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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& C. V( O- e" D) W* D
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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.9 n6 A# W: L9 @- J1 E
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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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/ h5 {) F t! `8 m, ]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., c' R; a' P& Q* ?2 W0 s
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Why might it be a good time to sell?3 X, H1 U1 l3 y: h& i
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank./ v6 T( V8 B/ q: B% [; f$ r
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.3 T6 g2 E+ ]. K- h. R* N- L( S Z
1 i Z6 b* F& L6 ]; vThe 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.* C: k5 Y+ |7 V& n
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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.. e$ n2 K* }' K
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Burleton 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.
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4 w" |4 z6 K" y. {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.6 P; b+ h2 P3 h {7 A
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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.
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' B9 ^0 h& _8 b# H& [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.2 n C. {- J0 D
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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.* U' O1 J5 x. c8 a( L- O* h
2 j1 y. e4 p, V3 x6 }8 `: [3 aMeanwhile, 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.) T& p7 S* e! w) M; s I5 \
: M- Q7 i" J- gThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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" ?# g4 u0 e/ T; v$ NDavid 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.- Y. B4 D: k' u* [
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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."5 n( O/ Q2 x9 w1 x% s7 T1 x
. I# l9 [- Q: Z1 {; x/ R3 iThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.! z1 Q- d6 Z$ o1 y7 b! K
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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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