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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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8 Y* z$ Z3 b/ j3 j. B& bhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html; f& I% C6 P6 D
' u" i: b( }4 G7 x- ]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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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.+ }& }: j2 l B, m7 [$ O1 g# V. W; x
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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.
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: C4 F7 v7 E; O, K. KWhy might it be a good time to sell?8 ^/ N: X$ C, `% I3 i5 ]* l( {
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.' h+ ?; ~, f, A7 x" j/ I
1 V" ?' _0 ^( `"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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$ }% i! v4 F& r _7 @; B"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.2 H0 C0 S5 J2 l
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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.5 X! a! M; s9 j' N. ?. z5 \+ G
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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.' n- b8 c- }. e: P$ `
- l) G. ?" j# PBurleton knows how they feel.
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9 a; s/ Y) M3 X6 E8 x8 {9 m5 ]$ P y0 {"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. Q7 {) Z* i" p- s
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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.6 {7 F7 Y1 X0 T: v
- n- m0 t2 y8 V* 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.2 ^4 q( s( b. Z" W$ B
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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.- J( c; D x& Z. C- m) X5 O8 R
3 w, m% Z: s4 `' kMeanwhile, 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.$ v* x: U4 S3 \6 S
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.: C+ f' H7 E3 ?( a9 B% @
. o: {, ?: k0 [" h/ XDavid 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.1 w6 R B1 z8 {0 ^* g% M
+ v0 f2 ^, i+ v& N) 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.
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" a) [& U. p8 G3 k"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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& D0 P& ~# b. e+ G$ W- Y4 HThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.# {7 P3 L$ x! h4 U: k, z2 o
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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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