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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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6 \4 t% M( z4 @7 i% {+ Ehttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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' Z# \/ ?0 c, S- VOTTAWA - 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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4 e @* |' \6 K+ t4 i8 J# V* BPeople 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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: X$ y3 `) `2 h* 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.
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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- ]$ C7 Z; u5 u, }" ?At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.) x9 ~/ A: t& p6 X1 S/ b; A1 [
, i9 b* v! c; m3 p/ j"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.' p4 k$ y3 q }+ N2 v
/ i* C) z2 W# s, G4 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.& ^+ F8 _ W) Z6 L
1 E1 e7 D$ u. ?$ [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.
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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, M6 A' Z- O# v. j% w"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.' b0 W6 X# K% b3 J W8 b, m
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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.: K- s# F5 E, g& s8 i2 x0 \4 z* ~) C1 K
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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.$ e) n0 j% ?/ R' V6 N: x
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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.' A; k- L. S9 w5 z! h
5 u H. u' c* PMeanwhile, 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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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.! e9 _9 S2 S4 l0 r( Q
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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 j: z5 N# h, f/ H
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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. y! f1 z) A* T
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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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