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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.- R: C) @# _" e& b# R7 h
8 u. X3 a6 M. t, F; fhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html1 U: d# F0 J& H7 M/ V
2 G6 Z5 H9 X3 m) Z% POTTAWA - 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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+ ]2 W# [9 B% o0 c* pPeople 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.. j3 r# Y+ e' o& `3 R
9 c, W% P7 \2 D; K. d. YIn 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?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.& [3 T$ Z! Z/ Y u9 y* d6 r* }, W
% w, b. @/ @' A1 ?( D"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. D/ o6 _5 r* b1 @3 U8 b3 i
2 S+ a6 S- M% v3 A) t"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.7 e4 y$ k( Y8 E+ k7 U
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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.7 u6 ~5 B7 X% r, K2 c6 {: s) T
- x) ~ f1 u) zOf 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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4 L2 O" i, U) z" wBurleton knows how they feel.
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- W/ J5 |/ [$ [% X8 u: `"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., |9 s: i0 N6 q, V! v+ d' A
: a$ C) _& q9 t7 r- a" jWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way. p: a* m) u% e
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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.9 d# s7 S2 _ A. Q" @* V
& }- c) b0 c' G' g- g! C) 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.
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4 I& B0 W1 F# I8 M8 j b3 MIn 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., M n/ B2 V& ]: @ U7 N
9 d- N. _) q( ^6 W; gMeanwhile, 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.- K' }& h# |- R |8 H8 S3 G
1 x9 V! F+ `5 Z r2 H% z+ a \That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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. W' Z- H6 w( o9 d3 PDavid 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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"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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, `6 z& C4 ?1 ?3 M y; ABut 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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