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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.8 w7 G. \4 v1 z
* l5 m+ u* W- R* ?http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html; C# Y; W3 v4 S* ^" m5 o' l V
' n) ^% F) s5 g5 g) j; F& n; ^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.# B/ u' K9 y# s9 J" m+ W9 q
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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.2 ~2 B4 z4 y* W3 Q
, q' ?+ o6 D9 M9 i9 @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.. D ?3 [, N* m; d M; ?! R
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets." i5 E6 M& u% Z" g; r5 j# h* t
4 }" V" Z8 |+ G) _. O5 |"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.1 V( b/ M) p' {9 L, y
; w7 ^3 N9 M; |# t. S"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop., A0 q- V& p$ x* g
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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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2 n( C% t8 j( G, ]' kOf 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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$ E0 d" h4 A" t3 A7 N2 U6 J0 tBurleton knows how they feel.! o* n* \5 T f8 n6 b7 q- b+ |
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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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While 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 J3 [! ?4 ?( r% B+ W
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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.
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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.
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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.$ U. @: q, ?5 @. O; K; s( W: [
9 @* I; d& e/ b! r1 i; |' wThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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$ u$ D+ Q' y2 h5 T8 c/ N+ }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.% _2 L, F% f8 y0 a9 d
& l8 a& w" u+ H5 I* ^3 f"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."0 q* K1 Z$ s- v
2 \8 I$ ]5 J( h oThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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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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