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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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0 Y. ~2 z2 z! [! n8 yhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html- s7 c, x. {( a1 K: z* n+ _
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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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/ @$ q- J' {" a, 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." Z0 S' X6 A# Q1 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.
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0 i: G1 O) u; d% e! pWhy might it be a good time to sell?1 {! x% L! ?; u
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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5 ^# V& E8 m* `! D5 v"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.. T; [6 v) F( V0 p2 h8 C( I/ A
% _7 F& x, D1 H* i1 ~; s"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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2 J: K4 C: ]* U2 M. K& i/ _1 ^The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians., A' b1 B, K- G
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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; F3 Q. K: {5 h"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.0 G' ~4 Z# h8 U
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While there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.' ?3 E) _3 U8 D) h
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With ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.7 O* f1 W* o; a6 g3 }! B
- J4 q6 K6 A6 { z$ L# Y0 XAnd 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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1 e: h: ?! v9 r+ q1 z) R9 rIn 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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- ^! U: y4 i5 K0 H) t/ M6 N/ BMeanwhile, 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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% @3 W+ H# z. p! xThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.; A# m F/ q) D, O
, s9 [* I; d8 |8 h) fDavid 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.8 e; B; e: U3 y% m. E
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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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- a7 {4 w p! h* t4 b. _"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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5 w0 u! k- n, V# {7 `The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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* n# D5 y; g8 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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