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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.1 W+ W' Q) T+ r
# U8 g I% R p4 [5 @) phttp://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.# }3 u& q! T! K* ?2 ^
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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.9 L8 H; l3 E* T( p' ]9 J5 C! b# D, a
1 X* z9 p7 G) x# O3 H4 \! @$ T% AIn 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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; f8 j* S7 U( W8 Q# {4 FWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets., n4 \0 ? H2 p+ S% v4 a% x
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank. q& ^" a7 r$ o8 l& W" W; L
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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.$ c/ H5 d/ J9 F- A) b
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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.6 U$ D, B8 E( Y! E$ l' i
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Burleton knows how they feel.0 q* {4 [ b' k+ E6 L
% f* `: Z9 r. \6 [- q, [/ J# u' D"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., i2 s# ^; ~9 d2 H# x% _. k
9 s/ c: { T7 DWhile 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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. B' z& r9 j! r. E, vWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.
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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.
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# @8 S4 H6 Y, }2 S5 s, q$ H# ?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./ G; `$ ?, m. C* x5 y9 o o
7 K' [2 y5 }$ R3 \1 j6 xThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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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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, P/ n# ]3 M3 w- o' O# R"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.( ?* H7 J+ g# U& j% }
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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."" Z% t% Q( _9 r8 Y$ T
- v5 c+ j7 J. r* b, [* i4 C: x( h" e! |The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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/ `, G+ h, k; O4 o. n5 g! h( V$ BBut 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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