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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.$ T7 d# _$ M) V4 A
+ a9 Y7 y% k x5 r& a* ^http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html$ n! P5 Q! t# Q' q
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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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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 n0 |4 E! x9 k7 B4 @
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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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; Z/ a5 K. q: e' k+ J0 oWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.: h6 r* h" \! S2 v5 M
/ y. I/ x; g8 w# a"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.7 e3 u7 A0 |; [$ m- ~
- {" m) u% ~% C* b"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.2 d9 e( z+ M! V& [2 p9 d
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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.
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: {1 C1 v# ?* l( \/ b0 P2 k- EOf 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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Burleton knows how they feel.
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( r# l6 G$ T! H1 \9 P"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.2 I, L W; P! _3 ~$ l/ k8 a
7 F* S+ F9 S/ cWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.$ l3 P, i1 J! O3 ~
g* t m7 n7 T' v( ~- ]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.
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3 a) j2 D W6 [" ^# z! K# N: KAnd 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., L- X S9 ?, u* e: l
0 [2 }" _" N3 y. G/ _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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) q$ d8 p6 P6 {& s" vThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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$ ?% ^) S E2 D) A/ Y, b F8 ]: 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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"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.* j. h8 _ p, M2 P
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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./ s/ R; n, P H: ]4 B
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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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