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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.1 {' K/ \3 p9 _# N9 Z. X
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html7 X( Y2 A6 P/ O4 L) v
+ W8 o3 e0 h( l Q% O a& jOTTAWA - 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.+ [" W' ]1 B/ i7 ?$ M; _ o/ _
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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.
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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?; m* P3 C3 @; q5 e4 j. B
# L! i8 Y+ Q" T; R( bAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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2 w/ ?4 o7 N& ~! L3 ]"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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" f. s* M; j; I8 V3 _; f"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.* s# F4 T* h6 v0 G i" ?
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians. P' f$ A( B3 }/ _0 p8 B8 q# S# K
: {; r2 ^/ R! M7 P3 a8 \. dBurleton knows how they feel.' J( A5 \* z% O$ @
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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.8 R: A- p0 ~" P# l
0 ^. R. c- y# U. m2 l, o6 ZWhile 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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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.$ q" `, `6 B5 Y" N6 j. O5 ^6 Z
* |$ W; a2 ?# E* ^' yIn 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. i& b* {3 [! c5 _! m: d4 H4 m! }
+ d7 h/ o' K2 g! [0 G2 E& TMeanwhile, 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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( L, S& A: [$ G' r6 y5 IThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.# F, I- C5 b; R- R/ t( w# L, j
' o7 `4 y1 T. d5 Z @/ C" wDavid 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.3 [! s0 \& }4 O/ D( j5 O" g: p0 ?
7 \ F0 I4 J( t; ]" e) j"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." D" {& @3 b" q$ Z. g
! R2 ~6 H: F* m"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.", {+ M8 j6 V% v7 K% f
( _& m$ c, J2 @( e5 d% z* DThe 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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