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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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1 u1 P( n! S- F2 p( ehttp://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.& P9 \1 C1 i) X$ @" D% H. P0 e
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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.; y# s) g+ e- ?
+ o7 P6 ]: \/ `9 W0 jIn 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.$ U7 d9 n4 |0 G# G- q) ~
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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: ~: q/ L- L& ]% w: vAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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# J) O# A1 O2 B"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.: K. @. o! T. [
9 P0 b! I4 `, ]$ J. [* GThe 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.% i, v& R9 B/ d3 F' \
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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.
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8 S% k4 [) N. q7 gBurleton knows how they feel.5 p1 H* D/ g& Y3 L
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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./ a, e) c' H( z2 c# G
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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.0 ~* t3 G6 j5 l6 x. h) J( r
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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.+ F2 |4 A- ^4 K5 Q$ ?/ `6 s3 J
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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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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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8 f9 N3 n$ S3 R: c5 L3 }That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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/ M& I, X( x1 Z( dDavid 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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7 G" n+ q' @# E! d$ ?9 m"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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! u$ p" X: a& g"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.0 S# x: N# V1 y( d" I
' y# ]. e d( ZBut 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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