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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.html5 |) h; c% z5 Z/ {+ w+ t7 Z
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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.
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! {) ~2 H1 G4 W' @1 @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.2 O) J7 ]# v# x+ n0 _$ L4 g
! a: @ w( c- ^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?8 k) }9 W$ c! f
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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0 m6 t, g& r6 W1 h- n. b/ |' ^"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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* t. @3 H! I2 l"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.9 u4 G. A7 j0 o
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.% R) Z$ e) E3 a; R7 ^, j- o1 Q
% c( u1 S8 i' L& Y8 P' t6 P+ ?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.; M4 f m6 U! D0 r; o, j
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Burleton knows how they feel.+ B3 F0 j& f) a5 c5 }
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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.7 A% Z7 D) O- K1 U1 R8 ~
" m/ r. m$ V$ c9 l5 c$ E& @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.# g0 c, R( H1 h. D, M* }# c- E
2 }5 F4 e; }. v2 P8 ?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.4 W( t) i0 T: M/ Z7 u% [) R4 N
2 n* j2 C( [0 }: }7 D5 BAnd 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., l7 f" Z5 C8 T0 t* b$ r$ B% j
) v' O% Y c# e3 |, SIn 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.6 ^9 C, _. H! v$ P: ^2 l8 V5 e6 q# w) ^
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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 r' `) J8 A9 W! o- e9 \4 U3 |3 rDavid 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.9 [, }6 {! Z+ {6 M8 a1 x$ N& G
0 K) K8 R3 s) J3 H; `, b* 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.
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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."
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.* k" [2 m" t: i
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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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