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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖./ r3 |2 O ?6 J: I& ^$ H
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html0 e) |9 v$ ^( z* `; T
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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. b9 U$ O5 Z- f- m5 P9 S
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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.! ` e9 A* `' \9 l2 K( E+ F! l( |# S+ N" Y
. s; ?: p) W2 _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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7 k" U% ?, t+ k: D [4 DWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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3 s5 [' B3 a, a0 j0 V# @At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.! A$ y. D, p- m7 u/ ^) ^& E
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.; U6 w$ |- }( H
9 [( I% j! N+ C' R1 @5 Q9 wThe 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 P c1 X" w* w7 V d, SOf 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.# M+ I# `. z' s
( Q3 B$ M) c$ i. vBurleton knows how they feel.8 k" f3 H: S$ M, @; B9 i/ l
3 V5 {% K; [( g7 y"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.( u' @! v+ x$ l9 Y; c }
Z& T& c5 o: }: R) HWhile 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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( j5 F. g# K+ U1 Q7 H' Q& tWith 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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) C+ \2 S/ s& ^/ F* V+ T8 S4 ~2 [- LAnd 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.- n( f1 _4 o; Q2 M) F5 [
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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.9 w7 w, B$ n5 O7 Z. ^6 O7 A
* z. k% |% P+ r- g+ {& \& s7 mMeanwhile, 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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0 c0 F U5 A2 E" o6 IDavid 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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b/ _3 m) t: f! i5 V"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., M% ~9 }; S, l; n% `6 C- }
! J, s5 ]" q( h% H. @) Q, _# `( ]"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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0 E+ F8 F) L/ P0 R' uThe 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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