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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.+ o) m2 k3 F- G: }# s2 w' L; ?7 ?# E
. l# J, A8 e3 P* l# |3 uhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html+ }1 R7 A; l# [% u% k7 h2 M
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OTTAWA - 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 @ z, M5 i, I7 p- t
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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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% V* N+ e& y& d0 I$ p: `+ b7 VIn 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.+ | J/ _: G# K& T# J6 d5 q
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Why might it be a good time to sell?$ O$ ~7 t! T- t; Y9 e" d
+ X) K; D* r8 |3 W1 MAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.8 D9 S9 N/ f3 C& _
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.. O3 f' b# a* _; U/ I, A# w" w
4 x9 |$ o1 q5 Y* g; e2 v# d. t"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.5 e, |5 C+ r+ S: k- X0 o
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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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; k7 A/ r: r3 M' V& ~& kOf 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. p0 O& S& a( f: f/ D# a$ o
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Burleton knows how they feel.$ j! |1 b9 [4 G. i7 f/ W
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"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.: ]8 Q( q" d6 F4 j8 e+ E! M
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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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& K& d G' e3 [) K' U7 }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.$ }) p& @* D0 Z/ A5 c# m
3 j5 e- p9 }% I9 w* p% XIn 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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/ w: ]( t; u% T: h. eMeanwhile, 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." a+ G* M0 o# `4 v4 h" Z6 A! _
$ D/ c" G6 j8 ~That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.3 |) N4 u; \' n2 D, W
, v5 X0 i2 [" z2 \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. C; L1 b& |. H( p
a6 J7 O* y0 C& p1 D$ v- @. ~9 i3 T"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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' p) I6 o& z. m* X' \"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."+ ?. @$ \4 q& S$ X- a! t
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.) G. B, A) b+ M6 `% g/ ^7 z$ h8 d
( e) w; m+ M0 {$ T. wBut 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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