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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.7 q6 p/ D ^- M# A1 H
9 \, j' X# s! K" \http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html; n8 Y4 S" J* |1 q1 Q ]7 h
+ L) N; P2 g3 L/ @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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% O" A0 H7 Q. A' Q8 P T1 S5 O. C: qIn 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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1 x% z6 d! W, Q% h3 I. v5 QAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.! E4 [( b, O3 x7 I3 {
( X' n4 u4 z5 @3 y"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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+ i2 l1 m7 }% y/ G" L- SThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.1 n% [3 H2 D( F8 X1 g j4 M& Y- p0 c
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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Burleton knows how they feel.2 e% B7 v4 o! z/ e% {- A3 L
" [$ h% p4 [( P5 W$ I, D"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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8 K! g! r) p7 G+ PWhile 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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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.' r( L6 Z2 L3 p/ z
3 E6 N6 L6 d) W1 r7 V' c% 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.
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: o, I; L7 }2 U) [/ KIn 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.2 Q# D, }4 z% m( 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.; v- b; U5 }9 r1 t
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.& s& c/ ?3 d( ~6 R; Y
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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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; ]. \! w6 S- _' E1 ~/ ?. y"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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& o z% E7 F8 M* V* \: z"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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' R8 C+ X6 `" g0 v6 Z- S5 HThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.2 A. s$ D" ^; z, `0 @
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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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