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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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- a3 _- j Q* Z2 H# m5 a- M+ Mhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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5 Q. C9 a: v' P: ]" Q nOTTAWA - 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.1 h- b7 G7 J( ?# H7 ]; t& Y
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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.
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2 L Y- ]9 L- S& I$ f# g$ mIn 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.) B" w( r3 B. a9 s) s5 |# \! s
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.! }2 `3 p: ~( l+ l5 {( ~* I
; r' G* I+ H* Z( [# o; w! j1 T$ A"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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0 [2 B5 q. `' ~6 D) l"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.. S. Q! u) x; t: h" T5 F n+ W
/ m( k+ e0 T+ a0 V: n$ ]9 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.
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' W7 @" A" g W. K1 ~1 _Burleton knows how they feel.
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. `$ A* ~6 h: c" {3 n: p9 k"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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2 p6 d8 k* w) Q5 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.2 Y5 X0 M1 w1 R. Y7 @
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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( E/ k: P, ^* L( a5 [$ e, N
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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.' Q4 T3 L+ y2 O
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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.
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& {6 z4 M( m1 u5 fMeanwhile, 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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8 B, ]( n) P4 Z) t' t% F- ?4 Z+ EThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.5 K: }0 z4 g' I% A+ ]- ?6 u+ i
- J, \7 }+ f! z3 H. C7 Z9 _: {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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$ K6 F% E( _( }( q4 N! ?"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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+ C' K- N- s8 B- a5 ?; I"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."" P$ _+ F7 f2 d, H! j* x
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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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