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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖." Z M& F7 h; `
$ q. n. K/ v! {% z! [2 H; jhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html& }& J0 P' b& S
# M/ k- q1 x$ b" D" mOTTAWA - 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.* O* G4 ~( l8 f4 A# \; ?
# u( }- X2 N+ [2 D& FIn 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.- _! z* b% z5 Q* L+ \3 A; z
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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" C. C' f! {4 w8 @' |At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.& W, \4 T; P. ~- W* Y+ W
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank., y( l4 W1 t b
! R" S3 j" H7 z: O( L; c% q+ N"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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- W+ z2 {% i5 e2 q1 M4 G A7 pOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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5 y1 c1 S' u$ x% o8 ]7 OBurleton knows how they feel.
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"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.- [: r! n. q. v& j8 w! n
; K* j2 u- b8 KWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.6 k- q1 V) ?5 v+ z; C) O
, {& F+ F8 U& `8 B& o" P4 t, UWith 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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9 D& U: S0 @+ u8 W: L; w: IAnd 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./ b9 S! O8 s$ T+ ]/ ~, x& @
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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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2 P8 @3 ~4 E5 ^% o; z: v2 B9 yThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.9 A5 n' v! S6 |( U' \* J: R9 ^+ x
7 e# Y3 p7 `/ \, r [/ A% |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.
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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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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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