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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.* P& k3 R; s. v# o) m. G g
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html' O( m* M& |7 c0 q8 v1 @. L
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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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( [, {5 m, \ ?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.+ B; |# s2 W. G, a7 b# G) G
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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.6 F- ?4 i% k1 l: E& `. w" F
7 o# @$ P1 N1 l- A- W* yWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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! z, u+ u& L9 }( d& | O; Y' G9 hAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.. c# R) p9 P% s3 F6 w, d/ o% f6 ?" w
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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2 n6 q8 C: |0 U3 P% D4 O"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.: {! n, T1 |9 x. w! k* O
4 o. b9 z2 j, m' w) sThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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6 y+ v ]" H$ P' [ ]% [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.# g9 u: N0 ^: L& |
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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. N7 |3 E w5 t) W0 Z' S: j1 `, }/ 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.5 k' |/ c) S& V: n" y. s
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With 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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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.
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2 p ^, k* r# m I+ ?# |0 p8 r( z# cIn 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.1 o3 d0 G# U) f* p3 G7 O
6 j. O( s$ t Z" E- i+ z7 {$ zMeanwhile, 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.* R* e$ @1 \2 \; m N3 @
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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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" i' W$ \3 q1 ]1 \0 L; JDavid 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.4 }( H3 y: R4 s3 ?- G- l
( J8 C% F8 Y7 u( k _"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.
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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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