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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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o& [! I9 b1 W6 O: x! Fhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html4 e/ W4 O2 y& o( R9 P
2 R# h- h. s; N8 `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 D+ D/ [% V. [# B5 @
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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., v3 Z6 R$ \9 O1 {5 R) I
# R- e, w, l S8 H) k# E( L( nIn 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.. A5 V# O5 Q% g) J; R. p
2 u' d, `8 i# g# sWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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! S& u# K+ }# P# d5 XAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.8 m3 i3 a+ l1 a) ^+ [2 l
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.- V4 f; {4 z, M/ e9 ?, r
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.1 Q8 @1 p' [0 }! J& [* B! I
" O. b( a8 e J1 z4 F* O" d- @The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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/ N( r8 N. t( X3 f" f+ L' sOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.3 e4 k s" k1 w+ [" \
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Burleton knows how they feel.: V8 k9 B2 W2 `# p; N, @
% V W. J$ ?% h"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.: s1 z2 v3 C, B7 h% V$ I
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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.9 ]7 f3 Q- T. M8 c% z2 [
+ Z; n4 G8 l! x" H: F5 dAnd 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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0 v; y8 y2 `# R, F J2 ^" v4 sIn 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.- b" E1 J: X0 D: Y! ^% B# l2 |6 Z8 B
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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." W! e1 z" [+ \3 S
5 k; q/ H: g; K; P/ bThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.: g q1 r+ C( {; D" }% @6 v
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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.4 m" d/ R/ G4 B0 h( z, Z
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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. @: c3 A9 t' \2 P
1 `# l8 c" `3 d. t6 O; M; R3 C. a+ ^/ 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."3 p2 d+ \( s/ ]" J. y
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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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