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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.# S/ q o* x, U1 ~0 X( e
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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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.
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, G8 s" l4 C! ?2 P, ]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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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.
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; P2 d d& i: ^& qWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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/ O8 Q. [5 U1 S NAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.( X# | u& h: p9 |6 B/ ?1 s1 T
2 [: E8 }4 _; q1 q3 @"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.' Y5 l, B9 g7 J, n, h, n5 k- C5 ?
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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/ J9 ?9 K3 v4 l5 R* s; |: {, A8 D"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.
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While there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.! n# r. Y+ `4 n- Z. {0 {9 y: ], t
3 G) i+ _/ W6 K$ z( x9 DWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.' @1 m2 }$ O& ?, V# U
/ R& b6 x2 n5 Q0 o9 l, I3 g: g: B$ ]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.: y! V! x! k( I% P
/ j8 A! [" q3 J- _4 c6 d/ JIn 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.5 j5 s9 f3 b+ F, f7 A
1 a5 ?+ i$ M! } @! i( RMeanwhile, 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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5 g! C8 { X: w$ C/ a7 }! ~That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.- ?0 B7 g9 e' Y, L ~1 F. o
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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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5 t# c: a; l( U: V" T" ?"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. k* b5 S0 t- v4 ^# D
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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."
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.8 ~7 D W) @! T2 I3 {1 ]/ X
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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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