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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.' r- ~ B2 t3 ^6 e$ Q. P5 M4 O6 M
! ~8 o" B3 G' M5 H; n1 D/ ?( A& Xhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html# C6 S$ Z) z" f1 O' j8 y0 E
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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.& L' u. x# z* |* U5 ^0 J* `6 N
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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.( X) z2 p* ^1 A3 ~
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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.7 ^5 p$ C& R. p4 O$ m% c/ }
7 g- b A( B! i6 k# A- kWhy might it be a good time to sell?3 `$ f9 a6 M7 {5 M
* D% j. r5 d/ \3 F; v& N! IAt 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 u: j7 R' _7 F- A6 S* K
4 d! L& \% e0 E4 @/ h' A) C# Q"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.4 J Y! r& | R0 q4 q
, L) L, E. f) _5 `2 d0 q S"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.; \% o1 t: R' _6 X
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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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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., J: h3 l M4 L
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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7 Q- A9 ?. ~: Q" V. 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.
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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.1 D: p( E4 J2 n! N: j9 h0 ^ d
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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./ V' }( V- s2 W0 F1 k8 S9 @* 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.9 z3 d- c2 C6 D6 o; C' {, A
( U0 h- v U v8 p+ HIn 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." y9 u4 \! e3 i8 W( e3 W. o
* L5 @& x5 A& K5 i R6 J3 Q! HMeanwhile, 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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* ]1 ^3 M* O1 G- Y5 ZDavid 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 Y8 _. S. c
9 [" i# K+ u4 O0 Y6 ^3 ^2 q' f& Q"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.; \3 h1 m' @/ W2 z4 s1 r" a
+ O4 e# T1 Z6 D' D$ j# ?. J"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., E7 F7 F9 x; C
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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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