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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.( |- F0 g" Q0 y% W
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html& F4 S1 c) d: W4 Y" F Z' O# s
# Y+ Y* J Z q! z$ nOTTAWA - 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.# ~. q& F3 x5 W& b' s m
7 i G/ y& y j) B0 G0 n; p) [5 o2 D3 sPeople 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.# \/ q$ T8 Z. L( L8 H' }
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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.. X7 {& M- N, f f- n
: j7 }- s, L R7 ]Why might it be a good time to sell?% p7 M( E4 I; ?
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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.
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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./ K4 Z# v9 K0 y. F+ x
) v5 I( T5 N8 t/ _( _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.
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4 c2 @9 o2 g4 F& v2 k0 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.0 b) Z5 B; B5 o7 x) T" |0 ^
7 `' I: D8 _* _( [. a* oWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.# x4 g" i; ^& k% \. K
3 u# G- p+ ?" [' IWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.0 w) Z8 h1 K+ t* S6 D# 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.
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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.: ~: c0 L5 E5 i7 l
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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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8 X) M) c: @$ C4 g5 WThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.7 N* \- t: {2 }8 ]2 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.) f, S1 R; O, L. I# L
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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. S) G _7 H' R4 v0 e# b- W' Y
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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."2 \ O/ a7 z r
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.( U3 B; c* ?2 ?/ g) [- n
' L; X7 K: _+ x- n; M, Y% YBut 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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