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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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" g* ?# R& W; j, o5 {http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html1 J7 M. R6 E$ O t! f( \/ x
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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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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.
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- \, p/ d+ H. h9 tIn 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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- s) r6 B! `+ s% L% VAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets., S4 N2 ?3 I( W" m8 Q J4 m1 `- v
5 _& _6 h6 s1 H' S"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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% _* n; }8 H3 J$ 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.1 X% _5 W# R5 f7 i @: u
) k2 x! m2 `! T4 m! I: \( COf 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.# v, P8 }- H A4 ]: q' m" ~ l: d
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Burleton knows how they feel.5 n) i; a! R; [( ^
# r: _$ w( x. p& d& A, I# ]"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.& ~6 [! W/ S/ q+ E
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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 m' c- o' Z/ S: _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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+ ~4 p3 `* u7 ~! ~" }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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# F+ g# i2 X- X. o; K, r5 CIn 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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: C3 Q1 n: Z$ i! x' h0 v% A' lMeanwhile, 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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8 T8 @& @7 a' h/ }- sThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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. a1 ]2 d9 R2 |9 D/ Z' i2 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.$ R' A# P8 a. I; o0 P
. U) r- i' |; P' y/ F& I' x"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.& ~0 b" X2 u3 k; \; l8 N
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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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' \% u4 Z7 F% w. a/ I% oThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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$ `# S+ ]$ g1 oBut 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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