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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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/ d4 [7 ?. P: Khttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html% K# o, w+ n' p! s
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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.& s0 B. o0 @% X8 q7 P# i7 E! s
- k1 p6 ?8 [# B( g$ Q- S7 UPeople 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.! e% v. a% E5 x8 k1 S& r* K# i0 F
. E Y6 H2 ?, v2 @ {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?: `! H g- j" e; ]
! s1 I0 h6 W+ {4 s/ s+ \0 YAt 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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"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.3 A- T. X" P: Y! B9 L1 e/ J. A1 `5 V
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.+ y; N/ U/ ]3 O5 n3 b J
: n c: O( Y0 ~, T) C1 |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.
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Burleton knows how they feel.; ]- d2 d) H7 W! x5 G
8 _# C4 M! b) l8 k F& m"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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* K z# e& c3 D0 OWhile 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.+ z1 u0 k% P4 i+ z
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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.) n7 K2 K% R' z+ p9 e0 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.- Z+ ]6 q$ E, v7 R
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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." D$ O: I5 s: P- e
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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.' c7 x* x4 ]5 Q3 F, b4 J" P8 J
% n8 T3 Y' Y4 y3 B"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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" N6 t1 D# t0 |& Z1 \% G"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."1 c; i' |* R ~2 L& Z* ]
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The 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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