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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.2 Y( ?+ z5 n& w( r" ?9 G
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html) ? W5 i! |) A' V: {5 `" \" J
. P, I, f% \/ q) Y7 i3 z/ yOTTAWA - 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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$ ]# G5 @2 ?. C8 V6 xPeople 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./ h. D/ H* g$ y1 M5 U
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In 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., c6 p& b) L& Z. j! f* O- f
2 m5 N6 v* {9 Q& h* q2 kWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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6 ?9 {% ]: s$ f( i3 W; R% EAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.; j1 Y5 m, r) U. f) u
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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; o" k6 w# B- h( gThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.9 _( q9 r4 a; O* r b1 S
. x% o+ Y. l6 c _: xOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.: q6 w5 ^1 ?9 Q8 A5 X8 t' M- d
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Burleton knows how they feel.0 G U& x/ w! L- }
2 o& Y& I: u x# U$ u9 M9 c"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.
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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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$ X2 `0 q. z! n0 k5 jAnd 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.% X5 h4 G) ?$ s# @' f2 g
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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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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., ]# f; x; w) j
' C7 b! r( M& y) |- WThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.8 t$ B/ `5 q- u, i, `6 k0 \
- z+ U T1 `) e' m( W- a- pDavid 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.% t, q; k$ g0 R. w
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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.. {# j. t2 w$ R H# |' M/ J
# H' c* W- s# S"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.") Y' u& o( I: `9 S- j
1 m7 c T7 Y2 xThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.9 c: K* C& K2 T/ Y. O( }% _* L6 }
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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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