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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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& O- L# q! x q% k, |+ Zhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html/ m2 y1 b- q8 b
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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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8 I1 y3 u9 x5 k6 M; mPeople 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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: O* f. k# c, }* j% nIn 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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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.6 q8 \/ x8 |1 V& P1 U& Q* C7 Y7 [* G
4 }7 j! ]1 K% d( ~% o1 z; \"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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"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.
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; c+ I! Q5 B; \# g9 k, bOf 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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, Y* ~5 F4 \% n# Y! @"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.4 u6 r9 l' [3 F+ d; X m( d8 }
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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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1 U, ^0 O" a G/ W5 o' RAnd 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.
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. X0 K: D5 N" ^" J* WIn 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.' f/ h9 s+ j1 u' `
/ d$ c; S* q6 Q7 g8 ?/ t# ] S8 BMeanwhile, 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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* `% }- F2 Y$ B- v2 |& Y" cThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.. y |# k' X( V8 U3 u% G$ C
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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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4 H' P6 d6 d+ M5 b8 c"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.# }+ s7 `4 g6 s& G* l1 M
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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.
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4 i. V) j2 u, q2 IBut 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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