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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.8 @6 R) x- z# j$ H6 p8 `
% U H# r7 D! dhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html+ P' t" c$ U T2 o
* r- x2 I6 k/ l- gOTTAWA - 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.* @" d$ x; j' ]/ H5 K
; P5 `9 j* O7 s% D/ H+ eIn 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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. Z% x" o8 N+ h, |% d6 HWhy might it be a good time to sell?( [" f7 k1 g: O% C5 z" |3 D" w% M
2 \# K0 ^, S* F- L0 j( Q. xAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.9 ^2 T* ~3 [% w" f$ F; Y( h
3 p9 V l% w0 y, Y"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.3 ]; C# O' I% u0 h- c* b" L
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.' I1 F+ G& G/ L3 M! ^. a
( W2 Z. O% i. L2 zThe 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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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.2 c5 {7 ]! C) V+ W( Q/ v& n
, E# N# w8 c h7 BBurleton knows how they feel.& a# R4 O* {2 v+ [( T
+ w1 j% m( B3 { Q' ` C8 B( Y% \"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 W# @$ ~+ y2 m/ n) M" n, B2 R
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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./ o6 M5 k: W# e
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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.$ p7 u! C1 f8 O$ O4 @
) d1 e# b0 [, \ ?! ]' PMeanwhile, 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.
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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# {( P( V7 w: P0 R; R& ~7 |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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( C/ L- _3 [. Z, ?"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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"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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5 t! x& `! P: U1 |The 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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