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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖./ t: ]% o. y `3 q
6 Y1 }. i; D) s2 n+ |http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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# e" H" g4 ?$ D' m1 mOTTAWA - 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.7 q* G+ ?, } y, W
2 n. f& y* ^5 K. VPeople 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.3 D7 K. E% O7 ^
7 H, u: Q1 R% E4 A, VIn 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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Why might it be a good time to sell?3 G- F1 U4 s( b/ _2 Y
7 M' B* `2 N" `' e, uAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.! N; j* q7 w2 g' m3 R1 J8 R
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.* ]* [) P% ]9 L8 u# t# G- X
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.2 g0 {/ \: j( a+ |7 h+ h7 K$ |
6 X. A% a7 x5 }) }) lThe 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.+ m* z' g3 T# s" E
$ r" f" P8 B* v J) E2 f$ i Q3 UOf 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./ K, |" O: B5 N4 s" u
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Burleton 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.6 U$ i, Q) O9 z: i% 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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& A4 C" A! E8 G9 m! p/ O" FWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.7 T9 v; o0 B8 J8 e* o' `
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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.
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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.
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9 H% w: A Q% Q6 b& ], O% t+ IThat 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.- l& E* M8 L+ s6 t( K; _( ]
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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.- |. T+ D7 n) E- @# I; R S
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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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. H; T/ G4 E9 R+ w+ ~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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