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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/ S `1 W. X2 f: q- C4 q$ M- w# n0 ?0 d
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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.+ r: ^3 i0 ?6 R# {
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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.
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Why might it be a good time to sell?7 |' b" Z- v3 O% p& C4 i6 d
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets. J3 [, j9 W3 g1 r* `* P7 \
4 k4 l l% V& {# r& _* Q"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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6 {9 {) P5 F5 Z# I. K N4 X1 r"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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Burleton knows how they feel.! h( J2 R1 _) i6 J6 s! i
0 u6 ^& N3 h g% g2 ~. T9 J"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.
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% z' C: p9 g ^/ p: gWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.: i! M2 v% M- i( b3 y5 x; h
: w8 i$ k1 N7 l3 Q* ]; ?3 vWith 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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" m* x8 T2 C$ a- K' gAnd 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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" k/ w6 @7 i" {& g0 D3 d* sIn 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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' Z. o. A7 d7 a+ z. W# P9 NThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.6 O3 d# J, F; O4 |( 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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: @8 e' Q6 Z) 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.5 V+ J- V# \! d7 a
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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." T% Z& D: k9 Q% D$ ]
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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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