: ^6 m
7 J+ a- w8 c: i6 S% n) HBurleton knows how they feel.0 c5 d" g: ^+ Y- I
. b- K! ]; L% q5 N$ E6 b& 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.0 x' A. S* q1 w
9 g& M: H: m$ D4 ^& E% ^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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Q" @9 w& n) h7 i# d: f6 sWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.0 w3 b1 X9 z- G& ]* [: _% g
: D, m. M4 d5 Q' ?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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4 d" V% Z/ M d9 r& v4 k% g6 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.
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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.6 C* O% P7 {! t
: {- ` h. U2 |1 M; H: b; nThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.9 \( R. I: V8 ?: |9 J9 O
( j& X# g! d$ N9 ]: @- m2 _' 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.
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o/ ^: x7 W. p"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.! Q; |5 [# b; L, n q' A
% z4 H- U" ~% b& 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."$ _( F# g N/ b' D
( y# ]) f' f' a) [ E' Y, 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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