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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.html1 {: x! G( i* W; G! Y# \) 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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. @2 [0 {% c; }# T* \1 A3 P% S6 v0 jPeople 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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3 @3 E+ y! b) k: L' I* {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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r$ p' o( d" B* aWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.- |9 S7 ^2 S5 ]) |& b
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.( T8 p! L# F1 M
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.$ V. k3 A7 ^2 v1 [3 J: A
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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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9 U( D1 h. ~( a' N+ N2 POf 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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; X+ g2 \, W4 c! Y$ o( g; u: M; xBurleton knows how they feel.
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' h6 [/ N- T% F1 H+ f% E& k/ x1 v"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.* F; z6 I: z. {5 y1 v
$ M) C: x& z* T7 N4 F9 t& j MWhile 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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) n9 y! |) c8 k" w% Z! \2 \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.' D, T: r/ L% [
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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.; h( x/ P9 F: T+ J
6 y) l1 A: V oIn 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.% @# {4 Z+ I4 h
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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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0 m0 y' \2 s: C8 D/ oDavid 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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"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./ v7 Z. O( B' q) c% u8 o
0 C3 V1 A0 A! u" w"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."! }8 }$ z+ |. ]' Y
9 Y- s3 T* a4 Z7 y" ]The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.( i, k$ \0 z3 F6 X6 R% s
7 b7 P2 {8 Q7 X" D, V! q2 k1 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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