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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.8 s. B& }/ L# m Z
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html6 \! ?" g1 Z" a+ M/ A
2 Q( r, q$ G- u( M8 [5 |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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: C) B7 M, c) Z: r; q1 `5 ~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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: a% C: L+ q' P1 pIn 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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" f+ Q. V o* X5 w6 m1 QAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.% i9 a6 N: }+ r1 H
# k6 G) c# y" l"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.# Z: ^0 B" c9 W, M6 n4 D9 v7 V8 _4 x! @
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.0 D; ], h# l( O/ O. R. R- a k# j
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.# W6 d7 Q* M, X* d/ y+ t4 i
" x5 w) x8 V. p0 r5 z5 c0 z0 ROf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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2 F0 P \ V; m. L$ A7 sBurleton 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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9 _/ p2 F8 H, O; A1 y: I: n4 {; LWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.2 R& `6 Q8 H0 a* A+ v3 X1 r* k
5 o% Q. U1 Y% e' {0 IWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.) c# U6 `$ v0 m5 D; t9 R
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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./ H4 t' o& e2 A( t6 a" l a
3 `. H4 m' [* x+ s5 |) 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.
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6 ?( g& J- w; s' S( QMeanwhile, 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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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.9 X6 ~& @! v" @
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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.1 {+ P" C% k0 L8 B- y; V' m
% z7 b: W2 G& Z6 r/ P% K8 N( }"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. E) W% r& \0 j
4 _1 d0 j: c' }0 L4 y) w"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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f8 Q; A+ `- Z+ v( X( zThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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( r" G( k- m( Q. i* |( v4 `2 W! VBut 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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