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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.* _$ X7 S. e- u% A& P* v H
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html) s M r5 N1 R" 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 k! F/ A2 j, v r7 h5 T: r+ }8 ]( R+ t
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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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- \! T4 j% p- {* ~/ hIn 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?2 _6 v$ ~5 e$ m8 B
) e; {2 ~, y" \2 X0 p7 a* n5 ZAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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0 C0 Y$ T, c1 b"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.# g- q; i2 e; Y2 k) t' h l5 B, V
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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.
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, b7 y s. p) @ kBurleton knows how they feel.8 ] ?# U) X* ~) r0 q
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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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" {( M# o+ }4 f! 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.1 z; c, S8 G1 Z! T1 j
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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./ Y9 W- E8 l H [+ u7 p6 b0 x
8 F& P9 m+ m5 F6 ~) d8 HIn 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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( Z9 J# Q5 M. ~% J( n0 RMeanwhile, 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." O$ M; C8 O! B: U1 v( X; i c
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.# ^2 G7 o6 ~( B/ x0 C
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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.
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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."- L! b* Z9 G7 M1 p% L3 }! @
8 P- a2 u8 d% R; l% G; c) f8 H( {The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act., J' q/ g' i6 Z1 }7 U0 k
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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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