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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.. x. f/ |* [; l; t
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html) U( e V' n: y4 x( X5 c1 e1 ?) g/ S
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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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" J3 a, j8 v: yPeople 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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h0 [0 ?+ T* x9 o; l* mIn 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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3 k: W" {0 B1 N/ KWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.# b$ U, Q5 @. J1 y' r5 ?
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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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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop. y: }# R3 Z& C- w2 J- @/ a
$ e6 J7 s% y; i3 r& ^; H4 R# _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.; N1 ~ j1 p$ I: k
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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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1 U; [+ [- ^' o2 v# u, ^Burleton knows how they feel., X: L4 \; F. k
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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.3 Z6 w, V) Y4 {0 s3 x# w
( V" D% u$ W+ I9 G% S' S+ rWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.# G/ r5 |- a) [
7 p9 T) Z% W8 X) EWith 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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s; h# ~1 z( Z NAnd 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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+ c' b* `& Z, J5 O7 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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) L( a0 _* g) y) T3 a& pThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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" r4 f" c! G, ?8 h2 P1 yDavid 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.' i' M+ r) A6 q# @
) k) x& g5 L6 ?"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.
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/ } H% {" H% r, B: }3 ~+ X$ M"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." v6 L% R ` E. k' \7 j9 J7 l0 D& L
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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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