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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.6 O7 C2 G: j. `
2 S, I/ H% Z* k$ N8 w. I+ X Dhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html$ X! @* I: H4 O4 F
- ~6 }0 `- v* A) D/ COTTAWA - 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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' y+ D% B: J1 [: B9 H1 B4 zPeople 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.7 s5 x( R% ?4 q. w% p' x
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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.
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Why might it be a good time to sell?5 s+ k1 g E4 ^. W! G! N: [
( c5 I# x6 h- |7 U. ?At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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" T, P# v; q7 _- K# c9 m7 e) Q"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.; W, T+ X v4 B% B
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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! {. A% d3 \3 \8 K; A9 I+ x; k" COf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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Burleton knows how they feel.2 w5 f! b# y0 N0 B; P
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"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.
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, Z' r& D; _8 a z- S7 I$ {, oWhile 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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7 C/ Q) `) s2 h% I) ?. B; {; ~ W- h1 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.2 J2 K- T) S3 e. h
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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.3 P6 a& V1 l+ z4 H$ R+ E* p0 v2 J
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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./ ]+ Z7 O2 b* z! \. y& U
E( C( j) V+ ^7 F3 D& a# yThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.- Q' S, E6 g0 O7 \8 H
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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.
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# j5 |& s7 z) ?: K+ V3 ^3 }"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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9 L8 V8 U3 ]2 r) D |% V"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."5 V' w7 A& }. _; C) `/ \5 n
- s; Y* m7 ^2 a* |* J4 C$ CThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act., {% C' f4 S7 q- T" F
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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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