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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖., c8 a" h7 |8 \% W& ]- n
$ M1 Z9 C8 K: W7 h/ _http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html+ a0 ^' }% b7 h' F
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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.
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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., d8 Y& Y4 C) m( U/ q
; b/ a# `/ o9 M" n# T8 D5 }# fIn 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.2 K1 @$ {3 ~ ~: o" e- @/ H
- p F( w, T% Q: `Why might it be a good time to sell? P$ K6 x% d, S. u
# F- U1 P' n! U' d7 z/ O& SAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.; J$ z8 P7 u( y- Q/ e0 _
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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.4 A* n* j/ y- ` |8 f: V. R2 m
' \; q% T: P& r) Y8 _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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+ F) P6 C9 X; Q) s& F. A/ QOf 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. r- g. [4 b" ~" c6 V0 Y5 N f4 X
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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.
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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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, V9 L$ H. f1 d# PWith 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 X) |% ], Z9 L# _9 o
5 E) x' M* e% k4 `, [, J# _1 OAnd 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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/ q0 a: |2 S0 @% }1 s: DIn 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.) v8 g* v7 _, C! w% {! d8 T3 X
. Z/ v# w R ^$ a3 ?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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" a1 q2 o$ x& D, lThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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) S3 F( s9 r: VDavid 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.+ i! Y, f3 z7 D
; b. I5 X2 ^, j, F8 T0 S"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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8 `1 [0 D$ T; t; N1 U! Q. d% P- W8 Y"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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