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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.5 q4 M2 F& X! _! h" n8 J4 h3 O
" H8 G3 d4 Y1 A7 vhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html/ r9 j7 C3 E% S( D7 M, J2 y, ]" M
7 y8 |: k) j4 k; L7 c, \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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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.# e" ~* m* n) L2 e; F& |9 Q
; ]# G! t+ |1 G& {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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: j, A2 r# g5 s7 b0 NWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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# W5 m& q2 [" O' T* NAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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0 w3 v0 d# b9 T, `" l% m"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.% k" v. |- p0 q
' b' S1 U- a4 [1 A7 o; y. Z5 V"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.! u2 a& U7 _6 U% {# G8 g
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.. _: v5 X0 X) ^ C( L
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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0 _* m0 E3 J3 _' F+ TBurleton knows how they feel.
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8 Z3 e, e- z# ?/ X0 H# N"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.
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& ^& E0 e& l+ C! z* j6 OWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.
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& p$ ]' w1 {0 m% U) Z ?# I: j! ]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.
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: r1 P4 d: ^0 {. Y3 kAnd 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.& k, p2 |. ?( N1 W) ?/ O7 @! o
1 C& N, N5 m9 {- }$ L O: ZIn 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.
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4 \# ]. L1 b) _% }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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; b* ?2 N7 Y/ |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.
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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.& J" _! C+ s6 F% }& G% R# ]6 U
# K ~5 t2 h r/ C"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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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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