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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html9 a- \0 `7 @, Q2 y3 Z6 g( @- I
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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.: n5 |% P# q* s- N: [! Z! k
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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.# {' n' m* r. U1 Y, ~$ t" R* e
! i& p3 p/ d- p: g$ sIn 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.1 e6 O8 l, H7 t6 l( w$ I. [
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Why might it be a good time to sell?* v! U: Y# e2 O% Q
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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0 I+ {7 O5 [4 D7 I"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.9 o; Z4 X% i& b: ^8 ^3 g
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.6 r: p5 C$ [- }% W3 @7 ^
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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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Burleton knows how they feel.
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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.* q x5 k* t0 }" }2 {& d7 K0 V' w
0 M' A& e' l9 Z! l# q' K8 t9 QWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.1 \7 T2 q! S# l A4 m/ D1 e' F
- G {) o1 G: `9 ?! RWith 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.
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7 d; j% {. P! K/ f* X% JIn 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.1 z, u& |2 D9 y, }& J4 O
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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9 O2 `, b7 o& d' Q: X2 i1 iDavid 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.% Q2 d8 M3 _2 o
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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."! v; W! }6 z5 K' p! o/ ^1 I
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.% b- `! ]9 p8 Q( g2 y
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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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