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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html. i" S v8 a+ @/ X& |* g0 H+ `* b- W; u
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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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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., Z6 d. l% {1 I. o) J
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Why might it be a good time to sell?' m1 c, g' } G. `
8 @* m) M+ G8 R/ tAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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9 t2 _% [; M3 r: O" O2 p, o"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.( t2 O$ {( o9 x6 w3 S9 l
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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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3 ]! F. P. ~, K7 A7 O+ p; r6 Q1 k- W. qThe 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.; D3 N9 u: e1 H! E1 K2 M
+ K! z: e9 m. x8 m0 a4 N& C, G3 b2 ?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.& \/ ^3 N& _/ O# X0 V
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Burleton knows how they feel.8 |. x$ B0 V8 f6 c4 h. }( A
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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.# `6 |( S" ?8 C4 c
; l2 D0 Z% w" ^" x7 KWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.9 }! c, j0 I7 H% k: q
- z0 D: d5 t# _/ p2 g ^1 cWith 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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* J: {6 `3 T9 y7 }$ aAnd 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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In 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.0 m- C& S3 r6 }( J- l/ n1 a
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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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.8 `1 J* L. n8 T) k! g9 f
( e* M h$ {5 I"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.; a6 G) T$ q. K' I% o) S
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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."; v: G+ [4 W& \
" l s e, F9 U3 HThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.: j8 B7 R, I. f4 Y" F9 _, |
) K( u9 d+ ?; ?5 {0 k" cBut 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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