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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.( ^1 N( k6 @8 r3 ]( _# s
7 C( z6 `! @0 ~/ `3 d. l- P1 i/ Jhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html+ r! Y- A5 A( l/ I+ k
3 b; u I$ i9 S- B* _5 g- w; @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. ?# Z. n3 K% C. o% Q5 g% R$ W1 F+ ]
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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./ ]7 U) p' g v/ w0 r8 V# |1 k
/ y% e- c+ n# C8 o5 T; L( w vIn 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?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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2 M/ N& T2 C( I4 h5 C0 e"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.2 m$ N) Y3 n/ Y6 Z& R
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.; k3 v0 E e: K9 c6 |2 [( p
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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.+ v% u5 W; z. j
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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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Burleton knows how they feel.
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% d, f% q! N/ I; P; y) G' m2 I" E; V"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.) }& g: P7 J0 Z' d9 s
% }( `- n% w+ @6 {9 L- YWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.$ ~3 ^4 [, l7 g* Y
8 D2 e0 b, Y3 eWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.0 p' V0 K/ d7 s/ _; ?6 U% H
9 Y; j/ ~+ K! k! M! a' xAnd 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.; b: R& i" m3 g! l6 ]/ u
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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.0 l2 S! M# h5 [' `! u
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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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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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5 e, p, Z: G6 W- x# J7 C9 L6 nDavid 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.2 X9 ~& P& L2 y5 a8 l, W$ e* t$ n
, L% D1 a }2 S2 @0 g6 j# N"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.- R9 ]4 G6 y4 w6 {' I" w
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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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+ T0 o" p; u: @& v; y) h0 }The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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. \3 @$ f4 k: 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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