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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.& J" K4 G( K% g" K
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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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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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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?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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5 z u; r9 R* \& p Q"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.1 q( r C6 h u8 y. K/ A8 C
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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. P4 q2 }$ ~2 N' I& HThe 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.% V) M) Q: F/ }) z- g# j
! n6 o9 C! m6 }2 d0 NOf 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.( |0 ?4 d6 v+ S/ h9 u) X, h
/ t! ?; K- U' b+ H' }8 p5 W4 y; ]Burleton knows how they feel.- U+ A3 l0 U& i
! r+ e2 b; d1 p0 {- B"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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P6 ^, y+ e6 ~9 |* G' K2 _' NWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.0 F" b- ]' X9 }9 a. y `9 g, d" ]
, h' l- c$ i4 F5 K' cWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.4 P8 x, p0 }$ R4 s" V' D+ B0 N% G2 l
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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./ R& k3 ^* c' 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.$ z, O% u1 w3 H* Z s3 x
* i* k& r3 n5 s" _! @4 @. K5 \8 a' TMeanwhile, 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.3 v4 N d! A3 ] {1 C# C
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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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9 x$ k1 U# \ a% b- W5 b- pDavid 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. Y3 o. z% n% x n4 [: V
4 i( T; R, v# t7 g$ @- H K0 X"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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. N. n9 d/ m8 n. Y; F9 N' J"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."5 ]0 x5 b% N- _$ r
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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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2 D# F) R w& F3 @ t5 fBut 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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