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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/ f- u& ~3 g9 J" ]% c: \
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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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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., J1 Y" b2 c) h7 s& t6 _2 m
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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?4 j- c; I0 q7 x6 Z n, n) B+ K
8 k' Q; g% O# ^At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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( z- y& Q$ s+ `$ X# z& w"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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[, V3 E2 s3 A7 E9 c8 \& z9 LThe 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.; p5 |& U! o! w( J, A* Y4 K+ B
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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.4 M6 `. r% K, C1 K8 y0 K- T7 W
! B" t) y$ G1 HBurleton knows how they feel.
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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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/ N }# \+ x8 U3 b7 p8 jWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.8 T/ t, K, Y% C6 W4 s
6 V8 i3 @. h% s$ W5 b RWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.8 Z/ T: v. s$ |' ^. i! t/ |* P
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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., k$ J& U2 o. V! F; ?; L
7 f( u$ u7 B" A/ ^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." a% i P! A; r( |) H! e
( B; `, o3 {2 t. Z3 N7 c/ V( E- SMeanwhile, 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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& I' u; V# o% j4 R3 T: d6 H0 AThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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/ k& x% `' |4 S1 C: b* O# ]0 e/ E) DDavid 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.# }2 [( S+ q0 Q( B j/ z
, \1 j5 v; ]0 w"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."$ p3 `/ I" Q" z" j3 h* i
! p+ x# q+ \) U4 C5 E HThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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5 ~* W4 ]7 j; K0 \. XBut 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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