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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.7 @: m, C8 |4 ^- P+ a
9 o6 I1 k& Z. nhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html9 k. |5 B% j$ q( l3 ~! a
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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.
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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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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.
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Why might it be a good time to sell?- o3 E: F% z6 ~9 p l5 R
9 z( S' i, g$ N, I+ x' tAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank. z) B$ J h( ~* S! l# n! G
0 S3 `8 y0 x) c! }"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.; a# s0 n+ R- o1 e9 Z3 F
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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.3 z. A1 o! O& y# i) {* M
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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, {+ {6 ~( ^# K' ]7 r"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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( `, A! ]+ C# q7 UWhile 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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2 a; ?. C. C8 ^0 R3 c$ TWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.1 N2 U/ }- X9 w+ p4 k! t! `: _
4 L7 D ?3 S' yAnd 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.
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6 S5 f: z9 r4 L5 B( }( G+ A' lMeanwhile, 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.. @& ^, O' @6 R# C6 t: \
7 o9 ~0 b7 O; H* k; v" ^That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.6 s! a- @3 m: b( B% d
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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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"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.# [: p& }2 `+ Z% B8 Z
6 S8 V% T, ? K; N' E3 \0 P"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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0 {: A' @! y5 Y+ V/ N" ~9 fThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.8 J% o) W% i/ K; P
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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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