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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖. b: @' W# I; ?; G9 g( z$ P/ o0 Y
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html0 v5 H6 n# Y8 h
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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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! l+ u# S7 m/ }8 F8 d# JIn 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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7 V g5 R, D$ q bWhy might it be a good time to sell?9 \* M. k- d% t0 A
1 ~( k7 `7 C' M8 y# aAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.) T0 E$ _- R; |' U
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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.$ }* o* X) A6 b7 ?, ~# d: [& a
& V: E) `6 \, a+ Z* }"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.8 N. b; `. _2 Q1 F
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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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9 H; B4 I3 S$ W; w2 N' \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.4 ]1 y: w, b! ~" G, I" L1 o3 ]
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Burleton knows how they feel.& [0 r. O" A8 Q0 _1 Z; M8 R
8 `3 x( X8 b. N* {"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.
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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.- [0 A% J1 {, f
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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.7 k- h6 j7 O3 e1 b
1 J4 N, J1 [% j3 `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.% m# Q% o* { d( U6 P4 |# O) A
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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.0 \" ^8 O# A5 b5 @
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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./ s3 X3 ~3 i9 u, e# e, s
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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.! u; m. [8 @6 A4 W2 G
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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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