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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html2 V; D1 q& s. u
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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.$ j$ @! E5 b, v
( b6 s0 A* ]( W* 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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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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! h% i& Y& p& T$ |Why might it be a good time to sell?' n- `. @- V& |! K4 l
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.: z# D+ S$ T4 T. m9 e& f: y! \
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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.6 ?; o6 p9 T; N7 K3 S" e4 }/ d
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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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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.; ~' O: P7 G( H) W+ @% s6 q9 K/ J
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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.6 a/ L, x0 `) I5 m
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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"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.& V5 I8 e. x, d- Z8 o2 }9 O0 c
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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.7 S" `+ \0 Y9 U
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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.# s! J9 S1 r! `, y! Y7 A; S- }
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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.- [# P& r. k% x7 s6 `0 W
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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.5 }# M& n. d% a$ q0 A
! X' \; G4 s: L( MMeanwhile, 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." }! E& n3 L% P: ] 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./ r7 M6 @4 g; A5 v8 F4 b
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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.# _/ q r) Q, S; c6 ^) Q9 K
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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.$ r. {+ g! p- v; `: M) N, `9 H
+ r7 ^* z. G6 y0 I6 W. w: c! S"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."4 E, O5 g" P( a6 C
4 M+ U* G: }) |% ZThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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; h% u0 ~) q5 T" \" L. R) PBut 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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