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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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" p. P! p9 C' M4 \http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html, J! N& N2 A8 q- Z1 _
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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.; R6 k4 H. u* U. z+ r3 N
+ n' _0 z3 k+ E3 s9 I% r' nPeople 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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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.6 b. n9 h& ^' p/ v* O& q
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Why might it be a good time to sell?4 z0 N1 S3 W) b. V: b2 M* C1 N
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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# ]! U9 l1 I. ?"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.7 k1 |; R; D* \- `8 ?3 l- a9 [* f
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.! f- M( j }7 k% r
1 }3 ]) N" P$ B2 I% ]( C5 U* l ~Burleton knows how they feel.7 e% r6 `: g/ A7 @$ S$ m `7 R7 _
2 Y6 N& U( {& F9 c, C"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.0 V/ S# ^+ r; p9 V: i8 [, ^
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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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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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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. t/ n7 i+ [) ~* l# `
7 }6 t; p* |5 j7 ]2 o( bIn 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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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.
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.( b- Y; ~/ h' Q3 R$ Y* S9 D3 s
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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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7 Q+ H x. n1 k- B"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.5 x4 |; d _2 U. r
: \# \8 [+ ^4 Y' |"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."6 W# k0 |5 i+ g+ {: v$ V" r
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act." G$ |, a- C2 c# d w
9 d" @* T% t; I+ d R/ R- K) DBut 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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