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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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, p* {. n# r- u( Ehttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html2 n; n( M2 J( u8 x
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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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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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- i8 K8 J4 k0 e* ?' fIn 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?, F- k7 Y4 z# r7 C
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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% ?$ @3 `5 `9 ]"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.- P+ @6 d" Z/ u- d5 I) g
/ f0 A; k! C M3 T) b"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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* R8 D9 G5 I+ | f+ o6 o0 u1 z9 MThe 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.% L( c, A! n7 d/ s; u0 ]
/ U( y, `8 b! QBurleton 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.* |7 ^. [! y# k/ n, J% c- R
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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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4 |/ C l( J! P( q: a9 M/ q* VWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.- D- G; i9 h+ f' \
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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., |. k* L2 T/ A) |% t( `
" Z0 I$ T! J3 ]! [* RIn 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., G6 p: w/ Q3 F% f+ x
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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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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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"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., w0 |8 G6 h5 I( [1 w: 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."
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.# D' d5 U) t: |; a; b' K* w
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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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