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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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7 G2 J8 J" ?: N: F6 whttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html6 r& r( L x& v# a+ f4 q
) v5 {" M. x1 j, r0 T9 [. Z* zOTTAWA - 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.: u2 w$ I$ O2 h
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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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5 r6 r2 g+ q0 BIn 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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3 M7 D) b; t6 c. Y, OWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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# n( I3 A+ r- E4 k- b0 R. WAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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) q' }% Q2 |( C! d F1 a"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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* M5 q9 z; q! d' F. wThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.' O' T0 j# ?% g/ C7 E0 ?9 ~
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.4 x' x' y P4 O8 s* W
) u# P3 j' v ~7 @: ~3 [+ RBurleton knows how they feel.$ M: D, u0 T! h9 I" x
9 w( H3 K" \* s4 a. K' M"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." D5 g# x3 V& |+ Q6 M- [4 x
: R" [9 b \) o1 [( f) n! WWhile 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.
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1 B, C$ [5 J/ N! Y2 xAnd 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. R2 z3 S# G5 ~( x, {! g. o9 Y
' S* @6 N a( U$ ]! }) AIn 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.& A6 q2 E( e% c8 Y6 [
5 O9 h( E" ]3 j% h$ d9 q Z/ u) zMeanwhile, 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.3 f/ G2 o+ y" N
7 n+ f9 ~% o+ _+ Y' {7 U1 n# HThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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* Q5 y* ~" K/ \5 _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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"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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5 R' r) U! Y( G' r"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.- ?5 Z4 |. ? I& D" N
4 @9 Z- d. R8 m9 \8 s5 p$ K; |0 O6 kBut 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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