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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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, F' l8 o j5 k* U$ Q) lhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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: K, i' W; G5 c2 i: S4 b! jOTTAWA - 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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' m3 z3 l- W, k. QPeople 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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6 E1 l6 S0 {1 p" O! m, o- w2 `0 j/ kIn 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.9 }3 q7 a8 Q+ O) R1 \) ]# A
4 {" z/ J- Y. m* IWhy might it be a good time to sell?& @4 h# ^8 M" T1 k `
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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: h# F- l1 m4 E% Q4 M0 x"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.0 w9 W8 |0 H5 m4 E0 d; Z, ?! `
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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6 T: `' i, W0 N8 {$ BThe 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.; F8 ]7 Y7 U0 `. T; q
1 X, G1 N) {+ pOf 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.
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) M/ N+ T+ g& C4 B( F$ x# b4 PBurleton knows how they feel.9 ~+ k' g. |# L2 ^, F% }
9 h/ o- ~" ], m% Z0 t9 u( `5 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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+ e4 D% j- ~, A( V! e& ]7 lWhile 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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" b7 M& I9 m6 @4 K2 kWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.0 ]* X. U; x# @9 {3 T d3 {5 j5 n
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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.! V' p0 k$ d+ l
9 E4 W P( }; \2 ]# f% YIn 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.# f2 K, U% ^& Q4 w
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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.% h1 U; Y, g- C4 ~) t1 y
" K4 G" k1 w# P5 RThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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! d2 ^ d5 r2 Z# |6 h" UDavid 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.9 ]2 o0 _% ~+ D# o
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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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# Y4 h' ^7 M# f"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.") {+ y. q8 ]9 Q4 ?* u
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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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