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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.8 ^" G( ~6 i! Q* M
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/ U+ G0 ?7 L! z( i% o7 c, C" Y3 [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.0 E& d6 M) Y% O) Z% ~+ ?
; O5 n8 I2 M! e; jPeople 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.
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8 p4 ^) b/ i/ B7 w6 X9 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.% @& \" G( X/ S/ l
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Why might it be a good time to sell?7 b6 m6 e6 R6 C/ |
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.! z& M" e3 P0 Y0 ?
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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# i% C! J+ J W3 s+ G# L"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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7 s+ z* ?* H* T3 y7 uThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.; ^ R% Z$ p& d5 O0 {. l
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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.( a7 q) B; U8 l" G: \( y
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Burleton knows how they feel.3 M3 t: g4 B$ P& a
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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.9 o: j: e( e4 N, T; [. m
! ]" q* D M; _' `$ A# j0 f; H0 y: S6 N8 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.
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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.5 B# }! m" m/ e$ m4 t
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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.3 Z' m! |" K. ^6 D& R4 x) a( G
3 E% X, D& U$ V0 i1 W& Y: W7 o6 QMeanwhile, 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.+ k- g, f$ K% I4 C
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying., R3 k7 w6 G% w: P, U0 D$ o
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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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"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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$ ]3 V: \2 B0 H+ H"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.": }4 ~/ `) K. x, Q% \
- F i3 g" T5 {% @1 \/ |The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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) m6 D, n3 H. l) y% S; dBut 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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