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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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2 H* {4 \( {9 u! g- X" \http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html, n+ L, V, n$ f. x
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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.! [7 E1 U" ^2 g1 I6 T0 E
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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.& {4 K8 S1 g4 P- v) c+ L+ O
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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?7 X8 ]4 a8 G: e; f. g* J3 D
) Q5 \1 _6 K) q( V6 JAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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% r6 z$ B: k: N2 y s/ sThe 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.8 q( }5 O- K6 c8 R: g+ I
" F; ~) ^4 T1 P1 [7 HOf 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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Burleton knows how they feel.! @ Q4 [8 a" I3 m8 N3 z
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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.. v# n* n, Y2 L, v1 x# s
2 Q1 ~: L! `+ b. ?4 a V. 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., ^. }. B, h! L! w
; H8 Q: ^. ?3 ZWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.- [4 n& {5 h/ E; H& L
+ w6 d G2 h6 k- z' z' VAnd 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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& S" |0 P3 v& N: pIn 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& A4 a" u, m$ c
; A9 c1 Y; d p! M& D7 CMeanwhile, 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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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.4 b' j4 M( m5 v) @2 o7 X+ U
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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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"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.5 ~* G! l, p1 O( O4 V
7 a+ G4 `9 x! i* d4 h: r4 o"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."1 X# l$ E) e0 e
7 Y( _) v6 g7 L4 LThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.# n1 p/ b; u: v
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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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