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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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, A5 g* U( ?( X: p# whttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html2 }* ?9 I# v5 ^; z0 |. t* U
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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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; }; [! l2 r1 V' {) ^+ \" V# y. O3 IPeople 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.: j" I4 s8 ?/ q; l* X5 N7 S1 P
1 k; N( l: L' U- tIn 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.8 [, J& a c B. t, o! m8 c# ?
Q9 _) b: f6 P5 _7 Z# K; x' QWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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2 j# q( j! c6 ~% o, V0 H9 N/ g8 yAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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+ ]0 F) i6 i1 z4 F* I" q"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.$ W$ a: M, g3 q! Z2 n5 p5 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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% S4 U: K# s0 L5 z3 ^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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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.% t: X3 h: {0 X2 I8 V6 t( d
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Burleton knows how they feel.& b5 i+ C3 P8 t2 s" T* f
" Q" K3 Z( K0 B% J9 s"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.. h1 ^0 z4 l6 C; R
4 o; a( L3 D5 V; K: X( w& WWith 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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, J: M# X7 j3 }5 UAnd 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.2 ?! Q5 N4 {4 n
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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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2 |% N3 b$ o' I# q: k$ B0 h6 AMeanwhile, 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.5 K2 Y% n- u/ i5 K6 f
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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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' L& L* N A. ]: L* w7 z) O# 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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"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."4 ]7 \8 m$ j# x/ w
# d* Q& @- `5 x& G' @5 ~1 @3 T' OThe 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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