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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖." c* `0 I. D' C$ X4 J
) ~: \# W9 v( \% _2 |' Xhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html. h& E# }) O# ^# G4 b" ]5 }9 v, x9 @
; g4 h7 y& p& p8 X- ^5 aOTTAWA - 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.7 Q" i4 L) ^( q5 V% S& _4 x
. [; h/ e$ ^7 [1 X% @/ @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.: q: {8 x1 c3 ~: C g: g$ d
; b1 S3 L3 [0 L# b2 EIn 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." {" _ W0 b. R- {0 L
9 ~( Q$ S. |+ U3 hWhy might it be a good time to sell?7 l' R: e }# n
" a" C Q9 z$ B) n0 M3 D* fAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.* ]" R& {1 c* e7 z1 v
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.2 d$ m8 T7 E" x6 {) o
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.* U/ r r/ b; N5 b
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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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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., S7 w ^ \, Y- ?
( E: S1 Z9 [9 E. P" a* RBurleton knows how they feel.8 m& @( c/ v( W/ ~* d
4 n7 L4 l5 |# {; x/ A"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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( Y+ q! r C! a6 }+ MWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.1 X2 m+ X ?9 \8 Q) g
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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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- z" J+ K; D! x# h! Y8 x2 D3 v& BAnd 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.7 N7 w" Q. s* Y* W @' ~0 R. |
3 K1 d, E; z& m0 h$ ^! Q G0 r! qIn 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.
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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.0 L0 y7 g8 k! Z+ e
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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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3 C+ c9 Y0 v5 w9 k" vDavid 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 y8 ^( ~4 O8 i9 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.
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2 Z, l# x9 o( Y; S; [3 V"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."0 |' L- n0 u6 d0 A
6 j# O8 A/ y, b2 |0 mThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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* H8 |( f* I' o8 I6 IBut 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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