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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.% W4 }6 }$ B5 I& K
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html" s6 B2 [3 I. H: A( t- L& [
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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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: s5 T9 ]$ L7 y& L% J, j; cPeople 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.( m3 e' n6 f# t f( _$ z" Z
* N) Y9 T5 t+ B! UIn 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?
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3 \' Z) q* u% A4 cAt 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.
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5 ]( S* i5 y, t+ f) n# WThe 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.2 _/ g s* s. \2 T7 l
. x; p2 r2 V# U' H( G9 EBurleton 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.7 A: w3 k* ^' p0 U* S2 o
1 ~( C& i ~; z' ^" @" 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.
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# \5 L: c( b+ K; t' K( C: m; B- L+ tWith 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.6 o% ]; B3 M, w
* F( J% H8 y, k9 T6 \0 [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.4 A0 A! [% G* r) H8 ?2 m- H
- s+ K. L* z2 g6 ^; a8 dMeanwhile, 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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; P. o9 U2 J; r% A7 p" d9 VThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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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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- X0 L- F; c" @: H+ p"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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% @2 {5 q9 [" F2 U8 ?3 N' Y/ \"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."
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.5 `* n' a& |1 E' m3 h
0 J5 p( j; `* eBut 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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