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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html* P$ k5 B* V# J Y
- {: z( m J& i$ [$ J# G( LOTTAWA - 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.: I7 t$ b7 `4 E& i' e6 Q- y
+ O L" s; a6 o: N* ~; N7 xIn 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.4 l% v6 m. G% E3 k1 r! i' F/ B% @
9 q6 S2 x( K/ m1 TWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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2 |, e V" P! }5 k$ t2 v6 A"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. ], ^5 P: a R- W9 N4 o
! E& n9 f/ H8 d% j: }" T"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.5 o1 n2 |" U- e" x0 ?
) Z. k& ^) C* a) h$ jThe 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.- M# W4 [0 U2 g* r
' ^# u( \4 V, ?4 t; B8 {0 F9 X2 s9 {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.. m& g4 N" n4 C0 U
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Burleton knows how they feel.% j5 O' A" m, {( f+ T1 [. F
( ?7 t; A. v5 ^9 L"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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6 K' a) w( R3 T& hWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years." S4 X, j7 o6 N0 @. {6 H
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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.& N# U% B/ k5 T# o) k
0 \6 A- H- O! W) m& SIn 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.: l0 k1 v+ A, I) \1 w
1 C8 o; |1 X7 K# U: ?1 zMeanwhile, 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.2 W; B* m5 e: ~5 k$ W" ~$ 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.* N5 x; Y, K1 g! Z7 ?# }
" j* _) |: F- _- G- vDavid 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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0 G0 o1 J4 _$ j! t3 X& W"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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: P$ z+ w6 s1 S. Y6 w3 n ]( 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.") a* i7 i! J' @+ o% c. y/ w
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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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, |! p& h- M& q8 V; q( O \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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