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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.+ D7 Q, X6 t7 K8 m; W' ~- V6 p
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html8 D9 D' K; G8 U4 n' w
G; D' M6 [% z, Q% OOTTAWA - 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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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.7 g! `3 R9 G; O
$ z& B: N! ~6 D$ }+ B0 lIn 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.8 s6 o$ H8 x! n( G. Z, z/ H, B
( Q6 K% W Z1 t% D' c4 r5 sWhy might it be a good time to sell?2 M6 _5 X, W! F
8 l! y( F' S! UAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.+ E% Z% s+ }9 V1 }8 Q- u; r
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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& m& A" N2 ^" a8 k- W9 Q4 CThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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& ^% u' `9 O9 o; W/ h" eOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.% T4 P+ H1 t; d- h: c# b
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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, s4 g. I; A3 D4 j"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.# f1 a( w0 ]9 Q2 {2 C# W% G* b0 G
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While there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.
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4 M ^' ?* J$ _3 NWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.( ~8 w5 t G3 L
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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." \ p" w/ J# f6 ?
: i g3 w6 ~* yIn 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./ k) ]# {/ L+ H: W- L1 x7 L$ H
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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.5 b" e+ ]2 c, h9 g) V
2 C$ K: ]) k) {. g; hThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.3 j- l& q4 h6 W* L1 n7 B
, D8 A$ L5 y# Z- ~; r0 v; g& e3 KDavid 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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) c$ t9 Z2 n, s F7 }7 p T9 E$ s5 T"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.# s5 }: I1 j1 d0 o T d8 K* `% D
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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."8 Q2 q8 d* }& |+ a% d
3 J$ m5 p. A6 r$ X2 qThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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% `6 E( p4 d+ o F ?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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