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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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% ]+ I5 V) v4 ^$ }' b0 c+ u3 ^http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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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.
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4 @6 ]6 k0 d( n6 \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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9 M3 w" _. ^" d D' \. b& L 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.
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.% `+ @2 A, B' q+ b+ r: x9 t
/ L4 [' D: ~1 X# K" C( F8 B"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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3 z1 t- D$ t* q, d" p5 ~9 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.; i' ~0 ?# _% m; @. @
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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.+ I1 C$ S) N9 p& T- k, p: L. \5 Y
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Burleton knows how they feel.8 k' R; Q+ F8 a
v [9 x, q: T"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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0 ]- b5 P6 L" T: V/ TWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.( ?6 r/ m- F* t5 ~+ Q2 N
1 R: P, {/ Q/ e5 RWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.' C! M9 L4 X5 y' _9 Q
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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.' M9 Z. d% G. Y, K! W
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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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3 n% f# l6 a% b; |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.
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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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1 N6 {( M6 P4 w2 Q( rDavid 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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! ?8 B4 ?# l1 d8 g"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.8 D2 K$ U, W) N' b2 I
" C2 t3 [1 ]; w9 U+ Q2 @. \/ B"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."- v5 o$ }0 s, r8 ^
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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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