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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖./ r# a+ s- I( U% b
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html0 L% ?/ k8 ^* R* S2 d" L7 t
6 y& C3 `: K' {# h$ J0 KOTTAWA - 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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) @0 b/ Z% W( x. F9 P, A" H, c9 cPeople 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 p, e' J) N& R8 q, i |. R3 TIn 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.+ F6 ^' ?6 ]2 d/ u t2 h9 ?
. g1 Z; v1 C" o4 V2 g; L. ?5 o; bWhy might it be a good time to sell?8 F; g; i9 M- w9 G7 e
q* ~( g1 C6 `' KAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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% X+ f8 ^6 d/ a# b% N$ z% h: T"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.9 F2 `/ G& h4 D* {
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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.* ^5 E- ]4 R& P" r3 F
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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.( `" m' h6 d/ {
) W$ t/ Y I5 V3 f4 S% s( M$ {( ]0 zBurleton knows how they feel.
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$ r: W. G: b! |- ~8 C& 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.; X1 V( O4 V6 r$ [0 }: J4 B
: ?# z5 L2 p" ]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.4 T' K/ j7 j4 C. x5 Y
* I& s q4 F3 [; f. X( H7 [5 mAnd 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.5 G, A* b u8 q+ g, K
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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.3 D' u! A8 u2 d& g3 l
1 d2 W# E9 R3 x( {8 M+ P$ {* D! JMeanwhile, 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.
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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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5 a# S9 b4 @# v: rDavid 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.1 B2 l( v6 ?* Y5 ^4 Q" ^/ |
) R9 i1 c# m, o {2 c& ~0 W0 u; c"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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# S: I6 e, p# Q/ h: G"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."' [( j( h$ g4 e( j" Z- Q! X& _' u
- X3 @1 [: T& W0 ~% ?, J- ~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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