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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.* s$ d% C" Q2 g$ Z8 A
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html1 y: ] P9 M2 ~2 d1 a$ H ?% n
3 S4 p/ A1 e: H3 J1 Q! _1 ]) o6 ]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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) U2 g, T" H# g; p* Z( g2 }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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3 K6 a0 f9 {9 |2 l p. KIn 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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. ]2 {9 H% L- b8 K/ yWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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* l& z, w8 [$ d1 d3 v# TAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets." y# a. ]; G9 i) y6 I Y
. \9 Z) K& [1 }"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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! T J2 Q( y$ b7 T+ \+ xThe 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.1 R( \5 B" w: w7 Q1 y
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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.. M# P( J* U+ p+ ^9 S
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Burleton knows how they feel." U% u ^% E; w* r3 P
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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.
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# l9 ]7 m) @- b# E; t6 K: pWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.! K+ `6 ]8 V6 b3 [- M
0 b2 i. y) z4 p5 q$ O8 lWith 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 O, w/ [: y! W% x( o+ e f. b
: Z) A$ |: F& ^# ~( w. V: _; mAnd 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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7 S1 x) e' w& |% k- g& E. y2 gIn 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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& x0 A. d# b( ]( t4 l# iMeanwhile, 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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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.! D4 [4 o& O- v4 t9 ^! h; R4 }
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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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"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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"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."; b/ l8 J, ^, M$ H- p/ f
6 E$ X( q! i5 G0 n7 B" ?6 |9 nThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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2 F/ `3 q+ K& o1 S! h% kBut 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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