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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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0 J @- ^. e4 C9 d. Uhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html R( u# K# }2 n0 l6 F: V5 J6 e! j7 }
. H( G1 N- i& p4 O& d" A7 m$ r! ]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.8 T% f: s$ U9 H1 m \9 c1 h' a
0 w. i' k4 ~5 }7 @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.- z7 ~2 r! t# e: C$ h
2 t7 S% j+ X; LIn 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, v5 x1 t1 e# l1 ?
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.; W$ i/ t4 C! f8 \, `; g) f% Q
8 g; U& r+ \" V"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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, |3 U2 L* {& ?0 j"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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1 E8 m6 w, |7 h4 Z, q" sThe 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.$ A3 Y p; @; \" s
# K1 F7 Y# u& GOf 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.. r# w+ }% w$ }$ u
9 `: N0 p# W! i \ P"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.6 }7 g9 B2 P, m" p
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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.; s& \) V" Q; N- a0 Q# @
) F- _0 g# v; u; r) c# oWith 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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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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, Y! r& [! ~! H! }6 t3 S/ mIn 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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! _4 k5 ^! M1 n0 R! H( x8 kMeanwhile, 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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; Q3 g6 b7 u# ` \, BThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.$ b1 I' \* L( i; I
- m3 f& W; T2 l6 `6 KDavid 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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. A5 V) |' u$ ?( a"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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7 D' m- b+ f& q( }"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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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act." d7 K+ Y' | r& J6 L+ s
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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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