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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.2 f4 _' u; U* b5 [9 f( F! x/ V- [
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html) Y/ ]. d5 P t0 N. u8 d
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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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7 }6 } Z9 |4 u0 g. x3 h! @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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9 ?+ A4 i7 _$ C- FIn 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.0 W* p/ V/ i4 e0 G# U
0 l5 r. e& h- U$ z1 {Why might it be a good time to sell?) W0 t, Z$ F( l1 {; B2 I* F( f
% Y7 {- V" { `- t. b+ X/ w% C* WAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.0 }' z5 _/ _8 Q S- E, Q
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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3 }* Y+ p$ R+ M5 |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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+ |# L" Z# G3 P# EOf 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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Burleton knows how they feel.- ]. P8 k n# X, ~& d- Y- B9 P/ ^
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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.
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( X; S; _& G* o: G5 P! h- [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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: @% B6 S7 R$ b% VWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.: x& m ~ I/ ~
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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.
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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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) e( o' v& Y9 U0 [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.6 f- B9 {( u0 r) W
2 x$ P! j" {: M) f3 S8 SThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying./ j6 }4 y& \* I( n, O
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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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! |* r" }" B) Y9 k) M0 ?( K"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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( M3 i$ ]) _$ U6 U6 ?1 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." m. t, ?+ Y# k7 H: t. c* M5 _
4 `$ R( g" Q3 j$ a. W& c/ H `5 Y' OThe 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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