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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.8 p- x6 `/ W+ I6 f% c8 q
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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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.; e/ G/ X" Q5 I: P
) B! J2 {7 W! p! k3 { ?9 t" YPeople 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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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.& g1 E( k7 s/ N1 K/ q# j
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Why might it be a good time to sell?+ y( `3 w# s& R6 _7 z- D
4 \% S/ O% d" qAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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) H- r* r5 q9 N1 I. aThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower./ e! Q# O+ W: x f! S% R0 m
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.& S2 n; f8 v3 K# H
}5 ~6 ~! f4 I8 M9 Q1 D# ?% s; LBurleton knows how they feel.
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7 T6 F; _, P F3 ~: p"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.
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While there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.8 g9 L' w. F" p( U
% c" p. x2 V6 u% c* z% B* r' eWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.; d* ^" ^' ]3 L1 ?8 t$ j1 \; \
. T# H' z5 w4 ~* eAnd 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.+ T% ? P! `! t5 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.2 d- V3 _+ V4 a$ 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., p* t2 G( a/ s$ B* 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.( u3 p% Z- Y7 P8 ]6 ~6 [
$ B- C. V3 W" s! `- `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.4 k3 L/ k8 B9 W9 I$ `2 h, 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.4 G0 S/ T5 r4 V/ a9 y
$ O/ h4 ]4 Y. g. s! z"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.6 d4 r5 h) Z2 I3 ~7 B5 x
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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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