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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖., N8 x1 b. ?/ s; S. D
- J6 s& S$ y$ @. c0 Xhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html; p; h# P( O/ P1 {' g
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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.' B w- \7 B' Q1 h+ k
$ q# a/ ]& k$ S9 D! x( L. `People 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.0 F5 t: `2 I/ \' ]
" K3 {- a( Y% K& ?" ?" h# RWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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( t% k5 l. e- u( X, ?. i) ?At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets. g B5 _1 Q4 e- c$ T/ C
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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.9 U* c$ e5 }. R2 O3 F
/ ]5 L' E5 F9 t+ W"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.' J8 }6 M; {. n
) Y: D& _$ O) q) xThe 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.( F* ?8 Z9 j/ C; t* U6 @
6 @1 w) W1 Q/ q' _4 I) [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 M+ C1 L( W, D7 Q C
+ r/ y1 I4 S2 a+ x3 vBurleton 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.
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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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* d- D! e3 w7 }$ OWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.8 Q/ U% y2 A; ]
$ _$ d9 }+ T! s( V+ s9 j; n( HAnd 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.: n; m2 h1 M v M2 C
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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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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 Y. p: R8 ^- r. I$ P
/ F. {; w$ i. g$ I: g( MThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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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.
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$ z/ m( h) ^+ ^- h1 s2 |! ]0 @"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.' V- x3 J( O- ~
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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$ p& ` ~1 \* A; B' S
# ^4 t0 i, ~9 @& M2 F2 w% c$ FThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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S; H) o* Z' F$ h2 |4 Q7 oBut 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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