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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.html0 U6 v. c) [( b
: r* o' L8 U$ Q5 d( |( {4 |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.3 Z0 o. m: ]0 x
5 O3 P/ e; X, {4 N& jPeople 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., {# Y9 {5 F& H3 b3 X% b& \
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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.$ F1 q' l" _' G- Y5 ]- F, V" `% o
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Why might it be a good time to sell?6 l% J" U( B h ^% ?
7 }' P1 {& O/ N2 hAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.5 D4 v, ~ _( F1 F* ~1 M) ?( X
. H3 `& \& d0 r1 J) k1 N0 J"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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: F/ {* h3 u4 ^8 B' u5 m s- _"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.+ e0 F9 f4 w' e3 Z$ j4 u$ p5 M
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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.- D; K6 |- ?8 R- J% _0 j& \! F" }
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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" E; t3 _0 E( F6 B" T. E. M, a"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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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.
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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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+ u7 v1 n3 p6 ]$ o5 Y: s% IAnd 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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In 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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$ G! Y4 p! l6 M8 E1 `7 m1 aThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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4 W u0 T3 F+ v$ L' S4 a' M2 BDavid 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.5 Q, C O2 ?- R8 N6 e- ?
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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.", Q2 c3 T! S c s( z6 ?( P
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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' |+ u$ j/ V* B# j* l: t9 {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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