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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.1 h. F: p2 ?+ m( x9 N- x8 t. X; g
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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' O3 B$ U0 d5 [! GOTTAWA - 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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$ \ f, E+ B7 i% s% lPeople 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?& F# v" i/ A% F9 O% z. s
* {+ m+ z" R0 Q: b/ R3 p7 YAt 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.+ `3 x3 o! A% _! W
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop. @ o2 `' W& y& T, j' x( }
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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.
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0 j. \/ }* k8 @! |6 l4 iOf 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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5 X3 R, L" ]' t* \) n5 O/ SBurleton knows how they feel.
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. O' y! @- C. c"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.+ q! T$ v* X/ g; ?0 J
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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.7 [9 k5 {5 L; p# }
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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. Z) D7 N) H* M6 Q$ n
1 n4 x( u- l& Y& i3 nAnd 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 B+ T1 }" P6 V" e- v6 D6 F
3 G; U0 s( D+ {7 x- 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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Meanwhile, 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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. W( t2 k- h- a1 F& [That 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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, _% x- L& I3 [$ Q" Z"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.: ^2 I% R/ S, {/ y, W5 M
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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."% _: |% S* @; O$ g
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.! u* t C, H; l. G. W7 J
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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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