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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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; W5 e, ^$ \" h2 n" ?http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html! y" x/ c5 _1 m1 T
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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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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.4 h9 o' q0 H: L" S
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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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: e3 r$ z6 p6 C1 z8 BWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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9 ~$ E5 {$ B8 {* u( h5 R5 NAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.$ P* j0 }: U' o; |" D) b3 v3 B7 k
4 r; N: H5 v* W- b0 c"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.1 m; g. x4 {: Q# [3 i! J
$ b# W' Q9 b/ d' KThe 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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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.5 Z& v5 G; I# r# _4 | q0 D1 W, W
; M4 v2 T, h9 ~8 U" U/ Y"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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7 i7 M& v* S' i8 y. U. P& cWhile 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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* e1 p/ Y# K/ [0 G, DWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.+ J( g5 o4 G; o) Y& o! l5 t; o
9 u6 ?% Q: x4 C9 [: i7 W0 V; d* eAnd 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.& {* l6 P+ j6 H7 I' B3 M( ?. [
+ T9 k0 ^. ?6 r/ }* @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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+ E- H9 k; L, ~0 h9 wThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.* v) `( [# ^1 L
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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.$ O m l4 G9 O5 q
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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.": o. z j( @7 r9 d
% u' N. c. u" D7 J M% C/ U/ { zThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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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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