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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖./ u3 i; r6 o; Z1 }! P1 e+ v: m
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html5 b( Q0 t x) c* z. ]2 l+ M
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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. V* X7 o8 ]5 J6 R$ z. x
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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.
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/ K3 j2 O9 \* eIn 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./ s/ _2 J3 l2 o( X7 p
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Why might it be a good time to sell?& f1 |7 h: ^- I5 I0 w6 Q
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.- E8 u1 G3 ]4 q) q/ I5 @5 P
3 f m7 V& l! q$ Y& F5 N"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.' s+ n/ i0 ]+ a2 S, s0 a' `
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.& c5 r% Q3 L9 {8 j+ M
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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., c+ M1 B3 k& g* S" E: O) }
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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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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.+ B1 }+ d0 \6 h8 U
% u n8 Z8 C* ?* G' hWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.+ C2 o8 ~) V: X! z# W! E8 u# _
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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.# ? Z: x& `1 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.. v2 p% E" S# W7 e- P1 e! e
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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.0 t; J n: T" ?* {
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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.# L& {7 B% _4 W0 }0 J
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.: n3 F$ w% G& A# U$ m, \
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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.% X2 g! s! H3 f; Q d0 ^ c
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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.
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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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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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