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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖./ f% K& e% s7 i1 F% a
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html. D% S5 j6 ^9 u9 |* v5 @
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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./ k5 _; @4 L) t! _/ w7 ?* r! k
& v. a3 t$ b# b. Y! d7 BPeople 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.- U2 O6 K: B5 n' D2 W% `# B
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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.% s8 J8 \! T: X; I5 h
9 u4 _, R' W# _) E' tWhy might it be a good time to sell? @ O3 m! Z" C) m
, Q9 z( J$ P3 f0 M+ \7 u5 P' [At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.2 l" X1 p0 [7 _
* M) w" O; V" t"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.' _" Y( C `& X1 X8 j
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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, h& x" Q% Z0 F( d; G! H9 AOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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2 ~% [& K+ h6 l% E7 g" h+ ~9 pBurleton knows how they feel.
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"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.& \. u# c. j+ w9 V* y4 g
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While there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.
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2 v2 o1 V/ O" y% N% ]' L' z* dWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.
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3 D$ D- P; U5 h2 C4 t% q( CAnd 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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5 e0 ?1 X B+ S! j8 PIn 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.# A. i% U0 q6 {7 t# [
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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.1 J6 q! m4 s' l! h7 X6 |& }/ A
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying." L/ m) Z. p G1 j
( T% O" ^4 ^& G6 e0 dDavid 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.% K7 J0 w. f1 `; W; e/ J
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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.* m9 Z4 S: ]0 s8 H
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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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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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