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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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- W2 A/ S, h1 J* P- s5 shttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html& A0 r3 Z. g' P* c
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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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. ?3 ^7 m; B3 r8 h, Y% U' A2 hPeople 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.+ C) T6 J9 ~/ O [* r; M( T" R
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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.( {" |7 \5 c( o' ^/ e/ ^" p+ R
4 O: Z" S3 _& a+ p6 p) YWhy 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.! D- Y( Y9 l( u& p4 ~+ ]
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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.9 I; Q' Q( V& G4 L, \( 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.
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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.8 { Z7 N9 H5 h) H
- i1 j7 A' z! p R1 `8 w9 o0 X: wOf 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.9 X4 p9 b3 X$ w9 I3 S- E+ J' ?
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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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: s0 G/ C! t6 Z) LWhile 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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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.1 {0 F) N, {# ^ |
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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.
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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./ U- U$ V- ? i- S V) M9 B$ @8 Q5 O& x
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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.
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W9 F9 M. ~) Y. ^2 A! U2 M: B3 dThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.$ S6 |% B% M4 S6 U7 d
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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.
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9 y1 D. n* s+ D6 o; w% ]"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.$ z1 B3 d: D4 s3 @& ?
: _( g: i" A( ] i8 e6 N$ D Q"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."5 E* e- v; b) ?) `+ D
% f2 y$ P, W2 I: jThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.4 s) [' J8 o' p2 Q. t/ n# t
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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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