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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖." G1 C' C q( ^2 ]' T
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html }8 b; C& o/ _8 n0 w
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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.. s; f9 \2 z. ?4 q6 F" r7 z
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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.* w1 u9 B+ o# i( _
' Z) I3 j) ^: {9 g0 jWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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9 X: Y$ W! t0 c7 r4 {At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.2 C7 x5 h/ i* Y
& k, V* q5 p) k/ |- k"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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& y) s* c R9 O; G1 GThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.& g; y# F. \0 s( f- w* |: Z- c/ W$ Y- k
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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.
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: Z/ e* U$ s* L1 V: C- W1 oBurleton knows how they feel.
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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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0 D: k4 c3 y( n5 ^ j4 `& r+ G yWhile 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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1 I. R& R$ v8 K0 y6 }! g5 |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. Q' ]3 S r m, O/ x
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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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, s. {3 B0 f U& I$ LIn 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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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.9 `3 l# T0 M4 W5 C( d
4 d0 k3 \6 H5 N( n o9 x) ]3 vThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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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., U% E N1 ~& E# {
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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./ C+ h. m! w( k
) m8 h" F7 F6 b+ h6 i; _"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.1 Z( p2 M D2 J4 \
k, ]0 C9 [8 D3 E+ i0 u$ Y* ABut 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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