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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖." H9 H' ~) ]( m9 r6 z' x
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html: T2 ?1 y! U/ |& [; S
0 i) V$ }5 n+ o+ t4 {/ yOTTAWA - 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., k& R7 V# r, w6 f8 W1 |
3 p m& N9 E# O- D! y' U1 P2 dPeople 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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z2 U' T% E" b& sIn 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.4 E3 K; G5 w: Z! S U
9 A# Y5 y6 N+ O, mWhy might it be a good time to sell?+ e. J' {: H `( j; d
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.' R- t& H0 c; S4 {
( n7 ?; W: ]+ t" p"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.6 q: E8 c1 G0 m5 `' s _
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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) P9 \$ ?8 t$ @4 z, \3 ?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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+ _( G* i8 V( c! U, n" X6 h) }7 pBurleton knows how they feel.- f/ Y0 H& G2 v7 H* {8 P
, \, N# Q7 ~( ?7 R: \% D"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.# w$ M( [* q) f; I$ V
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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.3 Q7 [- w. e' C
. c' e6 ?: U% h" @' S7 qWith 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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; z" y6 ?+ x# }" `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.: W* l; `3 n$ E* d
8 D4 g. m! |" y7 z9 y- h q* e" \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.: T. U( q" ]* S* t
- L6 h3 f. Q6 ^* K2 OMeanwhile, 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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: g' p2 r( ]4 x0 A9 K8 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.1 ]# u( ^9 I) D9 ^+ J" V
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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."
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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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1 P. f' x0 C; W$ }( g6 vBut 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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