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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖. [# J- U5 N5 L
& L# j6 X; ?- v! J& O, ]http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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I; {0 c! B5 D, F9 X$ Z; QOTTAWA - 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.8 t: u N8 k1 t' u m" F! e
. g3 F, {1 v# k3 z' O) M/ KPeople 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.6 {3 w l' X3 X6 l& ^% X( i" f8 K7 V
) f% Z$ P1 y& h) L3 |" n4 ?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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Why might it be a good time to sell?& p( M) v3 |! m6 p' y3 P
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.# S$ H# C( C5 Z; z, B; o" o( ]4 }9 ~
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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. F( G& Z8 f" r+ f" d
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.! C1 @9 E; s* `1 [3 C6 g0 ^
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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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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 W @8 |! H3 O8 }' h {
5 J5 {( ^; `4 b4 lBurleton knows how they feel.6 t8 r. \: N; y4 q# \; i
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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.
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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.
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. |7 t! A5 {: b+ {( Z. m* Y) P( QWith 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.0 U8 R B( h) o8 c5 T# ^' D; g1 }6 `
# l* R* h& X# A9 D3 e JIn 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.) G3 \/ X7 d4 {
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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.; i) Q; p: T& H5 r! r5 J' F2 _
- n$ w1 n. M9 q( RThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.) s. B5 u! b' D7 J
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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.+ k* i3 @& Q9 G7 q+ `
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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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( M1 F& i0 A8 \1 c- ^& C( u% \0 S"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 H1 ?* h4 R& D0 v
2 e3 ~* d. L! RThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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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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