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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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/ z3 l/ p7 D* [. G& p, G9 ghttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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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.
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|' l0 R$ B; ~* p" qPeople 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.: U* f; J' N- g
8 p* P& T0 E0 B' eIn 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 $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.( v- i- M$ n. @
) @3 A3 U$ |: C: I4 J"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.1 U; `6 h$ {- e9 u! o1 w. B" _
) \. b0 d3 ^9 Y2 X"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.: q' l; o% u/ u- C( b& }* J# [# w
* h3 v) c. s$ t7 gThe 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.6 w7 N5 \0 @7 {, H2 B- R
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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.8 a; o( c H8 n3 d- X
3 K+ _1 n6 O4 O XBurleton knows how they feel.
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6 M1 R/ U7 n* r$ B/ _2 e' g"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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. u( X N7 m* [; J9 IWith 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.
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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.% S" G) _$ m0 k9 g
; M* X2 k! V. t; n) c8 _- \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.! V2 F8 T% X* c4 p f2 a
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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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% d6 q' t) s2 i* h- N: n! I: p. ]6 J5 rDavid 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.# M: l5 F7 X5 e) z/ Y( r" G! J
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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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! j+ R3 v, J) E4 W) ]! W4 E& mThe 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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