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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.# A3 E! k. F( }& o! u% o
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html: |! b3 l. A6 z$ A7 Z1 c
; f# |5 s% v1 @* P* L: ^# eOTTAWA - 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.$ N4 R. a7 A# {0 ~+ ?
! b3 A6 V6 i* ?! X9 k7 o; n, GPeople 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/ w" H* {2 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., e1 s. W! D5 L$ Q& ? `3 Y- N. \2 Z) Z) }
. V! [5 Q% x7 e0 T' GWhy might it be a good time to sell?. p2 g* B! L6 H5 i8 H- L
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.: X, j; x. t/ x( W4 d0 d
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank., J6 d: H. w+ T. V2 v
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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: v% b" s% y" i/ uThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.! S" z5 \3 n: F/ K3 I
^' z1 i9 V2 l, ^( _" IOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians., k j0 i4 L3 c) C) |, L1 C
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Burleton knows how they feel.& \. ^% u; x' R2 T0 {2 C
" ?2 @9 c+ _ X& z7 ^% I" i! t"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said." a" Q7 x6 e$ W
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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.( [6 o2 f# B+ J& ], w0 L$ R
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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.
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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.+ w# h; @4 V6 n1 [
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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.* a9 _8 r& C% d; v v2 E3 G4 l
4 S" V3 ~- n8 D7 L3 j2 T* \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.
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7 w B' T& Z" ]. k5 E"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.7 [1 ^" J/ s$ I% N: V8 p+ J* g
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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.
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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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