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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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0 `. F; y# l* @http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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z" d3 M4 x" a( ?" `1 d" H& [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.
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7 V/ y" `" R& c& X4 r7 a- VPeople 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.: t- h% B- E7 U* r3 k
& s/ x! c0 J0 }( q( \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.
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Why might it be a good time to sell?8 ?6 ^* t7 s2 v; N1 |* T7 m% L
% p+ s1 d8 x* HAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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0 k/ }. z( w9 a- r4 `2 \- L% ["Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank." Y2 c# w O% Z8 S/ \' w% s, a
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.6 W5 x: u% j. N/ t. K
' m- I9 [6 B: `# b, l$ TThe 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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. A9 [$ q& j" {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.' h/ e! Q: t; L
9 x- _2 q9 T# a! U6 h+ nBurleton knows how they feel.
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8 ]- |6 T2 y9 R% y"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.# p; B: L& F y5 _" _
1 J% X |- H# ]6 w% 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.2 o. ~+ D3 a2 h
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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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& y$ V( @4 U8 h8 xIn 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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5 a% X3 k' U2 h) ~ T! _+ p% pMeanwhile, 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.- P9 Z9 k4 j2 I" {3 {
) b q$ [8 z0 b& }6 IThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying., a4 w+ \) p. O0 `8 L+ Y6 [
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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.# Y9 {& R; s* D) h' T: T Z
8 m- ~2 K; _# ?"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."
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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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